How do you become a breeder?

[nancy rink]

Hi there-

I've always toyed with the idea of breeding Cairns. I envision a very small operation focused on the best possible attention to supporting the breed standard & producing great quality dogs. I would assume I need to start with a pair of show-quality dogs & have permission from the breeder I purchase from to breed; but I have no idea how to go about that, or if that's even the correct first step. Or, what type of contract I'd have to enter into to do that.

I'm not particulary interested in showing dogs - is that a necessary thing? Anyway, any suggestions or tips would be appreciated--there are no breeders at all in my part of the state so I feel there's a need here. This would not be something I'm planning on doing right away, but I would like to start researching & would love some good resources.

[Greg P]

What does it take to get started? A boy dog and a girl dog!

I think the breeder should develop a set of convictions around making the cairn a better breed. This means having a game plan and using good breeding stock, preferably stock that has been judge worthy of being a "champion".

I think the main thing is to learn and go slow. It takes time to learn and to form opinions. Learn as much as you can about what makes a cairn a cairn. Getting to know other breeders and having mentors is an important step. You will most likely want to "co-own" your first prospects. IMO, this is a good thing and will help create an advocate mentor who has an interest in your program. Contracts vary by breeder. Contracts are important, but your relationship is even more important.

Consider joining your closest breed clubs.

Plan on spending money (lots of money), not making money.

Visit dog shows. Attend an earthdog event near you.

Good breeding represents commitment.

If this is something you decide to do, be kind the the community and you'll have no shortage of people who will want to help you.

[bradl]

I strongly urge you to develop a relationship with a breeder who IS showing and is active in breed clubs. There is a lot that is subjective about dog showing, but there is benefit to being exposed to the crucible of other people's assessments of your dogs (both judges and peers) and whether an individual dog should be bred at all, and if so, to whom, and why.

I don't know if there is a typical path to responsible breeding, but here's a scenario I've seen played out many times. It seems often to begin with co-owning (or, rarely, purchasing) a show quality dog, often male. Working with your mentor to show the dog, you begin to study the breed's history, learn about the dogs 'behind' your dog, and compare and contrast to other dogs you see in the ring and around the country (and these days, around the world).

If your dog is of good quality and finishes his championship, your mentor will almost certainly already have in mind who he will be bred to. (Most breeders have a plan and think several generations in advance.) If it's one of your mentor's dogs, you may be allowed to claim or purchase a show prospect female from that litter, which you would also likely show to her championship. Or if your dog was a bitch, your mentor will have in mind who she should be bred to.

Because you have been working with your mentor, you will have had your hands on a large number of dogs, and hopefully even helped or observed the planning, whelping, evaluation, and raising of one or more litters. You will be developing your sense of what you want in a Cairn, and how to achieve it. You will have developed a network of friends and contacts in the breed with whom you can research potential breedings, ferret out quirks of temperament and health, and rely on to give you frank assessments - which you will seldom agree with but learn from regardless.

Once you wrap your mind around the fact that breeding your dog means that you will likely be experiencing the "miracle of death" almost as surely as the miracle of life - that you can lose your bitch as well as have pups stillborn, born inside-out, etc., - you will be nervous and excited about your first litter. Most likely, it will be an exhausting but worthwhile experience.

Then you will take on responsibility for every one of those dogs for the rest of their lives, always taking them back, for any stupid reason, never allowing them to enter rescue or a shelter. You will steel yourself for the nerve-wracking experience of trying to make sure the pups go only to proper homes, with a spay-neuter contract so they will not be carelessly bred because you will be responsible for every dog they produce as well. You will find placement more like an adoption surrender than a puppy placement.

And off they will go, with promises of pictures every year. A promise usually broken, unless you sign them up on Cairn Talk and can shame them into posting more pictures

[Cairnmania]

To add to Brad's comments.

I considered breeding years ago and decided that the commitment was too great for me. It's easy to breed dogs - the hard part is becoming a responsible breeder who contributes to bettering the breed.

I've owned three Cairns - one when I lived in the US and two now here in the U.K. Three different breeders - all are active in and belong to a nationally sanctioned Cairn breed club. All three show their dogs - which to me means they are willing to put up the dogs they breed to objective scrutiny. And for me, meant that even if the dog I acquired was not "perfect" for the show world - they were still perfect examples of Cairns. And I also knew because the breeders were active in their breed club that they only bred healthy dogs - not solely because they were breed club members, but because that is one of the main purposes of a breed club.

All three breeders care about the homes where they puppies will end up - a lot. All three breeders asked that if I ever had to give up their dogs that they were contacted first. All three took responsibility for the dogs they bred - for life. The dog I acquired in the US was my little show dog and became a finished champion. Her breeders helped me immensely and we became good friends. The breeders of my two dogs here in the UK both came to "visit" their dogs after I had them for some time. Why? Because they cared about them and thought about them even after they were sold - of course, "home visits" are not essential, but it was very nice and really demonstrated to me the breeder's commitment.

When I thought about what I admired - and required - in a breeder, I decided breeding was not for me.

[nancy rink]

Wow - thank you all so much!

The information, advice and recommendations you offered was exactly what I was looking for. If I do something, I want to do it right - I don't do anything halfway and this breed is so special to me it would have to be a huge undertaking. My circumstances at this point in my life pretty much rule it out, but things can change & this would be something for me to keep as a long-term goal. I'm going to keep all your comments on file & keep looking for ways to get started.

You are all the best!