WORKING GROUP BREEDERS Q&A
idea I’m actually teaching them something. With SIT, they become aware that I have an expectation of them. STAND is just the companion of SIT. With this training, showing is just a case of reviewing the lessons and refining the details. Any “special” prepa- ration should be grooming and keeping them accustomed to strange places and strange people/noises. Is mine a cropped and/or docked breed? Can I share my thoughts on cropping and docking? No. I leave those decisions to the indi- vidual breed standards. I am glad Pyrs are shown natural. Are Performance and Companion titles important to me as a breeder? Are parent club titles? Uh, these are Pyrs. They were bred to work alone in a mountain pasture. They don’t believe people are very smart, but their person can be trained with repetition and rewards. I’ve made performance titles as easy to train for as I can by how I raise the puppy, but it is up to the owner to find a way to nego- tiate with their individual dog on whether it cooperates. I praise an owner who undertakes performance and/or companion titles and I encourage them as much as I can. There aren’t many parent club titles. I believe a Producer Hall of Fame is something to shoot for with the best candidates. I also praise puppy owners for therapy and service dog work. These have both become important to me in the last few years. In my opinion, is my breed in good condition overall. Any trends that warrant concern? In general, the breed is in fairly good shape. I, personally, want more angulation than many dogs have in the ring. I also want to see more body, particularly on the taller dogs. This gives them the strength and power to overcome predators. The Pyr is also supposed to be slightly longer than tall, which gives them the proper “endurance trotter” profile in movement. Each Pyr must have an excellent headpiece that fits the standard. Most Pyrs in the ring are an improvement over what was present when I started. The hardest things to improve in a breeding pro- gram are: front structure and headpiece/eye shape/ear set. I believe breeders have incorporated correct stock to improve these in most cases. Using a dog without excellent conformation and tempera- ment is dangerous in any program. Most temperaments are quite solid these days. Is my breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own my breed? The Pyr is the absolute best compan- ion for a family dog—in the right home. Wrong home; wrong dog. They shed, dig, and bark. They are not “obedient” dogs, which is frustrating for an owner who would prefer a Golden. I start by looking for an experienced Pyr owner with few com- plaints about the “Fluffy” they are replacing. If Fluff had an issue, New Pup will likely have the same issue. I look for a person with a quiet hand and a quiet eye who can enforce a command without making it a big deal. I also want a person I can have as a close family friend for 10-15 years or longer. Any puppy purchase is a joint ven- ture between the new owner and the breeder. The breeder should be available 24 hours a day, every day, as mentor, confessor, and general counselor. The buyer should be willing to learn and take advice from their mentor. I’ve attended births, weddings, funer- als—and everything in between—for puppy buyers, and I consider their families perfect for a Pyr. Do I feel that my breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders? I’m not sure I know what a preservation breeder is. Perhaps it means many years or many litters? Does it mean many show wins? Does it mean many titles? Any breed benefits from breeders who have a good eye for a dog and a knowledge of genetics, structure, temperament, and the health of their breed. I consider those the preservation breeders. We have some right now. We have new breeders who would benefit from associating with a good mentor (from any breed). I often rec- ommend a mentor from another breed that is short-coated and an endurance trotter. This gives perspective. I feel we need much more
I use a training program developed for military “super dogs.” There are defined exercises for them from the time they are starting to gain weight as newborns. The exercises become more complicated as they age, gradually becoming early obedience train- ing at about 5-6 weeks old. Overall, this training not only gives each puppy a start at being a good doggy citizen, it provides me with a vision of their temperament and trainability—both of which define the type of home they will best serve. What is my “process” for selecting show puppies? At what age do I make my decisions? My process for the first 3-4 weeks is to observe the front and rear of the puppies, as a whole litter. Who stands up first? Who can actually trot first? Who escapes the whelp- ing box and explores the room first? I typically find that the first out is the best show dog. At about seven weeks, I observe balance, angles, and temperament in detail. If a puppy is wrong at this age, it will probably not totally recover as it matures. If it is right at this age, it may still not stay show quality. Right from the beginning, I do exercises to prepare each puppy for animal-assisted therapy and mobility assistance as a service dog. First, the “process” starts with understanding the definition of a “show” puppy: • There are many puppies with no disqualifications, which can be shown. They may actually get a few points and may even get a title after numerous shows with a professional handler. • There are fewer puppies with good qualities, but a nov- ice owner would need a lot of training or a professional to finish them. • Then, there are those special puppies that can make a nov- ice look good, as long as the owner doesn’t “bother” the dog in the ring by over-handling. I can usually tell which puppies fit into the first category when the puppies are 2-3 weeks old. Placing a puppy into the latter two categories is an ongoing process that may extend past a year old. Regardless, no puppy should go to a show home before 12-16 weeks old. The pet quality puppies are always promised to new own- ers early, but stay with their mom until 10 weeks old. She teaches them to be good dogs and to interact correctly. Dog Language. People Language. For me, the “pet” and the “nice” puppies with no disqualifica- tion go to a pet home at 10 weeks. I require all of these puppies to be neutered. The puppies that should be shown go into possible show homes, or stay with me, when they are about 16 weeks old. My contract requires that I evaluate them at two years to determine if they can be bred and, if so, approve any possible mate. Harsh? Only I know which mate will go well with this dog/pedigree and I need time to educate the potential new breeder. (And, they do get educated.) For me, a breeding animal has a very different quality than a “show animal.” The breeding male/female must have a pedigree that has produced excellent puppies bred to various other pedigrees AND the pedigree must be known to produce uniformly good lit- ters with no serious health or temperament issues. In very limited cases, a puppy may not be a show prospect, but may be a breeding candidate. And the reverse... some terrific show dogs should not be bred. How do I prepare my pups for the show ring? Does my breed require any special preparation? For myself, show training starts at three days. They are handled. They are trained to hold still. They learn to cooperate and love to be fed. They learn to react to voic- es. They also start nail trims, brushing, and washing/drying. At 3-4 weeks, they start learning about collars, leashes, walking with a person, and (the ever-popular) bait training. At 6-7 weeks, they learn SIT. This teaches them how to learn. Before this, they have no
192 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022
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