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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 puppy 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 wonderous 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/dog. A Breeder's eyes are blurred
from pedigree research. A Breeder strives not to be blind to her own dogs faults, and is 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!!
Author unknown
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