FRIENDS OR FOES?

This last weekend I had an opportunity to judge our breed. I saw a number of people that I have known for a long time and some that I had probably never seen before. At the end of the day I was told that my BOB dog was also the sire of my WD and WB. Did these 3 dogs look like clones of each other…NO. However they were consistent in the fact that they did all possess lovely qualities that (in my estimation) will prove quite successful under most judges.

The thought then occurred to me that sometimes certain individuals make things a lot harder on themselves than they should. Over the forty years that I have been involved with Danes I have had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of most of the top breeders in the country. I have also known a number of people that are quite knowledgeable of our breed but that knowledge is not necessarily seen (at least in a consistent manner) in the dogs that they present in the ring. They have a nice dog, finish it and several years later have another nice dog. In the interim they spend their time and money trying to make the proverbial silk purse out of a sow’s ear. They show lesser dogs (and sometimes finish them) but the campaign to get points is usually far too long, far too costly and often includes “following” a certain judge or two around the country. It is nice if you find a judge that likes the type of dog that you breed. It is quite another thing to have dogs that almost all judges like.

It is has always been my contention that many people could raise the bar on their already established programs by getting out of their back yards (at least occasionally). It’s not a bad thing to say that your dog is line bred as long the dogs themselves are quality specimens. When I say quality, I’m talking about the type of dog that brings chills when you see it. Dog shows have become far too costly to allow ourselves the luxury of not making the competition as difficult as it can be for the judges to decipher. How many people do you know that have a decided and consistent fault in their dogs but don’t ever seem to be willing to make an honest effort to improve it.?

To be fair, even the best attempts at breeding the highest quality of dogs does not always guarantee an outstanding litter. I would, however, ask you if you think that the top breeders in the country (you know who they are) just stumble onto good fortune with nearly every litter they produce? Not everyone has the luxury to be able to line breed and know that they will get great dogs. It is often a long process to find the right formulas but, when you do, you too can elevate your programs to the levels you desire.

Some of these top programs are considered foes to their competitors. In reality maybe they should be considered as a tool for improving your program and make these people your friends. All of us want the Dane to improve. It is our responsibility to do the very best we can for this wonderful breed. That may include crossing the line between friend and foe.

 

Bill