OK, I just have to say that the opinion that you have to show in order to be the best breeder possible is about the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life! I literally spit Diet Pepsi on my pc reading this thread...more than once! You do not have to show in order to produce quality, breed standard dogs. When you step into a ring, it does not clue you in as to the quality and standard closeness of your dog--it shows the quality and standard closeness of your dog compared to other dogs. Yes, I understand in the show world, your ideal would be to have the "best" product when all is said and done. But you're talking about one person, one dog out of how many?
Furthermore, are there people breeding out there, poor quality, heath defect ridden Yorkies? Yes, there probably are. But there are also people breeding dogs that are not as "perfect" as those in the show ring, but who are constantly trying to "improve" their line. Do I think the dogs I breed are comparable to the ones produced by 30+ year show veterans? No, I don't. But I am striving to get there. Hopefully in 30+ years I will make it. Do you think as a new breeder I could convince the owners of the #1 and #2 dog in the country to let me have them and breed them to get the "perfect dog?" Yeah, right.
Getting a dog that will win in the ring is something you stive for...your ultimate goal. How do you get there? You develope a line that you can claim as your own. How do you do that? By taking good breed quality dogs and breeding them. Selecting two good quality specimins, producing something better from them, and then continuing to add and progress and better what you are getting.
But to say you "have to show" to produce a high quality representation of the breed is ridiculous! Your dog is not neccessarily judge just on its own representation...the overall outcome is who's representation is THE best. Comparing your dog to someone elses does NOT make or break you as a breeder. |