WHAT IS A BREEDER ??

 

A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never

really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience,

convenience and commitment.

 

A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time,

friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! She gives up the

dreams of a long, luxurious cruise in favor of turning that all important

Show into this years "vacation".

 

The Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee!) in hours spent

planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and

afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.

 

The Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies

have to be fed at eight. She disregards birth fluids and puts mouth to

mouth to save a gasping newborn, literally blowing life into a tiny, helpless

creature that may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams.

 

A Breeder’s lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble

champions once snoozed.

 

A Breeder’s hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle

and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.

 

A Breeder’s back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending,

and sitting in the birthing box, but are strong enough to enable the breeder

to Show the next choice pup to a Championship.

 

A Breeder’s shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse from

competitors, but they're wide enough to support the weight of a thousand

defeats and frustrations.

 

A Breeder’s arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of

puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.

 

A Breeder’s ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being talked

about) or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone receiver), often

deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the whimper of a sick puppy.

 

A Breeder’s eyes are blurred from pedigree research and sometimes blind to

Her own dog's faults, but they are ever so keen to the competitions faults and

are always searching for the perfect specimen.

 

A Breeder’s brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees faster

than an IBM computer. It's so full of knowledge that sometimes it blows a fuse:

It catalogues thousands of good bonings, fine ears, and perfect heads...and

buries in the soul the failures and the ones that didn't turn out.

 

The Breeder’s heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope

everlasting... and it's always in the right place! Oh, yes, there are

breeders, and then, there are BREEDERS!!

 

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