People often ask me why I don't show my Cairn Terriers. I've actually considered it many times. I even went so far as to keep back a show prospect (Cooper) and contacted 2 show handlers. I intend to learn more at some point in time, but my first limitation is time. I do not have time to travel and participate in the act of showing.
Second of all, the true purpose of showing is a grand idea. It is intended for a breeder to prove the quality of their breeding program, by comparing their dogs to the breed standard. What a beautiful concept. But unfortunately, there are those that believe in winning at all costs. To some, it's only about titles and they are willing to lie and cheat to ensure that they have their titles. I have had mostly negative experiences with show breeders in my career as a breeder. I thought I could avoid the politics and rudeness by hiring a handler, and that may be the only answer for me. We will see. But at this point in time, I am not capable of competing in that type of world. I'm not competitive, I believe all quality dogs have a right to "win", not just those who happen to be handled by the right person in front of the right judge. I believe in honesty, integrity, and the golden rule. The first person that made a negative comment about me behind my back would make me cry! It's not worth the emotional stress to me.
Another "rule" you may read about is that a good breeder not only shows their dogs, but they belong to breed clubs. I live 2-3 hours from the closest breed club. For most clubs, this means that I'm not eligible to be a member. If I were eligible to be a member, I live 2-3hrs away and simple geography limits my ability to participate. I'm not a cluby person. I was once told that I should join a club, it would make me a better breeder. But the problem I have, is that one club in particular requires that you know a current member for a minimum of 2 years. That's not about who you are, that's about who you know. So, if you aren't part of the clique, you're not a good breeder? I don't believe that. I have developed friendships with several good breeders who have quality Cairn Terriers, they monitor the health and quality of their lines, and have the goal to improve the breed over time. We share support, knowledge, and pedigrees. Am I less of a breeder because I'm not a club member or I don't show? I don't think so.
I think we should implement a system of quality ranking that is noncompetitive. Let's judge the quality of our breeding stock based on the individual. We should apply a score based on disposition, confirmation, and health. All breeding dogs should be eligible for scoring, and breeders would have a universal communication score for judging the quality of our dogs and therefore our breeding program. For example, if Cooper was scored on a 1-100 scale for confirmation in the areas of the ear set, tail set, top line, bite, over all Type, etc. Then disposition, and finally health testing. If completely perfect (which there are no perfect dogs) he would have the capability of scoring a 300. Anything less than a certain score would be pet quality, over a certain score, breeding or show quality. It's universal, mostly objective, and we would have a concept that doesn't rule anyone out based on the lack of notoriety. Now isn't that a grand concept!!?? It would benefit the breeder, the breed, and everyone's happy! Maybe I should just implement that for my breeder friends and maybe the concept would become popular. Greater things have happened. LOL
No comments:
Post a Comment