I recently received a short email inquiry for a stud dog and immediately found myself writing a long, rambling response, including a checklist, outlining costs, and sharing the challenges, hardships and joys of being a responsible, ethical, preservation breeder.
I pressed 'send' and never heard from the person again.
I'm sure they didn't know what hit them and I'm certain my long response was not what they expected. All I can do is hope that they took it to heart and that they will pause before rushing into breeding their pet Aussie.
I have opinions. Lots of them. Strong ones. Most, I hope, are well-informed and reasonable. I enjoy researching and diving deep into topics that I'm passionate about and the sport of showing and breeding purebred dogs is no exception. Continuous learning about my favorite subjects is my MO. I do extensive reading of books, online forums and web sites and blogs, take seminars, and attend workshops in order to stay current. I'm not infallible and can be wrong and I'm sure I have been many times and will be again...I will readily admit when I am.
Teachable. That is my goal. And while I'm on this learning journey, I want to share what I've learned with others who are also wanting to remain teachable. What is the point of having knowledge if its not shared to help others along in their journeys?
So to that end, I've started this blog. Blogs, I've been told, are over...no one reads blogs anymore...it's all about podcasts and videos now. Well, I don't enjoy the sound of my voice and prefer writing so this written blog will have to do for those who still read!
I plan to explore a wide range of topics and to include some rants as well! After all it's my blog and I can include what I want! I'll be seeking ideas for topics too so I can do research and report back on things that I may not have thought about. Topics may range from:
- Stud Dog searches,
- Breeding for Responsible Breeders,
- showing dogs,
- performance dogs,
- raw feeding,
- positive reinforcement/marker-based training,
- responsible vs backyard breeders,
- breeder restricting legislation in Canada and international,
- Aussie-related health topics,
- reviews of dog supplies (e.g., whelping boxes), and
- the breed standard and more!
I hope you will tune in to see what's on my mind and share what's on your mind too!!
