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Our
Motivation For Breeding
The
Importance of Conformation to a Dedicated Breeder
Conformation
n. Manner in which a thing is formed, structure;
adaptation (to). (The Concise Oxford Dictionary Of Current
English)
Conformation Dog Shows:
A venue whereby purebred
dogs are judged to be in conformation to the standards
established for the breed.
Most enquiries we receive about our dogs are for pets only, not
for show
dogs. In contrast, reputable breeders of purebred dogs are
involved in the pursuit of Conformation Championship titles.
This divergence of attitudes presents a dilemma for many
aspiring kennels. Without the opportunity to prove the soundness
of the dogs produced, any offerings of puppies from
non-championship stock are automatically deemed to be inferior
to those from champion lines. Most owners are proud to describe
their dog to others as being the son or daughter of, or even
related to, this or that champion. A respectable breeder
researches pedigrees and matches and mates a female and male, in
the hope that resultant offspring will be all perfect examples
of the breed. A normal litter for Ridgebacks produces a mix of
show and pet quality puppies. Considering the
investments of emotions, anxiety, time, hope and
disappointment, if the following can help just one prospective
purebred
puppy owner to understand why it is important to a breeder to
have any
potential show puppies achieve their championship, we will be
grateful.
Breeding our foundation bitch, Dija, the first time was the
result of
encouragement to do so from her breeders, plus a whole lot of
curiosity on our part. When we were faced with the reality of
seven puppies there was then a lot of misgivings as to how we
would find homes for them all. The questions as to what we
were getting into and why, were not an issue. We found good
people, and then enjoyed raising our two new boys.
Conformation
showing became more than just a hobby when the pups matured and
started to do well in the ring. We were happy when one of the
sister's owners agreed to allow us to show her. Those three
siblings all achieved their Canadian Championship. That was
enough to give Tudoridge Kennels the 'Top Breeder Award' for
1992, and to give Dija her Canadian 'Register of Merit'
designation. The two boys went on to get their American
Championships.
That
first litter did us proud and we came to the realization that
breeding could be more than just mating two dogs, having
puppies, and then adopting them out as pets. In order to sustain
our interest and enthusiasm, we needed to ensure that any dogs,
which were bred by us, had to be given the opportunity to have a
title of one kind or another. Litter number one produced
five potential show dogs and two with faults in their ridges.
Four puppies were adopted out as pets, with no obligation
whatsoever on the owners to enter any competitive events.
It is important to recognize that all dogs should be, first
and foremost,
family pets. However, purebred dogs that are qualified to be
entered in
official conformation competitions, and are not, give no reason
to an
ethical, dedicated breeder to aspire to, or maintain, excellence
in their
breeding programs. Without the incentive of peer recognition won
by
achievement in competition, breeders may tend to become
monetarily
motivated.
Breeders who are fiscally motivated have crossed the
"incentive line" and genuine interest and dedication
to the welfare of puppies and the breed are compromised.
Consequently, such breeders have little motivation to be
discriminating in owner selection and the standards by which
prospective owners are vetted become minimal or non-existent. Many first time dog owners have yet to develop a solid sense of
responsibility or understanding toward their new pet. Being
exposed to merely nominal breeding practices and adoption
procedures leads them to believe this is the norm, which both
perpetuates and encourages the cycle. Puppy mills are the
ultimate devolution of monetarily motivated kennels.
All politics aside, conformation competition allows a qualified
individual
to determine whether or not a particular dog best represents the
standards of the breed. Without that forum standards could not
be maintained. We believe that if a dog is potentially of
show quality, it should be given an opportunity to compete.
After our second litter we became contractually insistent that
this would be the case.
In the second litter we had a really hard time deciding which
puppy to keep for ourselves. There were two females to choose
from, and virtually on the last day, we made our choice. We had
a verbal understanding that the one to be adopted would be
shown, in the hope that both Canadian and American Championships
would be achieved. At about eight months of age she
came into heat. We learned shortly after, during a telephone
conversation, that she had been spayed. She had been entered in
only four shows. Our hopes of Dija attaining her American
Register of Merit were dashed, as was the sire, Bhoy-Bhoy,
attaining his. The owner had not anticipated the burden of
a female's natural cycle. We had learned a bitter lesson also,
as we had obviously not realized the full impact of this
obligation on a novice owner.
The majority of people who wish to have a purebred dog are
not interested in their pet also being a show dog. Most
people want their dog to be a perfect example of the breed,
without being willing to participate in the responsibility for
the continuance of the methods by which it became so recognized
in the first place.
Breeding for the sole purpose of providing people with
"perfect pets" did not appeal to us from either an
ethical or moral point of view. We felt we owed our dogs, the
breed and ourselves more than that. Knowing there would be
no monetary profit for us, as breeders, we realized we needed to
find other sources of inspiration and motivation if we were to
continue to breed.
Watching Dija raise her two litters made us aware that there was
a lot more to learn about the canine mind. We undertook to
attend certified courses in canine psychology; with our own pack
of dogs teaching us what the lectures and books could not. We
also resolved to learn as much as possible about every facet and
nuance of canine rearing, behavior and health, and to pass that
information on to whoever was willing to learn.
Knowing the practices of some breeders we felt there was a major
weakness; that being the lack of education for the preparation
and responsibility of dog ownership, and the inability to offer
meaningful advice as to the well being, training and general
understanding of canines both before and after adoption. If we
were to be insistent in the fulfillment of obligations we
imposed upon owners, then we ourselves had to be prepared to
offer the very best in education and support. To this end we
developed a program that enables people to have truly close and
meaningful relationships with their dogs. It is based on
teaching humans to understand the world from a dog's point of
view, rather than the more usual, (and less successful),
imposition of human perspectives upon the dog.
Being involved in Conformation Showing allows us to keep current
on other breeders' activities while enabling us to compete for
awards and earn recognition within the Ridgeback community. By
finding a way to instil in our puppy owners a sense of
enthusiastic participation that would benefit both the owners,
the pups and ourselves, our ambitions are being fulfilled.
Staying actively involved in the Conformation Dog Show world
allows a dedicated breeder to see the lines of other breeders.
This information, when viewed through a generational prism,
enables the planning and strategizing of future matings with the
ultimate goal of breeding the Top Dog of all time. People can
become "kennel blind" in the absence of comparison,
just as human parents fail to see the shortcomings of their own
progeny, unless they are highly objective observers. It would be
physically impossible for the majority of Breeder/ Fanciers to
keep every puppy they bred of potential show quality and then
show them all themselves to attain championship titles.
Puppies kept by the breeder are chosen based on experience and
wishful thinking, hoping that the mature dog will turn out to be
the "Pick Of The Litter". From two months to full
maturity is a long time to develop an "almost runt"
into a Show Stopper.
As with breeding and raising puppies the sport of Conformation
Dog Showing is fraught with emotional highs and lows. Some dogs
are more of a challenge to finish their Championship than
others. Some puppies mature faster than others and do well when
young, only to be less than average when mature. Conversely,
some puppies seem to take forever to mature and excel when in
their prime.
In an age of instant gratification and the pride of ownership,
dogs and dog shows can vault an owner or a breeder to the
heavens or they can send them crashing to earth with a
resounding thud! As long as the understanding of the objectives
remains in focus, both a dedicated breeder and a cooperative
puppy owner will benefit.
All of our puppies are adopted as pets and all are perfect in
their own way. For those born without obvious conformation
faults, what better endorsement of being a perfect example of
the breed than being a "Champion".
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