[ SHOWGSD-L ] Recruiting New members
- From: WLFHRTGSD@xxxxxxx
- To: Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 15:08:09 EST
We can start by making a commitment to answering phone calls and e-mails from
people who are interested in German Shepherds. (Or insert your breed here!)
I get several calls or e-mails a month from potential puppy buyers who have
gotten my phone number or e-mail from the GSDCA.
If you are a PC member AND have signed the Breeders Code of Ethics, people
will get referred to you through the PC if they are looking for breeders in
your
area.
My last name starts with a B, so if the list is alphabetical I'm probably way
up there for my area.
I signed the Breeders Code a long time ago, because I was planning to
purchase a bitch and breed HER if all was well. But life happened and I still
have
never bred a litter. (I also never bought a bitch, I fall for those boys!) I
suppose I could ask to be taken off the list since I DON'T have puppies and
probably won't in the near future, but I WANT those referrals.
I may be the ONLY person who responds in my area. Certainly, it would be
easy to ignore calls or e-mail or simply say "Sorry, I don't have puppies" and
that would be that. And I definitely understand there are people who do NOT
wish to engage in conversations for their own reasons, and I am certainly not
knocking that.
For me, I am honored to receive these calls....because I can HELP these
people. I can EDUCATE those that wish to be educated. I can REFER them to
RESCUE.
If someone really is truly interested in the breed and learning, they listen
very willingly because they will drop their guard when I say I do NOT have
puppies. Once they know they are not getting a sales pitch, they really want
to
talk.
OF course I get calls from people who are only interested in a price and can
I deliver tomorrow....but not so much. Some people ARE doing their homework
-- they ask what are my breeding goals, what are my pedigrees, and they inquire
about OFA. They are asking the right questions, but I do think it's because
they've only been educated to the point of knowing what questions they are
supposed to ask and really don't know how to evaluate the answers.
What's in it for me? Plenty. When I help someone find a puppy that will
have a forever home, I know I will not be crying in a shelter for a dog that
never should have been sold. I will not be called out for obedience training
because the dog must learn manners "or else." I will be honest about the good
points and bad points of our breed. I can help someone decide that maybe a
German Shepherd is NOT the best breed for them. I can explain limited
registrations, the crapshoot of genetics no matter hard the breeders work to
breed healthy
puppies. I can explain contracts. I invite people to come to shows,
especially the specialties, where they can meet other people who MAY have that
puppy
they are dreaming of. I can also explain that we can all be a little weird at
shows and it's US - not them. I explain that shows are not always the ideal
place to start looking for puppies because we are focused on grooming, or
getting to the ring, etc. I also offer to introduce them to others AFTER they
are
out of the ring and more relaxed and open.
I've had some pretty great days in the show ring - I will never forget the
first BOB my dog earned. I love it, and I really don't expect that to change.
My ego loves the bragging rights.
But it's my heart that loves it when I see someone in the grocery store and
they say "I'm SO glad I called you about......he's doing great now! We thought
we were going to have to get rid of him or put him down."
Sure, I show my dogs. And I enjoy it. It hurts like heck when someone sees
my "show" dog and says he's beautiful, and they have a German Shepherd too,
but their dog is ONLY a pet.
Some people are born into show families. I wasn't. I got a pet. Then I got
into obedience training, got some titles, bought another dog, and
another.....well you have all been there and done that.
I'm sure my "solution" -- if you can call it that -- seems overly simplistic,
not thought out to the point of getting people INTO the show world. We have
to walk before we can run -- they are never going to be IN the show world if
we don't take the time to talk to someone who may or may not buy a puppy from
us.
Don't turn your back on these people. They need us, and if we don't take the
time to talk to them, they WILL find a puppy and not necessarily from someone
that knows what they are doing. More importantly, we need THEM.
OK I'm getting off my soapbox.
If there are no objections by the admins, feel free to cross post if you'd
like.
Kelly Busse
Wolfheart German Shepherds
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