What Is A Good Breeder

[Bree Arnett]

A Breeder (with a Capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never knows it all,
one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and Commitment.
A labradoodle 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."
A 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.
A 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
A Breeder's lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble
champions once snoozed.
A Breeder's hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and
sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.
A Breeder's back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending and sitting in
the birthing box, but are strong enough to enable the breeder to the next choice pup
to a Championship.
A Breeder's shoulder's 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 Breeder's arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of puppies or
lend a helping hand to a newcomer.
A Breeder's 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 labradoodle puppy.
A Breeder's eyes are blurred from pedigree research and sometimes blind to her own
dog's faults, but they are ever so keen to the competitions faults and are
always searching for the perfect specimen.
A Breeder's brain is foggy on faces, but 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 bones, fine ears, and perfect heads...and buries in the soul the
failures and the ones that didn't turn out.
A Breeder's 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!!!!

--Author Unknown

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Aweswome. That describes a woman I knew as a child. Her name was Sally Gasow and she founded the Sallylyn line English Springer Spaniels. To honor her memory, the Sallylyn name was officially retired a few years ago (maybe ten/ - time goes fast) when a Sallylyn Springer was Best in Show at Madison Square Garden.

She bred the first dog I ever owned "Sallylyns Automation" or Otto as we called him. That particular branch of her line she requested "ation" names for. She showed him a few times for us and helped me show him as a child. I remember her with great fondness and that poem is exactly how I remember her.

Thanks for the memories.