Retiring show dogs
As a preservation breeder and exhibitor, sometimes we are faced with the difficult choice of rehoming a dog that has finished his/her show career or did not meet the expectations in health, temperament or conformation to continue in an active breeding program. Often they can be dogs we have loved and lived with for years.
When we receive email enquiries from potential puppy buyers, one of the things they ask is how long involved in the breed. I think I’ve heard a statistic that most breeders last less than 5 years. The decisions we are faced with in order to continue can be heartbreaking, we must control the number of dogs we are able to care for. This means either an inactive breeding program or placing the retired dogs.
Only the best of the best homes get our retired dogs. When a puppy leaves at 8 weeks, they are raised with the intention that they will belong to someone else. When a retired dog leaves, it’s part of the family.