Page 36 - PCCI 2019 4TH QUARTER EDITION

2019 Breeder of the Year

DREAMVILLE PEKINGESE

What it takes to be a Breeder

hen I was asked to do this article as 2019
Breeder of the Year, I thought of what
WI can say further after the other years’
Breeder of the Year awards. Refl ecting on our past
50 years of breeding Pekingese (the years certainly
went by fast), I felt there would be more than just
saying I bred the most number of Champions,
Grand Champions, Hall of Fame etc. Indeed, it is
more than just copping a title. Breeding is a way
of life.

This brings to mind the article we (being a
Publications Committee member) had prepared
for this publication. It talks of the different groups
of breeders. There is the clueless Beginner. I had
started as many others have, as such. But after my
initial breeding effort ended in tragedy, I decided
to bone up on my chosen breed (Novice), enabling
me to skip the Everlasting Novice stage. I did time
as a Middleton, having to contend with my medical
studies while keeping an eye on the dog scene.
Then comes the realization that a good dog is not
enough. I had committed to going into breeding
for a lifetime, not as a source of income, as many
do, but to pursue perfection when perfection is not
attainable. Being a Good Breeder was not enough.
One has to be a Top Breeder.
Truly, the saying there is money in dogs never rang
truer, except that you keep putting the money into
dogs. I could have retired very, very comfortably
had I not spent several fortunes on buying stock,
investing in good kennel practices, feeding high
quality, expensive dog food, show entry fees,
handling fees, advertising, and the ever-burgeoning
veterinary fees. But on top of that, I had traveled to
the UK and USA to seek out the top breeders in
Pekingese, sought their opinions, looked at their
dogs and imbibe their collective wisdom. Add to
that the yearly or even biannual trips to National

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