I no longer place puppies with breeding rights for the following reasons:
1. Because of the dog overpopulation we have in our country, four millions cats and dogs are euthanized each year in US, only in shelters!
No, I can't save them all, but I can make a difference by the way I handle my breeding program. Just ONE unaltered female and her offspring can result
in over 60,000 dogs in only six years! Now take 60,000 and apply it further to each one of those 60,000 dogs individually, then try to grasp the overall
picture. According to the statistics received from the shelters, one pup is being euthanized every eight seconds for lack of homes! Are the extra amount
of dollars received for a puppy placed with breeding rights, worth it?
Personally I don't want them! Not at the price of their lives, because down the road, it comes to pups resulting from my lines having to pay with
their lives, regardless how carefully I placed my puppy with breeding rights. Even a female under contract, I can only watch over her first generation of
offspring. Besides, it is enough for one puppy to get into the wrong hands.
Shutting my eyes closed from reality doesn't make it go away. All around us pups are being abused, euthanized, suffering from neglect, or just bred for
income. If I ignore reality so I could benefit from the extra dollars, I just add to the number of pups that will be overly bred, and/or striving to be
loved or touched their entire lives (providing they are granted to live).
2. I did make an arrangement, in the beginning, to lend my boy Juno as stud on a beautiful female who belonged to a reputable US show home. Besides
being a close friend, the owner is known to be a wonderful, caring person. Our deal was that I receive the first choice puppy in return, while none of her
other offspring will move to other show homes. The offspring were to be used strictly for her showing/breeding program or placed as pets.
During the same time, I made another deal with Steffi from Tila's kennel in Germany. I liked very much one of her females in particular. Steffi is also a
loving and carrying small show home (by now we all know each other in the breed around the globe). Steffi agreed to drive all the way to Switzerland
with her female to breed her to a boy of my liking.
On my part, I was to receive a female puppy of my choice from the mating and in return provide Steffi, later on, with an offspring from her girl, sired
by my boy Juno.
About a week after she made the trip to Switzerland to do the mating, I received an email from her that our deal was off because the breeder from
Switzerland emailed her and told her she will also receive a Juno offspring from my breeder friend in US. That left me staring at the screen in disbelief!
I didn't even lend my boy at stud to my US friend yet and she already breached the agreement??? As it turned out, there was a language
misunderstanding. My US friend never really promised a Juno offspring to Switzerland.
However, don't all dog show related law-suits and scandals start from misunderstandings or because one side of the deal doesn't go as one of the party
expects? After talking the things out, both, myself and my US friend, commonly agreed that we will never exchange bloodlines so they could never ruin
our friendship.
The incidents have been a learning experience. I decided then and there to never again get involved in any type of deals with anyone, nor to stud my
boys out, for the sake of my sanity.
3. I cannot tolerate animals or birds to be raised in cages or small enclosures. Go lock yourself in prison and see how it feels. If you don't like it don't do
it to other creatures who have the same feelings as you do. Treat the way you want to be treated. If you think nobody sees you, God does and none of us will
escape the judgement day.
Breeding is not a pleasant road from many perspectives. Some show homes commented that my success in Papillons was overnight. Yes but no. I find it
unfair they judge things based on the shell. Others have said I had the eye for the breed. I think breeding quality, like everything else, takes much more than
having the eye. What I can take credit for is that I studied in all top Papillons and their ancestors worldwide, the ear fringing! Study which I shared all along
with Lena Hellborg of Golden Leafs Papillons, way before she trusted me with her boy Vision.
I was fortunate and I'll be forever grateful for also receiving from Lena info on the old bloodlines, way back in the pedigrees. I don't exaggerate if I compare
Lena with an Encyclopedia of old European Papillon bloodlines. Bloodlines which are today in the lines of most top winning Papillons.
Did my study in which I looked up every single ancestor in every pedigree I liked, also what they have produced and by whom, along with my stubbornness
to not take any shortcut fringing and coat wise, pay off?! My Papillons are known in the show world for their early, thick ear fringing.
Ironically, or maybe not, my export to UK, Multi CH Magnolise Tiago for Spinillons, won Best Fringing in Show at his very first show in England, at the South
Wales Papillons Club Specialty on Oct 09, 2011. Shortly afterwards he won another Best Fringing in Show, Best Phalene in Show and made history in the
breed being the first male Phalene and American champion in the world to win 1st place in a Champion Stakes competition (a competition between
champions of all breeds). As of now he is champion in seven countries plus International champion.
As for the reason why I breed
4. Somebody commented if I am concerned about dog overpopulation why do I feel entitled to breed? Before everything else, it is not us, small breeders who
prove to be concerned about the breed, who contribute to overpopulation. The problem we have in our country is caused by puppy mills and backyard
breeders who, besides selling in private under disguise, provide stock for puppy stores. Countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, have laws against selling
live animals in stores. In other words, every breeder in those countries is responsible to find homes for every puppy they breed.
However, if you want to know the reason I personally breed I will have to be frank and provide the exact reason. I breed because God provided me with
some of
the most spectacular, worldwide known, Papillons even though I had no initial intention to start a breeding program. Things led to showing/breeding based
on quality and just found myself in the middle of it.
Even so, I have been on the verge to stop doing it countless of times because it is a tremendous responsibility if you care. However, every time an existing
pet homes talks me out of it. They feel they can't thank me enough for providing them with a quality Papillon they would not be able to own otherwise and
make me feel guilty for not being willing to do the same for others if God is blessing.
However, while I did study coat and fringing meticulously, the conformation just happened. I didn't even understand it's importance for soundness and
correct movement. Chester, the boy initially I purchased to be my handsome pet and who started it all, proved to have an outstanding structure which I only
started to appreciate after attending a local dog show, strictly for fun. From there on, judges, handlers all the way to our own competitors approached me to
admire them and he turned heads everywhere we moved on the show grounds. I am grateful for that.
show grounds. Especially after Juno.
His first offspring, Juno, finished his championship, at the Atlanta, GA cluster on Sept 18-21, 2008 where three AKC judges who were watching Papillons
ring side (Mr. Michael Dashel, Mrs. Charlotte Clem McGowan and a third judge) asked me on our way out from the ring if I wouldn't mind
placing Juno on a table so they could analyze him closer. While examining him they stated that one rarely sees such a well bred Papillon in the show
rings.
Where is my credit? I remodeled homes so I could afford my Paps and I prayed before every decision. However, I am convinced God
did not make the mixture of genes in my Papillons because I worked for the money or because I prayed. I believe He did it because He knew He could trust
me with them without getting vain. His plan, the way I see it today, is like a spider web. He used it to bring certain people into my life and the other way
around... There are also the encounters I had with hitchhikers on my trips out of state, which many called divine appointments. There is a lot more to
the picture.…… Bottom line, God knew I will be willing to let Him work and that I will not use t feed my ego.
How did I end up showing? As stated above, in the beginning I only cared for coat/fringing (type) and health. Conformation was not on my list because
initially I just wanted a healthy, beautiful Papillon as pet. After a pet store heartache that cost me thousands of dollars in medical bills I was willing to
pay the price for a well bred Papillon.
I ended entering a show with my import just for fun because the show grounds was 7 minutes away from the house. Chester won Best of Breed and Toy
group 3rd, totally untrained. The feedback received at the show motivated me to show further. I made new friends and before realizing I was studying
gait and conformation.
However, even after my first litter out of which I kept two puppies and championed them both (Juno and Jasmine), I still didn't relate to the results as
being a big accomplishment for a breeder. Until Lena brought to my attention there are Swedish breeders that have been breeding for years and didn't
produce one champion. However, we both agree that regardless how much thought and planning it is put into a breeding combination, the Higher Power
decides the mixture of genes in each offspring. Hence not two litters of the same combination are the same. In fact, to quote Lena, when you plan a
combination doing all the gene math diligently, the results are often a failure, while sometimes an accidental breeding can result in a top winning
candidate. The way Lena puts it, "It is God's way to keep us humble."
Another area I would like to address, I had been told often about fanciers being bothered by my fast success in Papillons with a top winning quality
offspring from my first litter while most breeders have been breeding for years hoping for the same outcome. If it makes anyone feel better, while they
were breeding Papillons, I was working physical work, eating dust, often with no air conditioning in full summer, from morning to night.
Besides, in the past I had my own share of heartaches. After loosing my first pet, Linda, my next two pets, Nina and Linden, got stolen not even
a year later. A little over an year afterwards my next pet, Spirit, got crushed by a car in a park at my very feet. My following pet, a 'pure' bred Papillon
pet store purchase (I didn't know better), Sunny, started having 7-8 hours long seizures at four months old. I'm certain no one is jealous on my share of
heartaches.
To make everyone feel better, I don't feel God provided me with my Papillons to be on top of the charts, even though I have been tempted (details on my
boys' personal pages). By no means, neither to compromise their happiness for financial gain (once again, not that I have not been tempted, especially
when I faced financial difficulties). So what are people really jealous about?
At the end of the day I just provide loving pet homes a chance to own a Papillon they could otherwise see only on top of the charts. Most reputable show
homes place their pet puppies for the same adoption fees as mine. Why the jealousy so again, why the jealousy when I am not even in their way in the show
ring?
Having said that, it has also been brought to my attention that by giving up showing I provide backyard breeders excuses, which I realize is true.
However, it should be also noted that in the period I stopped showing nor did I keep one offspring (four years). Only now (late 2013) I am keeping a
new generation as I am retiring my three girls. Yes, they will be shown.
On another note, I also encourage people to adopt. I rescued myself in the past, even a very sick, skin and bones mix Chihuahua I noticed in the restricted
area at the Humane Society, in Fort Lauderdale in 2001. She was infected with parvo in the last stage and was scheduled to be euthanized that day. When
Nina looked me in the eyes I knew she wanted to live! The staff agreed to let me adopt her if I consented in writing that I will rush her straight
at the vets. Her chances were 50/50%. If she survived the night in intensive care, she had a chance to live. She survived, and three days later I brought
her home.
I stood by her until she took the first bite of food. When she did, I cried from happiness! Making any difference in this world filled with misery it's such a
wonderful feeling! (she was the one stolen an year later with my other pet Linden).
However, my Papillon pet store purchase, Sunny, who started having seizures at four months old, and for whose life I fought until (with the grace of God)
I restored back to health even though the doctors said he had no hope, drained me from tears and anxiety, to exhaustion. That prompted me to go to the
very other extreme afterwards and purchased a healthy, beautiful well bred Papillon so I could cherish, even though it cost me thousands of dollars.
My own experiences enable me to also understand my pet homes who got in touch with me telling me straight forward they will not settle for anything
but a healthy and beautiful representation of the breed to enjoy and delight as pets.
To summarize, breeding/showing it has been and is an ongoing battle.
Wether you are visiting to see photos of my beloved Papillons or are searching for your puppy, I wish you an enjoyable visit.
