Breeder Responsibilities
“Our job as breeders is preservation, not innovation.” (Dr. Edna K. Martin).
“Traits that contribute to the dog doing his job (as in the original job description) are virtues; traits that interfere with the dog doing his job are faults. (Patricia Trotter, long time AKC judge)
Every breeder should seriously consider Dr. Martin's and Patricia Trotter’s words when examining their purpose in breeding Bearded Collies. Is it to have the next leading conformation Beardie? Is it to produce pups with great temperament that fit well into a pet home? Is it to retain and produce dogs with working talent and instinct?
BeaCon encourages all breeders and prospective buyers of puppies to consider these questions. How else do you learn whether the desired endpoint has been achieved?
References
Looking Forward. Patricia Trotter in the last AKC Gazette. (See p11)
Shoot the Messenger: A Guide for Senders and Receivers. C.A.Sharp. (See p12)
For Posterity. Rhonda Hoven. (see p2)
Introductory BeaCon Brochure for Puppy Buyers Print your own
How Research Works. Yousha, J.P. (See p5)
How Genetic Disease Research Succeeds - Participation. Sell, Elsa, MD. (See p4)
The Beardie Temperament. Linda Aronson, DVM (See p4)
So What Is Beardie Temperament? Lynne Sharpe. (See p4)