Bruce H
Well-known member
Just wanted to jump in for a minute with a request /reminder on behalf of we breeders. I know I've requested this before, but I just wanted to jog everyone's memory now that we are approaching the holidays and the end of the year.
The goal of breeding should be improvement of the breed. And I feel there is no more important definition of "improvement" than health improvement and correct temperament. Yes, it's nice to have a beautiful dog that conforms to the breed standard and (in the case of those showing their dog) does well in the conformation ring. But all of that is worthless if the dog develops a problem that prematurely shortens its life. So we breeders have to look at how the puppies we have bred are doing from the standpoint of health so we can see if the dogs we are breeding are producing healthy, long lived lines. If they aren't, we need to adjust our breeding program.
So here's my request/reminder:
Without feedback from the people we have sold puppies to, we can't possibly know if our breeding program is a good one or needs adjustment. Our puppy contract requires that our puppy buyers contact us at least once a year with a photo and a short note about how their puppy is doing, both the good and bad. All the good breeders I know WANT to hear from their puppy people.
Breeders put their heart and soul into the puppies the first 10 to 12 weeks of their life and get attached to the little guys like you wouldn't believe. So they REALLY look forward to hearing about the little guys, just like grandparents look forward to hearing about the grandchildren! So please send a picture to and a note to your breeder letting them know how your dog is doing. I know they will appreciate it.
Happy holidays to everyone!
The goal of breeding should be improvement of the breed. And I feel there is no more important definition of "improvement" than health improvement and correct temperament. Yes, it's nice to have a beautiful dog that conforms to the breed standard and (in the case of those showing their dog) does well in the conformation ring. But all of that is worthless if the dog develops a problem that prematurely shortens its life. So we breeders have to look at how the puppies we have bred are doing from the standpoint of health so we can see if the dogs we are breeding are producing healthy, long lived lines. If they aren't, we need to adjust our breeding program.
So here's my request/reminder:
Without feedback from the people we have sold puppies to, we can't possibly know if our breeding program is a good one or needs adjustment. Our puppy contract requires that our puppy buyers contact us at least once a year with a photo and a short note about how their puppy is doing, both the good and bad. All the good breeders I know WANT to hear from their puppy people.
Breeders put their heart and soul into the puppies the first 10 to 12 weeks of their life and get attached to the little guys like you wouldn't believe. So they REALLY look forward to hearing about the little guys, just like grandparents look forward to hearing about the grandchildren! So please send a picture to and a note to your breeder letting them know how your dog is doing. I know they will appreciate it.
Happy holidays to everyone!