Just because someone is well known in the show circuit is not a guarantee of anything. There are people who show who do not socialize their dogs properly and who do not know a great deal about genetics. They got their start by buying into good lines and many times just luck out for a few generations.
Every buyer of purebred dogs needs to educate themselves about who they are dealing with and what background the dogs have. There are good and bad in every area of life and the show circuit is no different. If someone is just breeding to produce perfect conformation and leave out the personality aspect then they are going to have problems in that area.
Buying from a breeder that can explain their breeding program and give excellent references certainly puts a buyer in a much better position as far as getting a good puppy. Early and continued socialization is also extremely important.
I'm sure many owners can give examples of problems with mixed breed dogs as well. I know of a couple myself who inherited the worst genetic defects of both breeds. Buying a mix of two different purebreds is not a guarantee of health and personality especially if one of them has a problem genetic background. The genetic roulette wheel can be a cruel thing. |