Originally Posted by LittlePrayer704
Glad you guys enjoy the chapter/post.
I wrote it 6 years ago for "The Bible," and it is as true now as it was then ... and will remain as true 100 years from now.
Won't hure to re-read it every now and then, especially those who like to "show off" (which is usually another way of saying "mismanage some intangibles": spot weight, 2-dog, etc.)
Jack
Wow, a post that hits home. Hope it has the same effect on others. And for the record, the story of the little bulldog that could being mismanaged by completely incapable clowns made my blood boil. Good post Jack.
Great post!
good read
I was speechless, with much to ponder and do.
Thak you very much!!
" Now that we know better, we need to do better"
One of the guilty.
This is a great article and points out a lot of short comings in most of us.
The part I do not completely agree with is the part of having the same family of line bred dogs still doing it 20-25 years later.
The guy that turned me onto dogs was never a breeder because he did not choose to breed dogs. He acquired dogs in the beginning and showed to be both a good conditioner and have the eye to pick out winning dogs. He schooled hard and after just a few years he had a a yard full 10-12 dogs that who were not only match quality but had weights that were open to the world.
He did not perpetuate a line of dogs over time. He used them to the point they were no longer matchable and he gave them back to their breeder who in turn perpetuated the line.
In response to a couple of the latter posts, he taught me early on you have to love the dogs, but you can't be in love with the dogs. There is a line there and if crossed the decision making process will be clouded.
The rest of it I can believe is spot on. Many a good dog has been ruined by someone who simply did not know any better or chose not to know any better. Agreed on the 17 month old male story as well. A guy not far from here had a yard full of the gamest Eli dogs ever. When the dog could get the chain tight at another dog he was ready for his chance to shine. 10-12-14 months and they got the bomb dropped on them. Believe it or not, some actually made it to the other side. If the dog was there and seen his second birthday it was known he had seen more time than most GRCH's. Odds are he buried as many good dogs as most will ever own.
I'm at the point now I am scaling down the number of dogs because I simply do not have the time I once had to do for the dogs. I got home last night at 8PM and spent two hours feeding, fighting iced bowls, watering and adding hay to the boxes. The kicker is that I am sure I left a few piles of shit as it is not all that easy with a rake and a flashlight.
Identifying shortcomings and then correcting them is paramount. When they can't be corrected it is time to lessen the amount of dogs or put them in a better situation at someone else's house. I'm going with the lessening first and see if I can hold on for a bit longer.
Maybe the best point of the article is self recognition.
EWO
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