A BREEDER'S
LIFE
A Breeder (with a capital B) 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, friendships,
fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! She gives 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. She disregards birth fluids and puts mouth to mouth, to save a gasping newborn, 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 dogs with generations of proud
and noble champions snooze.
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 guide that new little pup to maturity.
A Breeder's shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse, but they're wide enough to support
the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations.
A Breeder's arms are always able to weld 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 brain is foggy on faces, but can recall pedigrees faster than
an IBM computer.
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!!!
