Breeders
What Are The Priorities?
When planning a litter which goals are contemplated? Is any one thing most important?
Will it be one, two, all, something other than these?
Breed Preservation
“Our job as breeders is preservation, not innovation.” (Dr. Edna K. Martin).
Functionality
“Traits that contribute to the dog doing his job (as in the original job description) are virtues; traits that interfere with the dog doing his job are faults.” (Patricia Trotter, long time AKC judge). Examples of either an original job or one in which inherent traits contribute: livestock protection, hunting game, livestock herding, search and rescue, narcotics detection, family companion
Winning
Becoming the next leading Beardie in conformation, performance, companion activities?
Genetic Diversity
How to best determine that; is it relevant to health of the progeny? See genetics tab.
Healthy Progeny
How to plan for this?
Then, How To Select the Sire?
“Neither do show records or championships have anything to do with a dog’s producing ability. Winning in the show ring proves the dog has the quality necessary to win. Siring outstanding offspring is the only thing that proves a sire’s ability. These are two entirely different qualities.” Richard G Beauchamp – see first reference.
References
Breeding Dogs for Dummies, Richard G. Beauchamp (2020).
Breed Preservation
- Looking Forward by Patricia Trotter, by Patricia Trotter (AKC Gazette) (p 11)
- Posterity, What Legacy You Can Leave?, by Rhonda Hoven (p 2)
Owner/Breeder Sharing of Health Information
- Don’t Shoot the Messenger by CA Sharp (p 12)
- Health Registries, by Elizabeth Coolidge-Stolz, MD (p 4)
- Open Health Registries, Trust but Verify, by CA Sharp (p 1, left side)
Temperament
- The Beardie Temperament, Linda Aronson, DVM
- So What is a Beardie Temperament? Lynne Sharpe, PhD
- Canine Ethology by Jan de Wit
- Shepherding and Other Considerations, “Have You Herd”, Alice Bixler (with permission, published in AKC Gazette Dec 2022)
Role of Research in Improving Canine Health
- How Research Works, JP Yousha (p 5)