We are Dog breeders.
The act of stating "I am a dog breeder" doesn't always come with wide eyed appreciation.
And that's okay...
• We get it. We completely understand what the hobby breeder has to contend with. And we're not just talking about a breeder like ourselves that has an agenda of diversity planning and outcrossing, we're also talking about breeders of show, trial and hunting dogs who also have a goal of producing champions and specialized dogs for service and hunting. The main thing that unifies us in what we're doing is the fact that we love our dogs. And we enjoy the process of whelping and socializing our puppies as well as the process of meeting new families that are interested in buying one of these puppies. The daily interactions with our breeding dogs and the time we spend essentially designing a playtime with them that also contributes to training them and promoting their natural abilities. That's our daily job, its something we do because we love the fact that these animals respond in a wonderful way to how we provide all these wonderful activities for them. And in the long term we also breed with a selective process to bring more of these dogs into the world and fill a desire for people who want some of the same magic we've discovered in them ourselves.
• There is never a hesitation from any of our children when they answer the question "what does your mom and dad do for a living?". They are actually proud to say "My family breeds dogs"(even though dad has a career that takes him off to NYC daily so he can help support his family and the entire pack of dogs). Its the fact that we breed these wonderful dogs that takes priority in their young minds. As a parent we don't get to see the reactions from their peers or the adults in their life that may ask this question of them. And If there was any negative look in the face of those asking, our kids would more than likely not notice or even understand why if they did notice. They are actually proud of what their family does and how we do it. The entire process is in their eyes just normal for them and the wonderful things we do on a daily basis are just taken for granted by our kids. Because for them its just the right way to do things. And for that, as parents we feel blessed. Because they will grow up... getting it too.