This article first appeared in the AKC Gazette.
Written by Marianne Sullivan
Every pillar of the breed, every great show dog, every successful performance competitor came from that one moment when a decision was made—this is the one. After the research, rearing and agonizing it all boils down to deciding who to keep or take home. Selection is intricately linked to the decision making process, whether we use intuition, logic, or crystal ball.
When asked, there are plenty of justifications for our decision—some logical and well thought out—others, not so much. Choices are based on size, color, or gender. Perhaps there are unavoidable constraints such as limited observation or interaction with the litter.
Others might pick solely on one criterion, or based on a previous bad experience. That type of decision-making reminds me of a house we once lived in that had a basement that flooded. When it came to searching for a new house our priority became “no basement flooding.”
There are many happy outcomes from using all the above methods. It makes it so much easier to narrow the list of “must haves.” Most of us have heard at one time or another “it must be sable (tri or blue),” “it must be a girl (boy).” We can narrow the choice to things like head profile/head on expression/big neck/abundant coat, or even more specific details. If we know selection is important, and there are choices that must be made, then it would help to exam our own decision making process. It might open our minds up to possibilities and opportunities we hadn’t considered before.
One way is to visit other breeders and evaluate puppies, even when we aren’t “shopping.” The chance for insight into someone else’s thought process and discuss what that breeder is striving for can give us a different perspective. What is important to them? Is it manifested in their dogs? Are they going for something specific? Do they have a plan? If their emphasis has been on eye and expression, for example, are they looking to incorporate other assets into their breeding program, such as structure and outline? How does prioritizing these things influence your thinking? Selection determines the direction we’re going in and what we pick today influences what decisions we will make in the future.
There are so many components to dog breeding that it can be extremely complex. Why does one litter or pup catch our eye and not another? Our brains connect to the familiar and what is different can appear foreign. On the other hand, what we become very familiar with can be incorrect, for example, if all the fronts are straight, then it can become so familiar as to appear normal.
It’s fun to guess who the next winner or breed pillar will be, but selection is so much more. It is the temperament, health and conformation of parents, grandparents and the sum of all the parts, the individual in front of us. It is hours of study and thought and knowledge of ancestors as well as the present generation. We may not always agree, but the observations and analysis of successful breeders willing to share can spark new ways of thinking. How we process the information, what our biases and notions are is as important as the moment of selection itself. That crystal ball can’t hurt either….
