附录英文原版
Breeder of the Year
Congratulations to Tom and Nioma Coen of Macdega Shelties, who have been named AKC's 2004 "Breeders of the Year" for the Herding Group.
Since the first Macdega litter was whelped in 1964, more than 100 American champions have carried the Macdega prefix. Macdega has bred or owned 18 of the breed's Register of Merit sires and dams, including CH Halstor's Peter Pumpkin, ROM, the breed's top sire with 160 champion offspring. In all, dogs and bitches bred or owned by Macdega have produced well over 600 American champions, including many all-breed Best in Show and national specialty winners. In April, the Coens will become the first husband and wife to judge the American Shetland Sheepdog Association (ASSA) national specialty together.
I recently sat down with the Coens and asked them what advice they would have for newer breeders-in other words, most of the rest of us.
Both Tom and Nioma stress the importance of keeping one's eye on the big picture-breeding to the standard and not being distracted by current whims. "Breeds are subject to so many different fads, based on what is winning at any given time," Tom says. "But the standard doesn't change, and if you want to have any longevity in a breed, you need to use the standard as the final word."
 |
As bad as fads, says Nioma, are "those seductive little exaggerations"-anything from longer neck to slightly shorter legs-which can easily get out of control.
Tom agrees. "Just because a little bit may be good doesn't mean more is better. For example, a well-finished underjaw is a virtue in our breed. But many Shelties now have so much depth of underjaw that it spoils the lightness and elegance of the head."
Keeping your eye on the big picture means being "ruthless" about the dogs you keep, Nioma emphasizes. "If you keep a dog because it might turn out or because you like one little feature about it, you'll be forever working on one thing at a time." |
She continues. "I cannot overestimate the importance of looking at your dogs constantly, evaluating your dogs constantly, and seeing the changes they go through. Most good ones will go through an awkward stage, then on to a better stage, and then finally they'll hit a really beautiful stage, at about age five. You need to see all of it to really enjoy the dogs and the process."
"It's crucial that you measure a dog you might keep against outstanding dogs with strong virtues," Tom adds, "rather than comparing it to medium-quality dogs-dogs without major faults, but also without any outstanding virtues. We've always bred for the best dog in the litter, rather than for a whole litter of medium-quality puppies."
The way to keep your eye properly tuned, say both Tom and Nioma, is to surround yourself with top-quality dogs. "Keep exceptional dogs at your kennel, even if they're retired and not producing anymore, " Nioma says. "They're 'eye candy,' and you need that." |
 |
Above all, Nioma says, it's important for breeders to behave as though what they do really matters-because it does. "One breeding can set off a ripple that affects the entire pond. One decision you make today may influence the direction of the breed in years to come," she emphasizes. "I'm now seeing how things I did years ago have influenced what other people are doing today. Do you know the influence you have now or what it's going to be later in life? Probably not. There's no way to know at the time; you can only assume that you make a difference, and act accordingly."
by Kim Schive |
