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Carol Rappaport shares her lifelong journey with Vizslas and Bedlington Terriers, breeding with purpose and mentoring others.
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Carol E. Rappaport
1. My name is Carol Rappaport, and I was born into purebred dogs. My grandmother was Marianne Cummings; she, and my mother, Nancy, dabbled in other breeds, but always returned to Bedlington Terriers. Marianne was Hollywink, and my mother and father became Starcastle. I bought my first Vizsla in 1997 from Karen Brown of the Krown prefix. Currently, I have nine Vizslas and three Bedlingtons. I chose to breed under the Starcastle kennel name.
2. In Vizslas, the hallmark of the breed is its trainability and multifunctional purpose as a gun dog and family member. The breed should be neither aggressive nor afraid, with the energy level contained to make the dog an avid hunting companion.
Given both breeds, I would have to say the hallmark of the Bedlington is its looks versus its function. It still needs to be a ratting terrier, with the look of a lamb and the heart of a lion, while still remaining a family dog.
3. I believe in breeding one way or another, unlike a lot of my fellow breeders. I do not believe that whole litters need to receive their championships. We show and breed the best of what we produce. The rest are placed in pet and companion homes and encouraged to participate in Performance activities. I have at least two litters planned for this year, but my waiting list is consistently filled by previous owners from our litters, given the length of time I’ve been in dogs. As breeders, we cannot survive without the pet population market, and we should treat those owners the same way we would a show home.
4. At the forefront of scientific methods and communications involving breeding is DNA testing, along with the use of x-rays and bloodwork; we need to use these to decipher the breeding puzzle. It’s kind of like a doctor—do no harm. I find Dr. Battaglia‘s book, Breeding Better Dogs, a reread on my list every year.
When it comes to communication and technology, I’ll admit this is a newer area for me, as I did not grow up in the digital age. I tend to take a more old-school approach; when people come to visit puppies, they are on camera, and I require identification for everyone’s safety. Texting to inquire about puppies has become the norm for the younger generation, but I feel it lacks the courtesy of more direct communication.
5. In my community, the view of the purebred dog differs, depending on the person’s background, and I have the privilege to see this from many angles. My foremost community in Pennsylvania seems to frown upon purebred dogs and views them as moneymakers. The area where I grew up is a bit more elitist. They view purebred dogs as more of a status symbol and a family companion.
6. Trends in the sport? I consistently see rudeness and nastiness towards beginners. I believe that the extent of mentorship, and developing an eye for actual canine movement based on the particular dog’s Breed Standard, should be encouraged and promoted among all would-be new breeders. It is also becoming blatantly obvious that there are many who compete within AKC (American Kennel Club) who feel very elitist about other venues. Having observed for nearly 50 years, it has become obvious that if a great dog doesn’t have a billionaire backer, the glass ceiling is limited. From a breeder’s perspective, looking at what wins in the show ring, I would never base my breeding program on what is popular or winning.
7. It will be interesting to see what the new upper level of the AKC will bring to the sport, as everyone knows Performance events and their respective entries are increasing exponentially. As breeders, this is something that we need to be fluent in, to have the ability to mentor our owners in their respective sports.
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