TO BREED OR NOT TO BREED
YOUR COTON DE TULÉAR...
You are trying to decide what puppy to choose based on what you might want to do
in the future and what is available from your selected breeder. Maybe all
that is presently available is a "show quality" puppy, and you are
thinking breeding might be a good way to get back some of the money you will be
spending. How hard can it be to breed a litter or two? Obviously
there is a demand for the puppies, and there seems to be no problem in finding
someone with a stud when the time comes... And why are these breeders
being so picky about who gets a breedable puppy?
What
you need to know to be a breeder:
First of all, your breeder has told you this puppy is "show
quality". What is the difference between a "show" or
"breeding" quality puppy and a "pet" quality pup? A
show quality puppy should fit the FCI standard as much as possible...it should
have no disqualifying faults. This means that you need to know what the FCI standard
requires. Some points are controversial, such as the color of the coat.
Whatever you decide with regard to these issues, you need to remember that the
standard is the breeder's bible, to be followed as closely as possible in order
to ensure that the Coton de Tuléar maintains its uniqueness. (My personal
opinion regarding color is that the standard prefers a white dog, and that is what we need to breed for. A puppy with color is a
risk in that the color may not fade, and the resulting puppies will also have color to a greater or
lesser degree. A colored coat does not guarantee dark pigment [i.e. eyes,
nose and paws], as some would have you believe, and it would be preferable to
concentrate on breeding for white dogs with dark pigment than to try to justify
breeding colored dogs thinking that it is necessary to guarantee pigment in your
breeding program. On the other hand, if you have the type of color that is
determined to fade due to the dilution gene, then that is perfectly acceptable
as that is one of the true Coton characteristics of the breed. (Those puppies sure are cute though)! The
test being that as an adult the dog should appear to be white with no dark
patches.
Of further consideration, there are characteristics at 8, 10 or 12 weeks old that are
unfinished in your puppy. For example, the bite, which should be as close
to scissors as possible, may still change. Another example, the pigment
around an eye may not be totally complete. It may complete later on, or it
may not. What does your breeder cover in her contract regarding these
potential problems? Is your breeder's idea of a show quality dog limited
to the standard, or does she believe that there is more to it than that and
wants you to have a dog that would actually be competitive in the show
ring? And why is she pressuring you to show this dog? It is a sign
of your commitment to the breed and your individual dog that you want to have it
shown to verify its quality. I am not saying that having the word
"champion" on a pedigree is absolute assurance of quality, but exhibiting
does show you are serious about your job as a breeder. It is imperative
that you be able to evaluate a puppy in order to spot problems which may
occur; problems which we would not want to perpetuate. That is your
responsibility to the breed. Of course, the more
exposure a breeder gets by having the puppies and dogs shown, the better she is
recognized by the Coton community. Just be aware that if a breeder is
totally uninterested in showing her own dogs, and yet is willing to sell you a
dog for show or breeding, it is questionable whether that breeder is truly aware
of the standard and able to adequately evaluate a puppy for show/breeding
potential.
A pet quality puppy may have an imperfect bite, too much color, the potential to
be too big or too small according to standard, etc. Or it may have no problem
at all and the breeder has decided that it should go as a pet since she has no
one qualified for a show quality puppy at this time. Regardless of the
reason, it should not be bred and is being sold at a price less than that for
show. Some breeders offer an option of charging more for a dog that fits
the standard but will not be bred. This is risky. You have to be
able to trust that the breeder is disclosing everything she knows since there
may be a subtle problem that you would be unaware of, that may show up in a
breeding and the puppy should not be bred after all, yet this is a way for the
breeder to realize more money without worrying that the problem will be passed
on to future generations. In my opinion, it is simpler and more honest to
sell a puppy as show or pet without the vague element of showable but not
breedable as a third alternative.
Now, a responsible breeder values this breed and wants to improve on it
according to the standard. She feels very responsible
for the preservation of the special qualities that make the Coton so
attractive. You can look at almost any AKC breed and see how excessive
breeding for conformation without equal attention paid to the other important
qualities such as intelligence, health, temperament, type, genetic diversity,
etc. has caused an obvious deterioration. If you have chosen a breeder who
has been careful about choosing and retaining the breeding stock she maintains,
has done health testing and taken the time and money to exhibit her dogs to
obtain the judges' validation of the work she's doing, then you can't expect her
to be lax about who she allows to benefit from all that work. As breeders,
we do the best we can to sell to people who seem responsible and caring, but we
have limited control in the future as to who a puppy is bred
to, what guarantees are offered and whether spay/neuter will be required.
And simply put, knowledge and experience count for a lot in breeding, so it is
also important to a good breeder that someone just starting out will maintain
communication and seek guidance as needed. And it is also important not to
support APRI registered dogs either by buying from or selling to that type of
breeder. These dogs are almost always purchased through auctions and sales of
puppymillers. I don't think I need to go into the difference between
someone who breeds primarily for profit versus the type of breeder described
above.
I
won't go into all the things that can possibly go wrong with a breeding or a
whelping. There is a good website on virtual breeding that can give you an
idea; http://www.bluegrace.com/virtualbreeding.html
(Jane
Johnson). Jane has another great site that asks some important questions
of anyone considering breeding: http://www.geocities.com/learntobreed/questions.html.
Another good link from Cindy Tittle Moore: http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeding.html.
Please check out these and other sites in order to better help you decide
whether you are truly willing to take this step. You are taking a risk
with your pet when you decide to breed, and you also need to recognize that
there is a major responsibility to undertake with each and every puppy you
sell. Any misuse of that dog, any health problem that crops up later
(which is inevitable the longer you breed and may require financial compensation
or replacement), even the loss of contact with a buyer and not knowing what
happened with the puppy...that is on your conscience.
If you purchase a show quality puppy from me you must realize the importance of
your commitment and adhere to certain ethical constraints:
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I will
contractually obligate you to follow specific guidelines as far as when to
breed, whether you offer spay/neuter contracts and health guarantees with
your puppies, and who to sell puppies and dogs to (i.e. not backyard
breeders, puppymillers or brokers). I will strongly encourage you to
maintain communication with me throughout the dog's lifetime but especially when
considering the breeding and whelping of your dog. This should be no
problem to someone desiring to do the best by his or her dog and the
breed. |
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There will be
stiff penalties if it is found that you have disregarded these contractual
stipulations. |
I am eager to help with advice regarding the showing and breeding of your dog as
long as the endeavor is taken seriously. Please feel free to call with any
questions or to offer comments on this page.
Sincerely,
Phyllis
Blaha
Wonderland
Coton de Tuléar
256-571-7337
