Page 150 - ShowSight - October 2019

On The Line: What Is A Breeder?
BY BJ ANDREWS continued
are strong enough to enable the Breeder to show the ‘keeper’ in Sweeps!
yet always fine-tuned to the whimper of a sick pup. A Breed- er’s eyes are blurred from pedi- gree research and sometimes blind to his own dog’s short- comings, but they are ever so keen to the competition’s faults and are always, always searching for the perfect specimen.
“The Breeder’s heart is often broken but it beats strongly with hope ever- lasting—and it’s always in the
right place!
“Oh yes, there are breeders, and then, there
are Breeders.”
Excerpt from World of The Akita, Chap- ter Eight—Breeding The Best. Copyright © 1995 – 2019 Barbara J. Andrews. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations with source provided, no portions thereof may be stored or reprinted in any form, electronic or otherwise, without the express written consent of Barbara J. Andrews. BJ@ToyFoxTerrier- sOBJ.com or BJA@NetPlacesNetwork.com
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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 pup- pies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Breeder’s shoul- ders are stooped and often heaped
Breeder’s ears are wondrous things, strangely shaped
“A
grees faster than an IBM. It’s so full of knowledge that some- times it blows a fuse. It cata- logs thousands of good fronts, hocky rears, and perfect heads... and buries in the soul the fail- ures and the ones that didn’t turn out.
Breeder’s brain is foggy on faces but recalls pedi-
“A
(from being pressed against a phone receiver), deaf to criticism
Barbara J. Andrews published The Akita Handbooks and instituted the Register Of Merit system for top producing sires and dams in 1974. Bill and “BJ” set multiple breed records in Rottweilers, Akitas, and Miniature Bull Terriers. She now owns 7 Toy Fox Terriers.
BJ served as columnist for The Dog newspaper, Dog World, Kennel Review Magazine, The AKC Gazette, and Canine Chronicle until 1993 when she became exclusive columnist for ShowSight Magazine. BJ has authored eight breed books published in eight languages, including World Of The Akita (Breed Book Of The Year Nominee), The Chihuahua, and The Miniature Bull Terrier.
148 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019