So my "soil" is wrong?

[GSD Fan]

What I mean by soil is:

Example: Let's say you're building a house. In order to build a house, you have to find a place to build the house. The place you build the house on is the soil or ground.

So what I'm trying to say is, when it comes to breeding, is my "soil" really wrong?

I'm bringing this up because someone told me that you fall in love with a breed and want to improve the breed, so you become a breeder.

You don't fall in love with dogs, love many breeds, and pick one or two breeds to improve.

The statements above are what I was told by a fellow dog ethusianist.

I like and love a lot of breeds. What I don't understand is, so breeders who breed more than one breed are really BYBs?

I'm so confused. I see nothing wrong with loving dogs and loving more than one breed.

The reason that person said that is because I considered breeding other breeds. The first breed I wanted to breed was the German Shepherd, then I wanted to breed Golden Retrievers, and now I'd really love to become a breeder of siberian huskies.

I love all three breeds. I don't want to start a kennel and breed all three, however, but what's wrong with loving other breeds?

I know I would like to become a breeder because I love dogs and would like to help improve the quality of dogs. Also because of all the things that come with being a breeder, even the negatives aren't bad compared to the good stuff.

[Jax's Mom]

They can call you purple with pink polka dots until you have the titles to back you up.
There's no law against what you intend to do.
I've spoken to many reputable breeders and most of them had so much advice and encouragement to give me, they didn't have time to say anything negative. Those are the type of people I tend to take advice from, not the ones that have all the time in the world to put me down.

[Elaine]

There is nothing wrong with liking more than one breed, but it's almost impossible to be knowledgeable enough in multiple breeds to really raise yourself above the level of BYB. You would have to know the breed well, the lines, be able to train and compete successfully, and then have the money to afford dogs that are quality titled dogs and worth breeding.

About the only people that do seem to be able to do this is when the breeds are very similar, like breeding deerhounds and borzoi in the same kennel. The types, sports, and breed ring are very similar.

[GSD Fan]

Originally Posted by Jax's Mom

They can call you purple with pink polka dots until you have the titles to back you up.
There's no law against what you intend to do.
I've spoken to many reputable breeders and most of them had so much advice and encouragement to give me, they didn't have time to say anything negative. Those are the type of people I tend to take advice from, not the ones that have all the time in the world to put me down.

Um, thank you.

If I become a breeder, I just want to do it right. I don't want to be a BYB not because people would look down on me, but because doing it right helps dogs in general and it decreases the chances of the dogs I produce ending up in a shelter.

[jakeandrenee]

I am confused, do you have a GSD?

[GSD Fan]

Originally Posted by Elaine

There is nothing wrong with liking more than one breed, but it's almost impossible to be knowledgeable enough in multiple breeds to really raise yourself above the level of BYB. You would have to know the breed well, the lines, be able to train and compete successfully, and then have the money to afford dogs that are quality titled dogs and worth breeding.

About the only people that do seem to be able to do this is when the breeds are very similar, like breeding deerhounds and borzoi in the same kennel. The types, sports, and breed ring are very similar.

I wasn't really planning on breeding more than one breed, rather I was looking at the breed I love the most.

About that last part,
what about a breeder who breeds Irish Setters AND Golden Retrievers? Or a breeder who breeds Rotties and GSDs? Those two examples are a lot alike, right?

[GSD Fan]

Originally Posted by jakeandrenee

I am confused, do you have a GSD?

No, I don't have a GSD. What's that got to do with this?

[selzer]

While to me GSDs are the only breed, and all the rest are just dogs, I disagree with whoever gave you that assessment.

You really should love dogs, or most dogs, different shapes, different sizes, different purposes. When someone tells you they know how to manage big dogs, they have had plenty of labs, well, it is nice to know some of the different traits and characteristics common in gun dogs, and how that might be different for people getting a herding dog for the first time.

Knowing dogs in and out is what breeders really should be thriving for. If someone says they have trained border collies and goldens, how is training a shepherd different, well, actually I do not think that people really ask that question, but you can probably ascertain that if someone is accustomed to how border collies are, they will probably do pretty good with an active GSD. Probably.

But breeding several types of dogs at once, yes even three, that is harder to stomach. If you start out with sheps, and learn, and continuously learn bloodlines, and dogs and dogs and more dogs. If you spend time in the various type of training venues, clubs, shows, eat, sleep, and breath sheps, until you are an expert in many of the different aspects, and you want to add another breed of dog, that would be the way to go about it. But you would then have to keep up with two breeds. Two sets of bloodlines, watching various dogs of two different lines, what they produce, where they are weak, where they are strong and the whole nine yards.

I have a heck of a time learning all I need to know just about shepherds. The more I learn, the more I realize there is so much more to learn. I know that I could not manage more than one breed. But that does not mean that someone else does not have the capacity to do so and to do it well.

You would have to be able to look at yourself and measure yourself with a critical eye to know whether you are keeping up well with each of your breeds.

Health concerns, bloodlines, various training venues, training menthods, different lines (working/show, field/show) different types if separated into color, and all the rest.

It is not something where you can read Von Stephanitz's book and be an expert. It is a living base of knowledge that must be constantly followed.

Do not believe everything people say. Many people apply a thought they have for themselves to everyone in general: i.e. I do not like prong collars, I will not use them, nobody should use them.

[jakeandrenee]

I am trying to understand that's all. This is a GSD forum and of course there are many sections for the non GSD topics...I am trying to understand the nature of your question and if you even have a dog.....that's what it's "got" to do with it.

[Konotashi]

I think it would be very VERY difficult to successfully be a reputable breeder of more than one breed at one time unless it's like the GSD and the mal.