Thanks, guys.

Steve, they WON'T go into pet homes...or I'd get them all back anyway. Unless they are freaks who don't resemble their parents (esp. mother) in the slightest, they absolutely cannot be sold to the general public. I got what I asked for and a bit more, lol! When I say pet homes, I mean inexperienced pet homes. I have zero problem w/a pup going to a person or family w/good common sense who has experience w/very civil workingline dogs, even if they don't do sports anymore, or who doesn't title but works them in PP, etc. I don't need every single puppy titled just to stroke my ego as a breeder; I just need every single puppy in a home that will do it justice for its entire life, whether they end up having a scorebook or not. Priority will go to the BEST home, not the home that will get me the most publicity. This is my whole issue w/having so many and the timing; getting them all matched w/the perfect home may not be easy; I don't want to lose sleep b/c I sold a puppy to a family I knew damn well won't be able to handle it in a year.

Natalya, you do have a way w/words...and yes, there's a teeny bit of "other" stress going on here, too. LOL. Wow, what an understatement.

I think you took that wrong Jenni. It's just that after going to the work and expense of paying someone to find,title, and breed her for you, wouldnt you like to see the pups really do something besides lay in a back yard? It's no knock on the prospective owners, I know your going to place them with competant owners and I didnt mean anything about your ego, just that seeing your pups out and working would be enjoyable for you.

No, I think I took that right. You mean after spending what it takes lot of people several months to earn, don't I want them "working" in some type of publicly approved venue? Well, sure, that would be peachy but (not to start a sport debate)... I really don't call sports and "work" the same thing (waiting to get struck by lightening now...). "Lying in a backyard" is not an option, is what I'm telling you, and I don't understand where you got that idea from. Not only would they probably not lie very still in a backyard, lol, but I will not sell them to anyone who wants a dog to watch movies with and take to the dog park, which I thought I was pretty clear about. If these puppies could just be sold to any old Joe off the street, I wouldn't be worried about the homes they end up in. I'm looking for a bit more than simply "competent" in terms of ownership qualifications.

While I will not deny anyone a dog based purely on what their hobbies are, I would prefer these pups work the street (as PSDs, not hookers, lol) rather than do sports, actually. I may not feel that way when I meet them; I'm just going on what Capri is. I know they won't all go to "working" homes but there's quite a bit of distance between a "lying in a backyard" and "a working home." I would call a sport home a sport home, and a working home a working home. I would be fine w/a SAR home or any other type of home where they will reside with someone who appreciates them for what they are, whether it gets me the notoriety of saying "all of my puppies from the last litter went to working homes" or not.

This isn't about what I "want to see." This is about producing the type of dog that I was hoping to preserve, and the only way to do that RESPONSIBLY is to make sure that the ones I can't possibly keep go to the proper homes, regardless of the name you want to attach to that type of home.

** deleted **




Edited by Connie Sutherland (05/28/2009 01:43 PM)
Edit reason: never mind

Well, hopefully some end up with someone doing something to show that there was anything preserved. I would hate to see Illinois become the state of Bi-color hookers. But the part I think you took wrong is I never meant it's about notoriety or stroking your ego.

Your Honor, not all of us want the same things in a dog. The temperament that I would like to preserve may be the temperament that you think should be bred out in favor of_______________. I don't know what would pacify you in terms of where these puppies end up, but I, personally, am breeding for a specific, selfish purpose, and I guess I am just getting lucky that I've found a few people out there who agree with what I want to see in a dog.

I decided to breed my own dogs because I can hardly find any around that I would want to own. There are dogs w/ok temperament for sports, but "G" structure, and no balance of drives, which I'm not interested in, and there are dogs w/"V" structure who wouldn't bite someone if their lives depended on it, and then there are dogs of all shapes and sizes who are just average. We have plenty of all of these, and I wanted more.

I think if you are picky enough (like waiting as long as I did to start breeding b/c I couldn't afford what I wanted to start out with), then it is possible to get the total package- temperament, health, balance, structure...and yes, even good looks! I wanted to be able to have dogs I enjoyed being around in 20 years, so I decided to do it myself. Whether or not someone else sees the value in what I am doing is something I have no control over. I will just have to be content knowing that I did the best I could for every puppy I produced.

Short of sending you a list of buyers so you can do background and intentions checks on them, I don't know what would make you happy, Your Honor. Am I free to go? LOL.

This is all quite a bit more than I was wondering about. I see different breeders who say things like prefference given to working homes (working as kind of a general term) and I didnt think of it as someone trying to satisfy any ego issues.

I just thought that for you or anyone starting a "Breeding Program" with strong working line genes that would be a direction you'd want to try to go. What I don't really understand though is why pay the money to have your dog trained and titled if Sch. and other sports are so unimportant? Shouldnt the word of the breeder have been good enough? Yah, Yah, She's very serious, fraulein.

 Quote: jenni williams

Ok, forget "looking" pregnant; the poor girl is HUGE. I'm thinking like 8-10+ puppies huge. She's due on the 3rd of June...so we're getting close. I'm a little concerned that she's carrying so many for her very first litter.

My dog was so fat that, 7 days before she whelped, that she had trouble getting into the car for her vet appointment and had difficulty negotiating the flight of stairs in my home. She couldn't sit comfortably and waddled when she walked. (She wasn't overweight before she "showed"). You could see the pups moving and everything when she laid on her side.

She had four.

(Mind you, they have a good 15 lbs on her at their adult weights, but still). My point is unless you have an ultrasound or x-ray, she may not be carrying as many as you think she is.

however many she has, congratulations!

Best of luck with the impending birth, can't wait to see photos of the little buggers!!!

 Quote: steve strom

I just thought that for you or anyone starting a "Breeding Program" with strong working line genes that would be a direction you'd want to try to go.

Um, it is. I just don't see sports as the only work a dog can do. I really am completely clueless as to what exactly you're asking me in all this b/c I don't seem to be able to answer your question. So far, of the ones that are spoken for, 2 are going to cops, one to an experienced handler who wants to retire her current PPD, 2 to SCH homes (one will title, and one may not, but will work w/the dog for FUN) and one to an obnoxious forum member (you know who you are) !!!

 Quote:

What I don't really understand though is why pay the money to have your dog trained and titled if Sch. and other sports are so unimportant? Shouldnt the word of the breeder have been good enough? Yah, Yah, She's very serious, fraulein.

Finally an easy question! It's because you can't register a litter w/the SV if both parents are not surveyed and titled. Them's the rules! How 'bout that, Your Honor? I didn't get her from a breeder...the woman who owned her sire for many years aquired her for me...and she was already waiting to trial for her Sch.1. She was already trained; I didn't "pay the money to have her trained and titled." I told them what I wanted as far as temperament, and after several months, she's what they came up with.

Enough of that line of questions...now the fun stuff! I am sitting on the floor w/her right now and she is in labor....we're waiting for #1! Fingers crossed that everything goes well.


Thanks Debbie! I will call you like I promised when they're born...any hour now, I'm thinking, judging by her behavior. Hope you're having a fun trip! It was great talking to you, as always.