Re: [PyrNet-L] Westminster

[Kshoffman@aol.com]

In a message dated 02/20/2000 10:31:53 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
gypsyunltd@juno.com writes:

<< Kelly, I have to agree with you.  Although Gypsy (11 mo Pyr) is the only
 dog I've got now, and my first Pyr, a long time ago I was the kennel
 master for one of the top winning handlers of the time.  As such, I had
 more than ample opportunity to meet, listen to, and observe the actions
 of many of the breeders.  All too often, as long as they were producing
 winning dogs they couldn't find fault with their actions.  For example,
 one of the clients bred Dobermans.  Absolutely beautiful animals, but
 they had to get them shown and titled at a young age because of a
 horrible skin condition that affected half of their stock. >>

I was kennel manager for a top professional handler for almost 3 years.  I no 
longer work for her but we are still very good friends and in frequent 
contact and we do dinner or lunch regularly and we trade favors quite often.

In that capacity I too had the opportunity to hobnob, wine, dine, party, and 
socialize with some of the top winning breeders of many breeds.  Talked to 
these clients on the phone on a regular basis, more or less on friendly 
chatty terms as a result of my position and charge as kennel manager.

Unfortunately, I too can attest to the fact that things aren't always what 
they seem to be on the surface.  I was around long enough to learn many if 
not all of the big time successful winning programs had misplaced priorities 
running rampant.  

We can say it's not the method of linebreeding that is the problem but it is 
the people and their lack of ethics and scruples, but the way I see it you 
can never really separate the method from the madness.  The very people who 
involve themselves in this manner tend to be the ones controlling entire 
breeds via the number of puppies they produce/place and how far and wide 
their dogs' genes are spread throughout the entire population.  These 
breeders almost always tend to be doing heavy linebreeding and often times 
they are linebreeding and inbreeding on affected dogs.

I'm sorry to be such a cynic, but it is what it is and I can't pretend 
otherwise.

Kelley