WHAT IS A BREEDER?

Author unknown

A Breeder (with a capital B) 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!

She gives up the dreams of a long,luxurious cruise in favor of

turning that all important Show into this years "vacation".

The Breeder goes without sleep (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.

The Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the

babies have to be fed at eight.

She disregards birth fluids and puts 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 Breeders lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud

and noble champions once snoozed.

A Breeders hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever

so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.

A Breeders back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping,

bending, and sitting in the birthing box, but are strong enough

to enable the breeder to take the next choice pup to a Championship.

A Breeders 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 Breeders arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful

of puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.

A Breeders ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being

talked about) or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a

phone receiver), often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned

to the whimper of a sick puppy.

A Breeders eyes are blurred from pedigree research and they are always searching for the perfect specimen.

A Breeders brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees faster

than an IBM computer. It's so full of knowledge that sometimes it

blows a fuse: it catalogues thousands of good boning, fine ears, and

perfect heads... and buries in the soul the failures and the ones that

didn't turn out.

The Breeders heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope

everlasting...and it's always in the right place!

Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then,

there are BREEDERS