490 – History, High Fashion and Legends at Morris and Essex
History, High Fashion and Legends at Morris and Essex
Lorraine Bisso, specialty chair and board member for Morris and Essex Dog show, joins host Laura Reeves to share the history of the event, fashion tips and goose bump worthy stories of the legends who have shown and judged there.
Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, who founded the M&E event in 1927, insisted this would be the “exhibitors’ show.” Dubbed the dog woman of the century, Dodge was actively involved in German Shepherd Dogs and English Cocker Spaniels. She literally “wrote the book” on the breeds.
The original show ran for 30 years and was considered a “must” in its day. Wayne Ferguson recreated the event in 2000 and it rises from the mists every five years. The 2020 M&E show, canceled due to COVID, is being held Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.
At the original shows, “everything was done for exhibitor and the exhibitors rose to the occasion,” Bisso noted. “(They) dressed for the show. Mrs. Dodge would personally invite the judges. She looked for experts in the breeds. She offered sterling silver trophies in every breed. She served lunch to the exhibitors. She served lunch to the judges.
“The best dogs were there because the best judges were there. In 1939 her entry reached 4456 dogs. She had 50 rings. Her show ran from 10:00 o’clock in the morning till 6:00 PM. She’d ring the bell at 12 and everybody stopped for lunch, which we still do today.
“In honor of Mrs. Dodge, because of the growth of the show, we have chosen to limit the entry to 4454 dogs. Less than in her show, ’cause we don’t want to leave our founder in the dust.
“People ask me why I participate in M&E. I think a good part of it is because it celebrates our history. It is a wonderful expression of dog shows now and it shows us what we can be what we are capable of.”
489 – Lorraine Bisso on the Irish Setter: “most beautiful of all dogs”
Lorraine Bisso on the Irish Setter: “most beautiful of all dogs”
AKC judge and Irish Setter breeder Lorraine Bisso shares her passion for the breed with host Laura Reeves.
“The standard tells you that it’s termed by artists, the most beautiful of all dogs,” Bisso said. “I tell people when I do judge’s education, when the dog walks in the ring, if your heart doesn’t skip a beat by the beautiful color, the symmetry, the silhouette, before you even get to know the dog, then something is missing. In this beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous dog beats a soul not to be matched. He would give his life for you. He also cheats at cards.”
Bisso has been involved with Irish Setters for more than 50 years and brings us a little myth busting.
“They are smart,” Bisso said. “That’s something that’s very misunderstood in this breed. They earned a reputation at one point for not being smart… they are very creative and often the problem is that they are one step ahead of their owners.
“Irish setters do not like to do things over and over and over again. They will go from point A to point B quite willingly several times. Then they will decide to take the scenic route. When they get to point B, they’re really mystified as to why you are upset. They got there, they just took the scenic route. It’s a charming part of the breed.
“The standard describes a hunting dog. When you judge them, you should keep in mind that singular point. They are the most beautiful of all dogs and they are bred to hunt. Everything in the standard relates to those twin elements of type, shall we say. They have to be beautiful, but they also must be the active gundog that the standard talks about. That’s the reason for the feet, the tail set, the proportions. the bite, the head, the eye. Everything in that standard is about a working gun dog and as you judge the breed, you should keep that in mind.
“Irish Setters are a single coated breed. Their coat is designed to have things come out if you brush them. Again, our standard calls for a “pleasing fringe of hair.” It does not call for a foot of hair, it calls for pleasing fringe. While we all love the beautiful show coats, don’t get me wrong on this, I’m a sucker for the full on press, all you really need is the pleasing fringe. So again I tell judges, do not walk past a dog because you don’t think that he has quote enough hair. If it’s good hair and it’s the right quality and it’s the right color then you’re good to go.”
Tune in next week for more from Lorraine Bisso and hear all about the history and excitement at this year’s Morris and Essex dog show.
488 – Veterinary Voice: Congenital and/or Hereditary Definitions
Veterinary Voice: Congenital and/or Hereditary Definitions
Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on the question of congenital vs hereditary disease definitions.
“So congenital is something you’re born with, not necessarily inherited, but something you’re born with. Genetic is something that you carry the DNA for,” Greer said. “If you’re born with something, it’s congenital. So, if you’re born with the umbilical cord wrapped around the puppies leg and the leg doesn’t fully develop, that’s congenital because they were born with it but it wasn’t genetic, it was an accident that the cord wrapped around the way. Just ’cause you see it at birth doesn’t mean it’s genetic.
Many diseases, Greer noted, “there is a genetic basis” with a “trigger.”
“An epigenetic or an environmental trigger, is there a nutritional component to it, was there some exposure to a chemical that predisposed the patient to it. So that’s where it starts to get muddy. Not everything that’s genetic is easy to figure out the inheritance pattern for. The things that we can DNA test for now are pretty much autosomal recessive genes,” Greer said.
“Are we throwing dogs out of our gene pool because they have something that’s genetic and we don’t have the right test for it, then we may never have a test for it or it’s not genetic or have some genetic and epigenetic and environmental component to it? As much as we think we understand this stuff, it’s not easy,” Greer added.
“The more we know, the less we know. As we start adding this information to our knowledge base, it’s going to become evident to us that what we thought isn’t really true… all information is valuable, but if you don’t apply it correctly, you’re going to end up bottlenecking your gene pool, as you’re going to throw good dogs out.”
487 — Cavanaugh on Collaboration, Change and Carrots
Cavanaugh on Collaboration, Change and Carrots
Wayne Cavanaugh awarding Winners Dog at the 2001 English Setter Association of America. The handler is Elliott Weiss.
Wayne Cavanaugh joins host Laura Reeves for part two of their conversation. Today they are talking about collaboration versus competition, changes for better and worse in purebred dogs over time and how carrots work better than sticks in implementing initiatives.
Cavanaugh shares stories from his time at the United Kennel Club, building programs and growing the organization, including creating a system that incentivized breeders to DNA test their dogs.
“I had two ways to do that,” Cavanaugh said. “One I could say it’s mandatory, you can’t enter (without DNA)… With coonhound guys, that would not work out. So, we started a program that if you got a (DNA) number you could put it in your ad in the magazine. When offspring of that DNA profiled dog won anything, (the sire) got points. Those points turned into dollars. At the end of the year, owners of those dogs got a check. Some of them got a big check.
Hands-on and possibly quirky would best describe Cavanaugh’s managerial style, from answering the phones at UKC headquarters to driving his motorcycle to work and parking it in the hallway.
“One thing I recommend every business do. I’d shut it (UKC offices) down for two days every year. We rented this gorgeous conference room here in town. And I did two days of telling every single department employee exactly why their job is important and here’s how much money we’re making. Here’s the percentages of growth, not the dollars. Here’s where we’re growing. Here’s why your job down here made this happen.
“We just tried to do that, to keep things human.”
Collaboration
“One of the things I did in Kalamazoo, was I invited every registry that was over 100 years old in America to come to Kalamazoo for a conference … We (needed to be) working together because we had animal rights issues to work with, we had zoning things, we had breed specific things to worry about.”
Changes
“When my dad was breeding Beagles, we put an ad in the local newspaper. Someone would buy a puppy from us. You give us the money, we give you the papers. No limited (registration), no contract, whatever. Then they would call a year or two later … and say ‘Ray, my cousin’s nephew’s electrician has a Beagle and we’re going to plug them in. You wanna help?’ My fater would help. The people would go through the process, the kids witnessed the miracle of birth, it was a mess, they never did it again. But people had pets. They had purebred pets. Maybe they didn’t look so great, who are we to tell him this, they loved him anyway. What was wrong with Americans have ugly Beagles or ugly Irish setters are ugly whatever’s? There was nothing wrong with that.
There’s a reason people like Goldendoodles. We did part of that, at least part of it, to ourselves. (We need to) take some ownership. I send friends of mine who wanna Labrador to Labrador breeder. They say ‘hey they were nice, dogs are great, but I don’t have two years to wait. I’m 37th on the waiting list, they gave me this 90-page contract, they want to come to survey my yard and turn in my work hours … we just wanna pet!’
486 — Wayne Cavanaugh: the “Total Dog” Man
Wayne Cavanaugh: the “Total Dog” Man
Wayne Cavanaugh is literally the “total dog” man. In every conceivable way. He is a third-generation dog breeder and fancier. He worked for the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, Wall Street and Animal Planet. He created the Total Dog program for UKC, was a charter board member of the AKC Canine Health Foundation and worked for legendary handlers Bob and Jane Forsyth in their heyday.
Cavanaugh shares his fascinating and high-octane journey through the entire purebred dog world with host Laura Reeves in this first of a two-part series.
“I was born in the sport,” Cavanaugh noted. “My grandfather came over from Ireland and he had some Kerries … it was that time of the world when you’re worried more about eating and getting by and wars, but he stayed involved. My dad picked it up with Beagles. It’s a debate whether I was six or eight when I finished my first Beagle. But we do know one thing. It probably was because there were a lot of people of profile that walked me up to the ring guided me in with a Beagle. It’s not like I was full of talent.
“As soon as I was able to reach both ends, I decided the English Setter would be fancier for junior showmanship than a Beagle. My dad helped me get going in English Setters.
“I went to work for Bob and Jane (Forsyth). They had just bought a Beagle from my father for Bob to show … That’s how I got to meet Bob. I was very young. They hired me to work there. It was an experience of a lifetime. No one can explain it. 100 dogs in the kennel, all of them are the best ones. You worked really hard and you didn’t mind. The education was unbelievable.
Seeing good dogs, working with them, is so important. You can’t really form a template in your head without seeing real good ones. And we had real good ones. We would win all six groups, there only six back then, it wouldn’t be unusual to do so. But it was great experience. Not only in dogs, but in life. They were a great team and it was really beautiful to watch them work together.
Cavanaugh travels back in time to recreate the walnut paneled walls of the American Kennel Club offices in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. “We had everything but cigars.” All the way to the addition of the first women’s restroom in the offices when Judy Daniels was elected President.
The journey continues through his work on Animal Planet’s “Breed All About It” show and on to the development of the UKC’s Premiere Show and Total Dog Program. An amazing step back through the looking glass with a true “dog man.”
Don’t forget to check back next week for part two of this inspiring conversation.
485 — Korean Jindo: Independent, reserved, polite and serious
Korean Jindo: Independent, reserved, polite and serious
Hannah Yi and her Jindo practicing for Junior Showmanship competition.
Hannah Yi and Nichole Royer join host Laura Reeves to share information about the rare and fascinating Korean Jindo.
Developed on Jindo Island, off South Korea’s coast, as an isolated population of centuries old village dogs, the breed is a cultural icon in its home country. Renowned for its ability to find its way home, a feature memorialized in Korean culture, Jindo are dedicated hunting dogs and very serious about guarding their home.
Jindo in South Korea.
“They were developed as a pretty hardcore hunting and guard dog,” Royer noted. “They are generally used for hunting small game, but they also hunt deer and even wild boar in small groups. They are not a breed that developed hunting along with their owners. They actually expected Jindos to go out and catch small game on their own and bring it home.
“When they chased down something like a deer, and I should add the deer and the wild boar on Jindo island are not the size of the deer and wild boar we have here in the US. The deer are much smaller … a small group of Jindos would chase them down and then a couple of the Jindos would stay there to guard the deer, while one or two dogs went to find the owner.
“(They were) designed to go out, be able to think for themselves, be able to make their own decisions. They take their owner’s wishes under advisement, but really are not designed to go around saying ‘what can I do for you.’ It’s a partnership rather than being what the dog can do for their owner.”
“I visited Korea a couple of times as a child,” Yi said, “and in the neighborhood and a bit of the rural parts, you would see them outside … I always (had them) pointed them out ‘hey, that’s a Jindo dog.’ They’ve always been a really independent spirit. Even though I didn’t know much about them as a kid, I just knew that (they were) culturally ingrained in your knowledge.
A white Jindo is featured in a popular Korean legend.
“(The story in Korea is) there was this dog and it was a white Jindo dog … it lived with its elderly owner in the city. But one day the owner had to sell the dog. So it was really far away. Then seven months later, the dog appeared back to the owner’s house. It found its way home. So that’s just really stuck to a lot of people. There are a lot of children’s books and merch made about that and it was just really interesting to me. I’ve just always known that story.”
Dog aggression is very much the norm for the breed, according to Royer.
While Dog Aggression is a serious awareness with the breed, Royer notes, “They are intelligent guard dogs that are not looking for that excuse. They will act if they have to, but they’re not looking to want to act.
“Same sex dog aggression is absolutely the norm in this breed. This breed in public should not be aggressive towards other dogs without good reason. However a strange dog getting in their personal space absolutely is good reason. They do not tolerate fools lightly and they do not tolerate rude behavior from other dogs. Jindos never pulled their punches. If they choose to use their teeth, they intend to do damage.
“Jindos tend to be a one person or one family dog. They should never be aggressive without good reason. But they also generally are not going to be like my malamutes who will jump into everybody’s lap and everybody is their new best friend. They range from being very reserved ‘I don’t know you, so I don’t really want you touching me’ to being calmly friendly. Very polite.”
484 – Five Ps in Passport to Successful Reproduction
Five Ps in Passport to Successful Reproduction
Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, joins host Laura Reeves to discuss the five Ps in the passport to successful dog breeding.
Progesterone
“We need to start progesterone testing early enough and repeating the testing often enough and long enough to make sure that she’s ovulate plus one test beyond that. So ovulation in most people’s labs is going to be between four and eight nanograms per mil.
“Be sure you start early enough and you go long enough that you’ve got one progesterone past five. If you stop at 4.7 and then she doesn’t get pregnant, we don’t know if she actually did or not (ovulate)… It’s not only to get the breeding done successfully, it’s also so that you can time when she’s doing to whelp.
“I cannot overemphasize the importance of progesterone timing. If nothing else, you’re going to have the vet clinic on your side when you call, (instead of) saying, ‘Well, really I have no idea when she’s actually due.’ I don’t know if you’re overstating the crisis that you’re in, if you’re underestimating the crisis you’re in, but without that data we really, as a veterinary community, don’t have the information we need to start initiating early care to save your bitch to save your litter.
Prenatal Care
“We know from the human side how important good prenatal care is. There’s a reason that women that are pregnant go to the doctor frequently. We need to monitor the bitch during prenatal care but even before she gets pregnant, we need to start folic acid 6 to 8 weeks before she comes into heat. We need to have her in an ideal body condition. We need to make sure she’s on an appropriate diet that doesn’t contain legumes, peas and beans. And we need to make sure she’s on a diet that’s got the macro and micro nutrients that she’s going to need to be pregnant and sustain a pregnancy.
“We want to make sure vaccines are up to date, because you can’t vaccinate during pregnancy and if she comes due during the time she’s pregnant, we cannot vaccinate. We want to make sure she’s an appropriate heartworm and flea and tick preventives that are safe for breeding dogs.
“We want to make sure that we’ve brucellosis tested her well enough in advance that if she comes back positive we can do the confirmatory test, because up to 10% of the brucellosis test will come back positive, and that can be a false positive. Now, that being said, it’s easy to say ‘Oh yeah, brucellosis doesn’t happen in the United states anymore.’ And guess what that’s not true.
Puppy Count X-ray
“Take the X-ray somewhere between day 55 and a 60 of her pregnancy.
“People say, ‘oh I’m not going to do that… it’s not safe or it’s not accurate…’ I’m going to give you some tips that can make it accurate. If you are taking X rays with a digital machine … it’s very safe. The exposure to X-rays is very, very low. In fact if you live in Denver, where the altitude is high, you have the equivalent from sun exposure and radiation of five to 10 chest X-rays a year, just living in that environment.
“Go to a vet that has a digital X-ray machine. Take your bitch fasting. She needs to not have breakfast the morning you take her in for the X-ray. (Make sure she has a bowel movement) before you go in, so her hair colon is empty because the more food and the more stool in the colon the harder it is for us to see the puppies on the X-ray.
“We take two lateral X-rays, meaning that they lay on their side. We put them on the right side down and we put them on the left side down. I don’t care what order you do it in, but I don’t take them on their back. What’s really cool about it is, many times you’ll see seven puppies on first X-ray and you roll them over and an eighth puppy appears. (Most likely) they were perfectly aligned in the uterus and you missed one but that roll, that repositioning of the uterus by putting her on the opposite side, will illustrate another puppy.
Preparing for Whelping
| Supply and Equipment List:
• Whelping box • Puppy Scale • Rectal thermometer • Room thermometer • Vaseline • Notebook • Cotton balls • Method to identify puppies – fingernail polish or fabric paint • Heat source • Graph paper • Exam Gloves • Starter mousse • Soap • Whelping pads • Towels • Ice cream • Brats • Oatmeal • Puppy or kitten formula • Feeding tubes and syringes • Feeding bottles • Electrolytes • Car with a full tank of gas • Cell phone and charger • Ice chest or other transport device with heat for taking puppies to and from the vet • Lubricant – non petroleum • Hemostat • Dental floss to tie off cords • Gauze • Scissors • Tincture of iodine • Chlorhexidine disinfectant and shampoo • Vanilla ice cream • Cotton balls • Tarps or flannel backed tablecloths to cover the floor |
Drug and medical equipment list:
• Fenbendazole • Frozen Plasma • 5 Hour Energy • Dopram • Vitamin K • Oral Cal plus calcium gel • Nuture-mate • Probiotics • Forti-cal • Delee mucus trip • Bulb syringe • Feeding tube syringe and formula • 25 g needles • Oxy momma • Adaptil or ThunderEase Pheromone collar • Glucometer and strips • Oxygen concentrator • Pulse oximeter • Pyrantel pamoate • Stethoscope • Oxytocin • Fluids for SQ use • Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk • Needles and syringes • A great friend who knows about dogs and can remain calm
|
Planning C-section
“Planning ahead can make the difference between great puppy survival and heartbreak. If you were planning to whelp (naturally) and things don’t go well, then having a plan in place can turn a bad situation around. You need to have a vet that you know you can call. You need to have an emergency clinic that you know is available. Find out before you go in what kind of anesthesia they use, if they’re going to hold your bitch hostage and only do the C-section if you let them spay her. Which is a terrible, terrible, terrible idea. I never spay at C-section because bitches lose up to 30% of their blood volume and can go into shock.”
483 — Separation Anxiety: Myth Busting with Malena DeMartini
Separation Anxiety: Myth Busting with Malena DeMartini
Malena DeMartini, canine behavior specialist focused on separation anxiety, joins host Laura Reeves for some mythbusting around anxiety, separation anxiety, genetics and heritability of anxieties and fears, and more.
“When we’re talking with regard to separation anxiety, your dog is not being a jerk,” DeMartini said. “Nor are they being spiteful. Nor are they just angry at you because you’re not spending enough time with them. All of that discussion, that is not what’s happening. What is happening is so important that we understand from a compassion and empathy standpoint, as well as from a training standpoint. These dogs are panicked. This is a true phobia to being left alone. I want to remind people that, by definition, phobias tend to be rather irrational, or at least irrational to the person that’s not experiencing that.
It really isn’t your fault
“Spoiling, and this is how they represent spoiling: letting a dog sleep on the bed, letting a dog on the furniture, giving them lots of treats or feeding them extra goodies, or taking them on car rides with us, all these sorts of activities, which in my head are part of having a family member, none of those things are either causational or correlational for separation anxiety.
“When you have a dog with separation anxiety, you are going to get every naysayer in the universe coming after you saying it is your fault … I just want people to absolve themselves from that guilt and no they did not create an animal with separation anxiety by letting him snuggle on the couch.”
Don’t “feed the beast”
DeMartini also offered recommendations on how to not “feed the beast” of a dog’s anxiety.
“When I talk about nonchalant exits and entries, we have to remember that dogs are masters of discrimination. Yes, they know when we’re leaving and so taking an extra five minutes to give them kissy sounds can just put more emphasis on the exit. So, I tell people your dog has figured out that you put on your shoes, you’ve grabbed your backpack, got your keys in your hand, your dog is fully aware that you’re about to leave, you don’t have to tell him anything.
All in the family?
DeMartini provided insight on the genetics and epigenetics of anxiety and fear in dogs, as well.
“In the last few years (researchers) have actually identified a haplotype, so sort of a genetic marker, that is specifically in accordance with separation anxiety. Here is the important aspect: just because (a dog has) that particular haplotype, where those genetic markers exist, does not mean that the behavior problem is going to occur. That’s where the epigenetics play a role. These are like toggle switches. So that toggle switch may remain off for the lifetime of that animal but there are some environmental influences that could flip that toggle switch.
“You can have the most beautiful well-bred dog physically, but if they are suffering from a welfare perspective because of their mental health that’s a problem.
Behavior modification
“Separation anxiety is actually a behavior that is quite modifiable. It’s not easy and it takes time, but we can do a lot to optimize dogs for a long-term success in the beginning of their lives. Just because there’s that genetic potential predisposition, that doesn’t mean that we can’t change it. Heritability is not a diagnosis of a permanent state.
“Separation anxiety behaviors are evolutionarily appropriate for puppies at a young age. How many of us have seen a puppy cry and the bitch comes back. We’ve seen it over millions of years of evolution that there is a purpose for vocalization and some of these other behaviors when these pups are really, really young. But the majority of them do grow out of it. If they don’t it’s become sort of maladaptive. When it becomes maladaptive in a 14 or 16 or 18 week pup, no amount of letting them cry it out and try and get over it is going to help them grow out of it. That is a moment in time where we say, ‘we’ve got to give this pup some training and give them that metaphorical soft place to land in order to help them through this.”
482 – Nutrition in Breeding Dogs with Dr. Gayle Watkins
Nutrition in Breeding Dogs with Dr. Gayle Watkins
Dr. Gayle Watkins, founder of Avidog and Head of Education at Good Dog, joins host Laura Reeves for a fascinating and informative conversation on the nutrition requirements for breeding dogs.
Watkins addresses raw feeding, kibble and specific nutrient requirements, especially calcium:phosphorus percentages, that enable the animals in our breeding programs to be successful in conceiving and raising their litters.
“We don’t have a lot of really good research on optimizing nutrition for breeding animals, either stud dogs or bitches, and we have a lot of myths,” Watkins said.
“If you are in the US, you need to feed an all-life stages or growth and reproduction diet to your breeding dogs. Ideally, that is also for stud dogs, but we don’t have much information on that. Definitely your bitches, as they prepare to breed, while they’re being bred, during pregnancy and during lactation. Adult maintenance food is inadequate for reproduction. It is not designed for reproduction.
“Dogs are scavengers … think about the stuff they eat! But breeding animals, we’re asking those bitches to do so much. They not only have to create puppies, they have to maintain their own body while that’s happening and they have to maintain their brain. So I think we have an obligation to not do homemade foods with our breeding bitches.
“I’m a big fan, if we can find those foods that are also certified by AAFCO through feeding trials. The all life stages feeding trial covers just prior to being bred, pregnancy and it covers their puppies for 10 weeks. So it’s a big feeding trial and that food has been tested as much as it could possibly be tested.”
Watkins continues with specific recommendations on additional micronutrients, fatty acids, probiotics and other supplements.
For previous Pure Dog Talk episodes on breeding topics with Dr. Watkins, click here, here, here and here.
481 – When the Best Laid Plans Go Awry
When the Best Laid Plans Go Awry
Amanda Kelly, Fwaggle Toy Manchester Terriers, joins host Laura Reeves for a conversation about dog breeding when you plan ahead, do your research and then the results don’t match the expectations.
Amanda and Laura swap stories about all of the times a breeding looked great on paper and was a disaster on the ground in one way or another. The takeaway? Breeding dogs will keep you perpetually humble and learning.
Unexpected markings. Dual sired litter rabbit holes. Repeat breeding pros and cons. And permission to fail.
A sense of humor helps keep it all in perspective. Keeping temperament and health as top priorities in a breeding program means that even if the pups in a litter don’t meet your expectations for the show ring, they will still live long, healthy lives as beloved companions.
“What I love about (dog breeding) is that there’s not clear answers,” Amanda noted. “We can ponder the theories and the different ideas and we can try new things if we give herself permission to do it. I hope when breeders have been around for a long time and are helping others that, I hope, is the gift that they’re giving them. Permission to try things, to try something new and different. What’s the worst thing that happens? They had some pets. The pet people are pretty happy about that.
“There’s not a right or wrong way to do this. If I’ve learned anything from doing this for many years and watching different breeders, there are 1000 different ways to do this. None of them are right or wrong, as long as we have the welfare of our dogs at heart. And we will learn something new every time.
“Every breeding that you do has value. You said it earlier, you learn something. You learn about what not to do, you learn about how your line is producing. So when that best in show dog winds up neutered because you made a bad choice in your puppy evaluation, you have to let it go.
“You need to be able to make a decision and live with it in the planning of a breeding and the evaluation of puppies. So allowing yourself to fail without feeling like a failure is the greatest freedom that you will give yourself as a breeder. I think sometimes we just get so wrapped up in the breeding that’s in front of us that we won’t allow ourselves to fail, we won’t allow ourselves to say ‘you know what, there’s nothing in here that I want to keep and so I’m going to let them go (to pet homes).”