Is It Fortune Or Fame We Seek?

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382 – June, 2022

By William Given

Most breeders involved in the sport of purebred dogs are driven forward, often against their own will and almost invariably against their better judgement, in an effort to produce the perfect dog. Breeding is, without question, the most important aspect of our sport. However, the reasons for not breeding are as varied as the individuals, but for the most part, it is because they lack sufficient space. Some refrain from breeding because there is always so much to do, and they have no help. The vast majority, I fear–like myself–simply do not have the time. Even in retirement, I know that doing research, taking notes and setting aside time to write a couple of articles a month does not make a world of demands on my time, but the fact is that with all of the other must-do’s on my to-do list, it takes every one of my waking hours, seven days a week, and leaves me with no time for serious breeding.

Even so, if I believed I had devised a way to breed the perfect dog, I would somehow make the time to do it. I would do it tomorrow, and so, I venture to suggest, so would all the other people who, for one reason or another are not, at the moment, planning or preparing to breed their next litter.

Why Do We Do It

I often ask myself, what is the motivation that drives us forward? It cannot possibly be fortune, because for every person who manages to eke out a profit on a litter there must be a hundred who lose money and realistically expect to do so. They are not in the game for profit, but for pleasure and the passion of it. Some people, in any case, bring to it large personal fortunes and often spend them in pursuit of perfection. It is no secret that they fail as often as the man or woman who uses only a small surplus from their paycheck.

“No,” it is not fortune. Then, I ask, is it fame? Again, the answer is “No.” All of us realize that there is almost no breeder living today who has achieved fame through his or her hobby outside of the sport of purebred dogs. Even the most successful can only expect to have his or her name printed in a breed journal or dog show magazine while attempting to prevent a slide into bankruptcy.

Click here to read the complete article
382 – June, 2022

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