A breeder is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience and commitment.
A breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture and deep pile carpeting. They give up dreams of a long luxurious cruise in favor of turning that all-important show into this year’s vacation.
A breeder goes without (but never without coffee) in hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process and afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.
A breeder skips dinner parties because a litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight. They disregard birth fluids and give 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 breeder’s lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble champions once snoozed. The hands of a breeder are strong and firm and often soiled but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy’s wet nose.
A breeder’s back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending and sitting in a birthing box, but are strong enough to enable the breeder to show the next choice pup to a championship.
A breeder’s 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 breeder’s 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 tuned to the whimper of a sick puppy.
A breeder’s eyes are blurred from researching pedigrees but never blind to their own dog’s faults. Their eyes are ever so keen to the competition's faults and are always searching for the perfect specimen.
A breeder’s brain is foggy on faces but can recall pedigrees faster than an IBM PC. It is so full of knowledge that sometimes it blows a fuse! It catalogues thousands of good bones, fine ears and perfect heads. And it 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’s always in the right place!
