Oliveira's Renegade Boxers
"What is a Breeder?"
A Breeder (with a Capital "B") is a person who thirsts for knowledge of their breed & never really knows it all. One who dedicates their time and wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience and commitment.A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! They give up the dream of long luxurious cruises in favor of spending that time with their canine friends for training, exercise or to just spend that quality time. A Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee!) and sacrifices that relaxing time in front of the T.V. in hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.A Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight. They disregard birth fluids and put mouth to mouth to save a gasping newborn, literally blowing life into a tiny, helpless creature that may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams.A Breeder's lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble champions, companions and best friends once snoozed.A Breeders hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.A Breeders back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending, and sitting in the whelping box but are strong enough to enable the breeder to show the next choice puppie to their new and loving family.A Breeders shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse from competitors, but they're wide enough to support the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations.A Breeders arms are always able to wield a mop, support an arm full of puppies and lend a helping hand to a newcomer to the breed.A Breeders ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (From being talked about) or strangely shaped (From being pressed against a phone receiver), Often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the whimper of a sick puppy.A Breeders eyes are blurred from pedigree research & sometimes blind to their own dog's faults, but they are ever so keen to competition's faults & are always searching for the perfect dog.A Breeder's brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees faster than the latest computer. It's so full of knowledge that sometimes it blows a fuse; It catalogues hundreds of intelligent dogs with great temperment, training ability, good boning, fine ears, and perfect heads.......And buries it in the soul, the failures and the ones that didn't turn out.
A Breeder's heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope everlasting........And it's always in the right place!Oh yes, there are breeders, and then there areBREEDERS!!!
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