I feel like a passive observer of life, of life passing me by, here at Blyss. It is due to two things. One is the changing of the season from winter to spring, and the adjustments that demands. Including in that are changes in weather, changes in pollens and changes in the appearances of trees and vegetation. The other reason is Jelly. Jelly has been here about two months now and this impacts my life every day. She has given me more work to do, but it is good work that leaves me feeling happy because of her companionship.
I like to give credit to her for the elevation of my spirits which I believe without her presence would be more depressed. It cheers me every day to awaken and know she is near. I perform the needed chores that must be done for her before anything I do for myself. I feel more selfless, more giving to others because of her. It’s not about me anymore.
She has also expanded my social life because there are more people calling me to ask how I am doing, and I receive more invitations to visit people now that I have Jelly. It is truly amazing. I have found more success with Jelly than I had previously imagined possible.
Perhaps most unexpectedly has been the opportunities that lie ahead to show her, bringing her points towards her Grand Championship. She already has earned some of these points, including one Major. I am very proud of her, and believe this is a title she can complete. Without daring to hope, plans to breed her may lie ahead.
I understand every bitch cannot be bred, and there will always be many fine ones that will not. It is the characteristic of a truly good breeder to select which among the fine bitches in their kennel is the one to breed. It may not be the one with the most points, or the highest ranked. It may be the one who stays at home after her Champion Dog title is accomplished to live life on the sofa being a companion dog, while her littermate is heavily campaigned. It is mysterious why this bitches’s litter may contain the better pups.
I try to think of some “rules” to guide one. There are some adages about breeding dogs I have picked up along the way:
“Breed like to like; breed the best to the best.”
I have also read, for performance borzoi:
“Breed the fastest to the fastest; breed the prettiest to the prettiest.”
Well, of course, I thought when reading them at the time. It is so logical it goes without saying. Finding those magical couplings is another matter. Easy to say. Hard to do.
Perhaps it is not “dogs” we are breeding but the perpetuation of their blood line, their specific genes so the special ones live on.
I often sit ringside, especially at borzoi specialty shows. When I do, today I see borzoi in the ring who are related by bloodline to borzoi I have owned, or the get of borzoi I enjoyed watching in the ring several years ago. I never forget a dog’s lineage, and always see beyond the dog to its parentage. I see how its genes have been expressed, for better or for naught. It does not always improve the animal. That is disappointing, especially to see it in the conformation ring.