This tip is by Dr. Al Grossman, a psychologist, dog show judge, and shower/handler of several champion dogs, including the former number one dog in the U.S. He has been involved with dogs for more than thirty years.

Tip #7

From The Skeptic Tank
Getting Down To Basics
By
Dr. Al Grossman

The evolution of a breeder is marked by various stages of development. There is the first stage where interest and desire are born; the second stage is where this interest and desire are implemented by the acquisition of quality breeding stock; the third stage takes place when breeding plans are formulated to improve upon the original stock; and the fourth stage is launched when the breeder can first exercise his own selection in evaluating the results of his breeding program. For a more detailed explanation of the stages of becoming a top notch breeder the reader should consult REACHING FOR THE STARS by Mary Roslin Williams (Doral Publishing, 2000)

We will deal with the last stage along with some highlights of the more important though often overlooked, general principles of breeding.

Most beginning breeders feel twinges of self-doubt when it comes to choosing the best puppy or puppies from their early litters. Many articles have been written telling how to select the best puppy in a litter but most are merely a re-phrasing or re-working of the Breed Standard. In other words, one is told to pick the puppy with the best of this and the best of that, but saying or reading it and actually doing it are two different things. The beginning breeder usually makes every effort to learn about each and every little trait so that his selections will be the correct ones.

Many owners dismiss the possibility of using their dogs for the purpose for which they were originally bred. Primarily, such owners are just not interested, but even if they were. They would undoubtedly say, " Look at what it would do to his coat!" and not give the matter further thought. However, in order to appreciate your breed you need to know that every breed came into being to fill a specific purpose. This is what the authors of the breed Standards had in mind when writing the Standards. While breeders may not wish to follow through in this direction, they should, nevertheless, keep in mind the basic purpose for which the breed was created, else what is the point?

There are various reasons for the many existing breeding programs of today which run the gamut from an idealistic "improvement of the breed" to blatant desire to "breed a winner." Be that as it may, even those interested in breeding nothing more than dogs that can win in the show ring would find that they would be able to breed a better quality dog if they were able to understand some of the implications behind the Standard. Memorizing the Standard will not help in breeding a better dog, but understanding what it is attempting to convey will. All breeders would do well to view the dog in terms of what it was originally and what it was expected to do. By keeping these very basic principles in mind, it becomes quite clear why certain traits are emphasized more than others. It is definitely not meant to say that the glamour should be discarded or even overlooked, on the contrary, the glamour is a part of any breed, but it should be superimposed upon a sound, well-balanced dog.

Far too many breeders seem overly concerned with the individual parts of the dog. Many breeders subconsciously feel that when they know, to their own satisfaction, what a good head is, what constitutes good neck and shoulders, what a well- angulated rear looks like, etc., that there is nothing more for them to learn. Their learning all but stops and they continually evaluate their dogs and those belonging to others as an assemblage of the various "parts." The concept of relating the various parts of the dog to each other and viewing this in relationship as a whole, rather than a series of individual good and bad traits, is the key that so many breeders never grasp. It is not possible to overemphasize the necessity of understanding this point, for this is the concept of balance and is so very basic, and so very necessary, to successful breeding.

Understanding the concept of balance makes it easy to understand that balance is the fundamental principle on which selection and breeding plans should be based. Any one part of the dog¹s anatomy being in proportion to any other part of the dog¹s anatomy is the clue to the concept of balance. The result is THE DOG AS A WHOLE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY ONE OF ITS INDIVIDUAL PARTS.

It is balance that breed Standards are all about. Yet there are breeders who inadvertently perpetuate faulty breeding programs because they are not able to understand or accept this. If they are told their dog is steep shouldered and its excellent rear quarters are therefore ineffective, they will argue that most dogs have steep shoulders, which to a point, is true. However, they do not take into account that it is the degree that is important. When dealing with a dog¹s shoulder placement, one needs to be aware of the small but major difference between "excessively" steep and "acceptably" steep. What would have been an excellent rear on a balanced dog with the proper shoulder placement becomes an over-angulated rear for the steep shouldered dog and as a result must eventually cause serious problems. What these breeders can not seem to appreciate is the fact that they have created an artificial and extremely faulty dog. In its own way, a dog such as this is just as faulty as the dog with a very bad head, a very long back, a very poor front, a very weak rear, etc. The inherent danger in such a dog is that it does not look faulty ­ rather, it often looks quite spectacular. When shown under incompetent judges, a dog such as this CAN and often DOES win, thus making it even more of a menace to the breed as a whole, especially should it be a male promoted at stud.

Another popular misconception about what is good and what is bad pertains to neck and shoulders. Many breeders feel that "outstanding neck and shoulders" are only those that blend so smoothly and perfectly that it is difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. Breeders who are concerned with this trait will not settle for anything less. The result is by having lost sight of the "whole dog," the invariably end up with light boned, shelly specimens which are "poor doers." It is true they usually obtain the very smoothest shoulder possible, but then they wonder why their dogs lack bone, substance and size, These breeders would be ever so much further ahead if they would allow themselves to think in terms of the WHOLE DOG and LEARN that it is the angle of the shoulder
that is vitally important and that smoothness is "secondary."

While it is absolutely necessary to know about the various traits of your breed and appreciate them for what they are, it is more important to put them all together first and view the results as a whole. If they don¹t add up, they are basically worthless regardless of how outstanding any one of them may be by itself. In addition, it is just not possible to set down a list of the various characteristics to take heed of, and have them apply to every individual in the same way. There are differences among many of the bloodlines in a breed with respect to the growth of puppies , and the consequent development of their many traits. What might be considered as vital in one line need not be of great importance in another. For example, " heavy shoulders" in a puppy of one line need not be cause for great concern in lines where this is known as a stage of development. The same hods true for "low-on-leg puppies" and "plain-headed" , to name a few specifics. When these traits occur, and they are the rule rather than the exception, they do not and should not loom as formidable threats. However, should these same developmental characteristics appear spontaneously in lines not noted for their appearance, they must then be regarded in an entirely different light.

Just about every trait a puppy possesses is subject to change. Beautiful plush heads can turn into plain , poor adult heads- a long neck with smooth shoulders can turn into a short neck with heavy shoulders- a short backed puppy can become a long backed adult- a well angulated rear can straighten, etc. While these developmental changes are not particularly rare, it is extremely rare that characteristics which are originally faulty and undesirable correct themselves and become desirable. It is for this reason that the outstanding young puppy has a far greater chance of achieving maturity as a good specimen than the so-so puppy has of maturing into an outstanding adult. Breeders who keep a mediocre puppy in the hope that maturity will bring about desired changes are merely kidding themselves.

It is because knowledge of the various developmental changes takes time to acquire that the experienced breeder has a big edge over the beginner. Through experience a breeder learns many of the idiosyncrasies that pertain to the line in which he is breeding. If he has been associated with one line over a period of time, it becomes quite easy for him to exercise his own selection with assurance and self-confidence in his choices. He knows what developmental changes to expect in his stock and at what times to expect them. It is fairly easy for him to predict the future of his young stock as it is for him select them originally. When faced with a puppy from an entirely different line, a breeder¹s evaluation must be concerned only with the puppy as it presently appears rather than its future potential. What pertains to one bloodline with respect to growth and development often does not apply to another.

When evaluating a litter of puppies, it is only natural and desirable to pick each one up and attempt to stand it in a show stance so that the puppy¹s various traits can be admired, faulted and compared. This is also done to acquaint the puppy with the ritual of "stacking" and to afford the opportunity of giving the puppy necessary handling and individual attention. While all these practices are necessary and worthwhile, it is a common mistake not to go beyond them. The stacked position is not natural to the dog when carried to the extreme, and too many breeders carry it to the extreme. A dog that is built properly will stack almost naturally. However, a dog that is not constructed properly can be made to create the desired effect by pulling it off the grooming stand by its tail, swinging its front legs out from under it, and tugging on its tail so it will crouch and lean forward. By starting early with a young puppy and applying enough force and repetition any dog may be manipulated so as to assume the desired look in the stack position and therefore satisfy the image in the breeders mind. It really doesn¹t change the dog¹s conformation, but it does tend to create an entirely false conception of the dog not only on the part of the viewer at ringside but all too often on the part of the breeder and /or owner as well. Thus the breeder may come to believe he has something other than what he really does have. Obviously, such self-deception does nothing toward creating a better specimen. When a dog such as this is owner-shown, the owner never does have the opportunity to view his dog out of the stacked position and in motion. Sometimes they really have no idea that his dog, which has been cranked to beautifully into an artificial pose, loses every bit of its manufactured outline as soon as it is left to its own devices.

There is an intangible quality possessed by some dogs and not by others. Some call this intangible quality "heart" others call it "spirit" and still others may call it "showmanship." Whatever it is called, it is that extra something that makes one dog stand out from another, even though they may be of equal conformation. There are dogs that look breathtaking when viewed on the table ; put the same dog on the ground and it is lost in a group. Then there is another dog, which, when viewed on the table, could use a bit more of this or a little less of that. This dog, however, when on the ground is a standout and calls all sorts of attention to itself. This is the dog who makes the most of what he has, which really does great things for itself and has the ability communicate this extra something to others. This inner core is more than showmanship, for showmanship is something that can be acquired through good training. This inner glow is almost a form of communication that takes place between the dog and the viewer, whether it be the breeder, judge or spectator. It comes through in the form of "look at me; I¹m the greatest!" It is the same quality that every top winner of every breed possesses Without this inner quality, the most perfectly put together dog is "just another dog."

Dr. Grossman judges Sporting dogs and is the publisher of Doral Publishing, a dog book publishing house. Doral books may be viewed at www.doralpub.com.

Doral Books to read for more information: (Simply click on the link to view the book listing, then visit our order page to order it.)

Tip #1: Selecting Your First Puppy Who doesn't want to make sure they pick a good puppy? Find out more information about how to do so!
Tip #2: The Role of the AKC Want to know more about the American Kennel Club, how to register, addresses, and so on? Then this is the tip for you.
Tip #3: How Dog Shows Work. Have you ever wondered what goes on at a dog show? I mean, besides barking. Have you ever wondered about the different categories of winners, what goes on through a judge's mind, and so on? Then read this tip!
Tip #4: Evaluating Your Puppies, Part One. Part one of learning how to evaluate your puppies. When your dog has puppies, how will you know which ones will make the best prospects? This tip includes what to look for, notes to take, etc.
Tip #5: Evaluating Your Puppies, Part Two. More of what to look for on how to evaluate your puppies.
Tip #6: An Introduction to Dog Agility. Learn about the exciting sport of dog agility. This introduction will give you all the basics, introduce you to some of the terms, and also give you an overview of a great sport you can do with your dog, whether it's in your in backyard or in competition.
Tip #7: Dog's Eye View of Dog Shows. Learn about how dogs react to the rigors of the dog show game.