[ SHOWGSD-L ] Becoming a Successful Breeder - Long
- From: <cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Showgsd-L" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 17:49:32 -0400
Hi All, Seeing how it's been kinda slow on the List, I thought I'd
share something I read...
I recently read an interesting article, written by Gordon McDowell
IV, in the August, 1983 issue of the Review. The topic was, "What
makes a successful breeder?" Below, I've listed some of the key
points Mr. McDowell made in this article. If anyone would like to
expound upon or debate these points, please feel free to do so. Any
discussion on what it takes to be a good breeder would be of great
help to myself and other newbie lurkers on the List. And much
appreciated too!
- At the Nationals, you can always spot the breeder: While everyone
else is wishing to own the winner, the breeder wishes he had *bred*
the winner. Owning a winner only takes money.
- Being a successful breeder has little to do with the size of the
production. The smaller breeder has only to be more studious and
scrupulous, but his chances for breeding the highest quality are
equal to the giant operations. Those giant operations can only
afford to make more mistakes and take more chances in a breeding
program.
- To become a successful breeder, one cannot ever stop the
continuous observation process.
- To become a successful breeder, one cannot know too much about a
pedigree.
- It is better to breed from a mediocre animal with a strong
pedigree than from a huge winner who came out of nowhere. Repeating
the breeding that produced the winning animal in hopes of breeding
another of equal quality, rarely bears fruition.
- A successful breeder has a sixth sense about who will make good
breeding material. It is not often a tangible thing, but really
just a feeling. Often it is just a look in the eye or the tilt of
the neck.
- To become a successful breeder, one must cull ruthlessly from
one's program. If something does not work, face up to it and go out
and try another solution.
- To become a successful breeder, one must breed to satisfy solely
his or her own mind's eye. If your breeding program is an attempt
to please someone else, you will never be successful.
- The successful breeder broadens his horizons beyond his physical
environment. No one ever becomes successful with a "small town"
attitude. Various intelligence sources is within everyone's reach.
- The successful breeder is not swayed by fleeting fads. They are
usually created by people with an eye on their accountants.
- Just because everyone else on your block has a certain line does
not foreclose the possibility of your acquiring something different.
- To become a successful breeder, don't forget to look to the small
breeder because very often he may have what you're looking for at a
reasonable price. There are small breeders scattered about who are
making important and significant contributions to the breed.
Additional Virtues of a Successful Breeder: The successful
breeder...
- Learns from their own mistakes and those of others'
- Is not seduced by the big winner or latest trend because it may
not be good for their program
- Admires the good work of others and can join in the fellowship of
competition (If it's not fun, don't do it.)
- Shares their knowledge freely and gives direct answers to direct
questions
- Is neither intimidated nor galled by others
- Does not thrive on gossip
- Respects other people's opinions, but does not feel compelled to
agree with them
- When he sees something he needs on the "other side of the fence,"
he does not wrap himself up
in a cloak of pride for fear of defiling someone else's idea of
purity of line;
He strides into the "enemy camp" to find that the enemy is not so
bad after all, even if they
have that coveted attribute
Final words of advice: Others may put braces on your brain, but
only you can take them off. And in the words of Will Rogers,
"Everyone is ignorant, only of different things."
Paulette McGuirt
Qui Me Amat, Amat et Canem Meam
PS Always keep a copy of Oppenheimer's Rules handy.
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