Stud Dog Problems from A Contributor

Stud Dog Problems from A Contributor
By bakalo.com

Ok, so you want to breed Shih Tzu. Well where we do we start? We are told that a person who breeds purely for profit, can be classed as a puppy farmer. So as you don't want to be one of them, you can decide to breed and it will be acceptable if you breed perhaps for the show ring where it is generally accepted that it is for the betterment of the breed. That by breeding you are doing your best to fulfil the breed standard, that you are making wise and sensible choices with regard to health and temperament. You belong to a breed club, where you have to follow a code of ethics produced to reinforce your desire to breed healthy, happy shih tzu. You decide that perhaps it would be wise to use dogs from breeders of high standing, who have been successful in the show ring with their own breeding, also with successful offspring from that kennel in others hands, they may well judge the breed, been in the breed for years with so much knowledge, yep that sounds like a sensible thing to do, but what do you get hit with? where do we start?
"You can't use my dog as you are friends of someone I don't approve of"
"You are a friend or acquaintance, of someone I have fallen out with"
"I have been told you breed too much"
"I have been told you only want to breed for success"
"I have been told that.. and this...."
When in fact, the person you have gone to may not know you, certainly hasn't had a conversation with you, has not been to your home, all these reasons why not, based on no known facts?
I personally find it so difficult to get round this problem of trying to do your best by your breed, using dogs from people you look up to, yet even by doing the very best you can, told you can not have access to the dog and it's breeding, from people who do not even know you.
I equally don't know what the answer is to the criticism I have overheard of 'You are breeding too much' when the KC allow 4 litters per year and this is accepted by all relevant local councils and various authorities.

Now let's think about what can happen, to the exhibitors who see you in the ring.
If you have two bitches that you breed from, each bitch is mated once a year, each bitch in each litter produces one suitable for the show ring, those exhibitors will see two pups out there. Next year, 2 pups are kept for the ring as the bitches breeding is so good, the chances of getting something good enough, are therefore greater, so you are now seen with 4 show dogs.
So let's compare that to someone, who may have 4 bitches, breeding each of those once a year, but not producing anything good enough for the ring, or perhaps having one out of the 4 suitable for showing, they would not be thought of as over-breeding, simply as those in the ring wouldn't see the offspring produced? Which is the worse breeder?

If you enjoy showing, and you enjoy breeding, and you want to show the offspring from your own breeding, why is it thought of as bad? Yet it is OK to buy in a pup from someone else to show? aren't they also breeding?

Personally, I am finding it harder and harder to work out what is going on within this breed. I obviously cannot know if things are getting harder, whether these things have always been present? whether it is just what I am finding out? perhaps others do not have these problems? is it OK as long as you stay within your friends circle and don't venture outside of those realms? What exactly are people afraid of? To say No to someone you don't know, have had no dealings with, not listened to that persons view point, aren't we a little guilty of being rather narrow minded?

Basically, how can you do your best for your breed when you are faced with a deafening NO when all you are trying to do is your best by your dogs and take advice from those at the top? I really am at a loss as to know, what is going on within this fabulous breed of ours.