From: dadams@cray.com (David Adams)
Subject: Re: Why choose a male dog? +help
Reply-To: dadams@cray.com
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 3 Aug 92 13:43:23 CDT

In article 16101@hemlock.cray.com, dadams@cray.com (David Adams) writes:
ce.)
|
|Ademdum:
|
|I am also going some 30+ miles to visit another professional breeding operation.
|This lady had two lab bitches for breeding.  3 bitches of other breeds (including
|golden, and wirehair?)  She breeds each bitch once a year for 5 years.  Then
|the bitch is spayed & possibly sold or given away.
|
|It seems to me that once a year is to much?
|
|The dogs are supposed to have lots of tittles.   I'll be carefull to look over
|the pedigrees.
|

I want to give some followup information here.

I went to visit the above mentioned breeder on Saturday.  Yea, the dogs
look nice and the pedigrees are very impressive, but I went away with a
angry frustrated feeling.  I felt like the owner did not want to answer
my questions and was trying to dodge them.  Her approach seemed to be to
say, "Trust me, I am a professional, I would not breed any dog with a
history of genetic problems.  Just look at this pedigree.  You cant find
any dog with a pedigree like that for < $300.  See how submissive and cute
these puppies are.  Listen to the testimonials of my other customers.  Don't
worry about genetic problems; I guarentee my dogs.  I've never had an unsatisfied
customer."  Then she went on to remind me that nobody has ever proven that 
hip displasia, or any of these other diseases (eye problems) are inherited.
I didn't respond that neither has anybody proven that smoking causes cancer.
It is simply an assumption that I am willing to base my actions on.

When I tried to see the parents, the Dam was brought in and put in a crate so
I could see her.  This seemed like an effort to keep the attention on the
puppies.  

I mentioned that my Realtor got upset with me for trying to do all "her homework".
The dog breeder said, "Well you shouldn't do other peoples homework.  That's what
you are paying them to do!"   I wish I had responded that my Real estate agent
doesn't have to live in my house!

Needless to say, I won't go back there.  Somebody else can have those fine 
puppies.  I don't care if they are the best dogs in the state of Minnesota!

I suppose one of the things that bothered me most, was that I wanted to ask
a question about something I had read in the Monks' book, "How to be your
dogs best friend."  She expressed scorn for the book.  I guess it was a total
rejection of what show dog people are doing.  It did anoy me because I already
have alot of respect for what the Monks have to say.

From here on anytime I visit a breeder I want to spend a little time playing
with the parents.  Fetch a stick!  etc.  Play with my kids.

I wish somebody could tell me how to look at the Dam and Sire.  What do I look
for?  I really don't know what else I should be doing when I look at an adult 
dog.  (I don't really care if the nose is shaped right.  I doub't I will ever
see a noticible case of displasia.  So what do I look for, other than temprement?)
If I could go hunting with the owner's family and watch the dog in action, that
would be one thing!  But I doubt I would ever have this chance.  So what types
of things should I do when I go visit a breeder?  I would like to be able to
see if the dog has a better nose than usual.  Is there something I could carry
in my pockets?  ;^)

Here is one of the questions that surfaced that I couldn't get answered.  Perhaps
the people in the newsgroup can help me out:

I had the idea that a national championship meant that a dog was the best dog in 
the country.  I supposed this would mean that the dog would have to compete in
several regional shows before going on to some national show where it would compete
for "The" national title.  I had supposed that there would only be one national
championship a year and that a dog would often try to defend his title.

Like boxing ya know.

Well things must not be like that at all!  There were too many national champions
on one pedigree to be explained by such a system!  (At least 11 NFC's 1 CNFC, 
35 dogs with FC, etc.)

So I would like to know if there is an FAQ type file somewhere explaining the
meanings of the different field titles like Field Champion, National Field Champion,
Amateur Field Champion, National Amateur Field Champion.  What does Dual Champion
mean?  Does it mean that the dog won the same title twice, or that it won more
than one prestigious title.

If a dog is a national champion, does it mean that he beat all challengers in
a national contest or that he earned a bunch of points like a boy scout does
to become an eagle.  How many National Champions can there be?  How many in 
a year?  How rare is a NFC?  How rare is a FC?  AFC?

I picked up Helen Warwick's book on Labradors, but I have a lot of reading to 
do before I dig up all the answers.  

---
--David C. Adams  Statistician  Cray Research Inc.  dadams@cray.com
___________________________________________________________________
       member--Minnesotans for Global Warming.

Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs