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A
Breeder's Life
Mom (Tootsie) & Dad (Truman)
photo by Cassie Miller
A Breeder is
one who thirsts for
knowledge and never really knows it all, one who
wrestles
with decisions of conscience, convenience, and
commitment.
A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests,
finances, time, fancy furniture, and deep pile
carpeting! They give up the dreams of a long, luxurious
cruise
in favor of turning that all important Show into this
year's "vacation".
The 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.
The Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is
due
or the babies have to be fed at eight. They disregard
birth
fluids and puts mouth to mouth to save a gasping
new-born,
literally blowing life into a tiny, helpless creature
that
may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams.
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 Show the next
choice
pup to a Championship.
A Breeder's shoulders 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 puppy.
A Breeder's eyes are blurred from pedigree research and
sometimes blind to their 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 it 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 boning's, fine ears, and perfect
heads...
and buries in the soul the failures and the ones that
didn't turn out.
The 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.......
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