Liesje
Posted : 1/7/2009 10:51:10 PM
OK, I'm a "pet" person I guess but hang out at shows and with breeders 
I've never bred animals, don't want to even consider it for at least ten years. I am intrigued by the process but prefer male dogs at the moment and am not really a "puppy" person. I simply don't have the time, money, or space and don't foresee having those resources for years and years (I want to start my *own* family at some point). If I cannot do it right and hold myself to my own high standards, then why even try.
I spent about two years looking at a few breeds I was really interested in. I've always wanted Malinois but decided to start with GSDs. I did not want to start with a puppy because honestly I didn't yet know exactly what I wanted, so I opted for a spayed adult female from a breeder. If I had chosen blindly for myself, I would have wanted a large, dark, heavy boned male, but the breeder matches based on lifestyle not looks and I ended up with a small, light, fine boned female, lol. Green handler, not so green dog. We have taught each other a lot. She had some temperament issues and needed a soft, female owner/handler who could start from scratch. Her mind goes a mile a minute, her need for mental stimulation is greater than that of physical exercise, so I basically signed up for the "beginner" level training classes of whatever I could find - rally, CGC, agility, obedience... Our first year together we completed 8 new titles/certificates. With Kenya I learned so much about what my strengths and weaknesses are, what I really am looking for in a dog. After a long break to deal with some random health issues and to just chill out and have fun, the goals for this year are RE, FO, OB1, and BH.
By being invovled in training clubs and trials, I got to meet more breeders and GSD fanciers. Most importantly, I got to SEE the dogs, see them show and work. Instead of just picking a type of GSD, I could pick out lines and breeding programs I liked or didn't like. I decided to get Nikon because his breeding is a combination of three of my favorite dogs/lines (Kirschental, Quenn vom Loher Weg, Kevin von Murrtal). I watched the bitch work, talked to other people that have spent considerable time with her and many other dogs and got their opinions. Temperament was my #1 criteria. I also wanted a decent amount of drive (a dog with good drives is actually better for a novice handler) but not something over the top. I was a little hesitant b/c I could not meet the stud b/c he is in Germany but based on what I heard I took the gamble and got Nikon. He is ending up being the pick male of his litter as far as conformation and drive. His breeder matched based on the temperament of the dog and knowing my lifestyle and how I handle dogs. Also he just kinda picked me (walked up to me and stuck with me). We did evaluate their conformation and movement but at 8 weeks, things can change. He is turning out really nicely. The temperament and drive is exactly what I wanted. I have seen other pups from his litter several times and they are so different, they look relatively the same but I can't imagine myself with any one of them, Nikon was such a good match for us.
We're doing SchH and conformation. Other things like obedience, rally, agility...that will just depend on how he turns out as he matures. Everything will be HOT (owner-handler-trained). I'm not shipping my dog off to Germany to be titled by judges that can be paid off or go easy on the dogs. If the dog is worthy of top titles and ratings, then he should be able to achieve them without the political mess. My goal with him is a V-rating, which implies certain hip score from the SV and to be titled in SchH to a certain level. I would also love a KKL1 rating for life. The ultimate dream would be a VA rating, but at that level it can get political and veeeery expensive. I'm sooooo not into the politics of it, I just look at each dog individually for what it is. I don't plan to neuter Nikon. I can't say one way or the other about breeding b/c he is so young, that totally depends on how he turns out as far as conformation, health, drives, and temperament. So, it's not like we're doing this because we want him to be a stud dog, but maybe...only time will tell.
Maybe I will breed in a few decades, I don't know. If I do, it will be mainly to provide myself with dogs I think are valuable for breed preservation. The standard is open-ended and vague; every breeder and fancier has her own interpretation. At the very top are many great dogs, and often the differences between them boil down to personal preference. Right now I see myself just owning a few dogs at a time, spayed females or males, and focusing on the learning process of training, showing, and trialing. I have some great mentors so if I neede puppy fixes I can help with their socialization or watch a birth. I don't want that for myself right now.
I think I have thrown myself into dogs because for decades I was obsessed with gymnastics and when I had to quit b/c of time and money, I looked a long time for something similar to totally immerse myself in. Finally I have found something that replaces gymnastics for me and is starting to fill that void. There are a lot of similarities really. It's cut throat, you either have it or you don't, you work hard for so many years and in seconds, a judge can acknowledge that or take it all away. I love the pressure and obsessing over every little detail!
What I expect to get out of it....breed preservation as a whole, and for myself, just the process. I'm more concerned with the means than the end. I enjoy the entire process. I'm not going to shows to plan breedings or select breeding dogs, I'm going to shows because I love training my dogs and doing activities with them. Nikon's going to an AKC conformation show on Saturday, we have no intention of actually showing in AKC conformation but we're going with a group of people to just hang out and use it as a socialization opportunity for the young dogs. It's just something to do, really.