A breeder is one who thirsts for knowledge and never
really knows it
all, one who wrestles with decision of conscience,
convenience and
commitment. One who sacrifices personal interests,
finances, time,
friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting!
She gives up the dreams of a long, luxurious cruise in
favor of
turning that all important show into this years
vacation.
A breeder goes without sleep (but never coffee) in
hours spent
planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the
birth process and
afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.
Skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the
babies have
to be fed at eight. She disregards birth fluids and
puts mouth to
mouth to save a gasping newborn, literally blowing
life into a tiny,
helpless creature that may be the culmination of a
lifetime of
dreams.
A breeders lap is a marvelous place where generations
of proud and
noble champions once snoozed.
A breeders hands are strong and firm and often soiled,
but ever so
gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet
nose.
A breeders back and knees are usually arthritic from
stooping,
bending, and sitting in the birthing box, but are
strong enough to
enable the breeder to show the next choice pup to a
Championship.
A breeders shoulders are stooped and often heaped with
abuse from
competitors, but they're wide enough to support the
weight of a
thousand defeats and frustrations.
A breeders arms are always able to wield a mop,
support an armful
of puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.
A breeder's ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (
from being
talked about ) or strangely shaped from being pressed
against a
phone receiver, often deaf to criticism, yet always
fine tuned to
the whimper of a sick puppy.
A breeders eyes are blurred from pedigree research and
sometimes
blind to her own dog's faults, but they are ever so
keen to the
competitions faults and are always searching for the
perfect
specimen.
A breeders brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall
pedigrees
faster than an IBM computer. so full of knowledge that
sometimes it
blows a fuse: it catalogues thousands of good bonings,
fine ears,
and perfect heads and buries in the soul the failures
and the ones
that didn't turn out.
A Breeder's Heart is often broken, but it beats
strongly with hope
everlasting and it is always in the right place.
Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are
BREEDERS!!
