Most breeder-exhibitors have rules and policies that we abide by, to keep our numbers manageable and help ensure that the dogs we sell go to dedicated people who have the facilities to care for them. With that said, it’s always wise to remain flexible enough to break our own rules now and then, when an exceptional owner or an exceptional dog comes along that is worth accommodating.
Here are a few examples taken from my own dog experiences over five decades, when I had to bend the rules and was ultimately very glad I did.
Most breeders, except for those raising Toys, would probably favor homes that offered a fenced yard for a new puppy. The larger and more active the breed, the greater the requirement. However, thinking back to my early 20s, I got my first two Afghan Hounds in my first apartment, with my first job. I found a nearby fenced football field where I took the dogs several times a week for off-leash exercise. I also biked them during off hours at a shopping center parking lot. It can be done, when dedication to the dog’s needs are made a priority. As dogs get older, most can settle into a routine of regular walks on a leash.
When a great couple with large-dog experience came to me for a puppy, past homeowners now living in an apartment close to the university campus where they were both in graduate school, I felt comfortable placing a dog with them. Their hours were flexible, and they understood the importance of free exercise for a growing sighthound puppy. Eventually, they started participating in Lure Coursing with a nearby group. Just as the breeder who placed those first two dogs with me, back in my 20s, believed in my commitment, this was my opportunity to pay it forward, and encourage an enthusiastic couple who I felt would make significant contributions to the breed. They didn’t let me down, and I’m proud to have been an early mentor of theirs.
We’ve all seen big, untrained, undisciplined dogs dragging their hapless owners down the street. It would be funny, if it weren’t so dangerous. For seniors, we typically suggest smaller breeds, which are often easier to control and less apt to cause physical harm if an owner does fall during a play session or a walk. But, of course, we all know slightly built professional handlers in their 80s who are exhibiting Great Danes and Mastiffs with grace and control.
After my life partner passed away a few years ago, I made the difficult decision to place my three adult male Afghan Hounds, and keep my three adult bitches. Two went to Conformation people. The last boy was a tall, lightly coated, muscular athlete, running laps around the yard, jumping over hurdles, and chasing his housemates for hours on end. Oh, to find a young Agility or Lure Coursing enthusiast who could keep up with his energy level and thrill to the sight of him galloping at full speed.
Through word of mouth, a woman in the Midwest phoned me who had lost her elderly Afghan and wanted another. As we spoke, and I heard about her grown children, and a grandchild or two, I worried that he was simply too much dog for her. I hinted at his high energy level, and my prediction that he would make a great Performance dog for someone. Then she informed me that she had just come back from a trip to the East Coast: to visit her daughter and to run in the annual New York City Marathon! We had a good laugh, and she subsequently sent me photos of her tall, lean, physically fit self running other marathons, as well as shots of the old Afghan she was missing so much. She and her husband were avid hikers, and she needed another Afghan to walk five miles a day with. We made plans to meet at Purina Farms outside St. Louis, Missouri, on a weekend in mid-November; I brought along our athletic boy, along with his lookalike aunt, so she could see the family resemblance, and after visiting awhile, off she drove with a very happy addition to her family. She and I each had much to be grateful for that Thanksgiving. Since then, I have enjoyed many winter photos of my athletic boy accompanying his spry owners on cross-country skiing adventures.
For years and years, I kept only girls. It was so much easier when somebody came in season, and for the price of a stud fee, I had access to any male in the country—and today, the world.
And then I had a litter that contained a very special boy. Not my favorite color, but from a very young age his superior structure and natural showmanship could not be denied. Those friends with whom I felt comfortable co-owning dogs were all expecting their own litters, and so, the offer of my boy did not come at an opportune time. We were also still collectively smarting from the recent experience of a sweet but naïve pet owner who had agreed to keep her promising male puppy intact for the breeder to show, only to have her veterinarian bamboozle her into neutering him early. Of course, she forgot to check her sales contract.
That was it; my boy was staying. I’ve always believed, “if a dog is that good, keep it,” and I had to follow my own advice, gender notwithstanding. I finished him quickly from the Bred-By class, he won at least a dozen Bred-By Hound Group Firsts before two years of age, and he didn’t howl the house down when a girl came in season.
Rules keep us focused but are made to, occasionally, judiciously, be broken when certain situations present themselves. The most successful dog people stay flexible, and always have a Plan B in their back pocket.
