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Learn how asking the right questions and finding the right mentor can lead to success in dog breeding and exhibiting.
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Over the years, I have asked myself why some people move forward and are abundantly successful as breeders and exhibitors, and others are less so. It is not the available information but rather the questions that are asked, or not being asked, that can be the deal breaker.
Let’s start out with the adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” In our scenario, you must know whether your breed mentor is qualified to provide you with the necessary tools for success. Do you know which questions to ask to figure this out? If you deeply desire to succeed in the dog world, you will have to know which ones are most important.
First, you should discover your mentor’s accomplishments in the dog world. The most successful dog people seek out mentors who have made abundantly apparent inroads for their breed. Over time, the most successful dog people do not choose their show dog or breeding stock haphazardly. Sometimes, exhibitors assume others have better dogs simply because they are from their region and have consistently been defeated by them. They may, or they may not.
Making up champions is not alone a sign of quality. Many breeders with poor specimens arrive at the shows with their whole kennel or household so that they may finish entire litters. Sometimes, the goal is to make a “Dam of the Year” or “Sire of the Year.” Finishing a dog’s championship is not as difficult today as it was in the past. Not that it isn’t an accomplishment. The point is that once an exhibitor has done so on a number of occasions, they develop a system, and it becomes almost routine. Your mentor should teach you how to ask the right questions to apply your Breed Standard accurately so that you can determine the quality of the dogs yourself.
Successful mentors may sometimes be generous with their knowledge and, at other times, be less likely to offer advice. Often, they wait to be asked a question to see how observant their future student is and ascertain the level of curiosity that drives them forward.
When a student is less successful, sometimes they have chosen a mentor who is unwilling or unable to communicate their knowledge to others. They are hesitant because they have been burned before by previous mentees or perhaps are unable to because they don’t have the background to teach. Not everyone is a natural teacher or a trained professional. They may still have deep knowledge, ready to be unearthed.
A good mentor’s credentials begin with actively promoting their breed. They hold themselves to a high standard of excellence for the good of their breed. They may want to be successful for a number of reasons; however, the primary reason should be for what we now call “preservation breeding.”
An exceptionally important aspect of a desirable breeder is someone who keeps their puppies scrupulously clean and in beautiful condition. That means puppies are in good muscle tone and have shiny, clean coats. This applies to all dogs owned or co-owned by this breeder. Tip: Visit your mentor’s home and kennel.
Preservation Breeder is a term that is bandied about by many and taken seriously by some. Not all really understand what it means or how to become one. Surely you have read about this in other articles here. To become a preservation breeder, one doesn’t need to say, “I am a preservation breeder.” The dedication and striving for the perfect breeding—and the one after that—for ongoing generations make the preservation breeder.
A preservation breeder also does health testing. At the very least, they will perform parent-club-required testing; many will go beyond that and do complete DNA testing by a reputable organization and test for different anomalies that occur in other breeds. For example, elbows may not be required, but doing elbow X-rays and submitting them to OFA is much cheaper than replacing dogs down the road or doing surgery to correct an issue.
No eye or elbow issues were identified when I bred Rottweilers in the 1980s. However, I had friends in Siberian Huskies who had been through the eye debacle that a dominant sire had created before that time. I understood the pitfalls of hubris.
In Rottweilers, front-end lameness was almost always diagnosed as “panosteitis.” Elbow dysplasia was virtually unknown in the breed. This was the one area where my mentors fell back. They refused to do eyes or elbows because “we don’t have that in Rottweilers.”
Twenty years later, we found out that we did, and numerous cases were diagnosed. A dominant and much-used sire had elbow dysplasia. It was discovered, but so-called knowledgeable breeders and lesser-known exhibitors used the dog on their bitches in spite of this information. Of course, he passed it on to his progeny.
Another twenty years later, the breed has recovered from those issues chiefly due to the true preservation breeders. They honor the required health testing and then go a step beyond to safeguard their breed.
A great mentor will offer tidbits and, ultimately, a full and accurate history of the breed. At some point, you should ask about the history of their kennel and how each big winner contributed to the quality of the breed itself. They may not always have big winners, but they have had consistent winners. They are respected in and out of the ring for their knowledge and dedication by many members of the Fancy.
These breed greats can relate to mentees at different levels, whether it be the history of the breed and/or the details of the Breed Standard, using specific verbiage within and then providing an explanation. I have often mentored exhibitors whose breed mentors relate details of the Breed Standard using previous versions of their Standard. Likewise, I am still asked if the AKC Rules from 30 years ago still apply!
Finally, ask yourself who are the people around you who have the breed’s best interests at heart and which ones simply have their own interests as their main concern. Once you have established these variables, you are asking the questions to get you to the highest level of mentoring. You are a true student.
Breed Conservation
Using the Dachshund as a case study, Lexa Richmond explores how breeding decisions, mentorship, and education shape breed preservation.
