In response to one of your members comments about why are people breeding if not to show ....... I MUST respond and say that not all dog lovers are 'show people." If someone has a pedigree kc reg dog , with no hereditary defects that has a wonderful temperament and no breed breed faults, why shouldn't they breed?? Breeding should NOT be exclusive to 'show' breeders. If there is a market amongst reliable pet lovers for certain breeds/dog types and a mating can result in happy, healthy ,wanted pups then why should this privilege only be exclusive to a certain category of person? I have happy, healthy adored dogs that are family pets and have bred a couple of wonderful litters from them. All were homed with responsible dog loving families where the dogs have become an integral part of the family unit. Not all good dog owners show their pets, nor want to. Some gain pleasure from long happy walks and companionship from their pets. I think that it is effronterey to insinuate that only "show breeders" are acceptable breeders. Great pleasure can be gained from reproducing ones' much loved family members. Why shouldn't others share in this great experience. I am not talking about back street irresponsible breeding for financial gain , but allowing other like- minded individuals the opportunity to own and share the wonderment of dog owner/partnership. This opportunity should not be monopolized by certain people! Breeding my two healthy , robust ,breed standard litters ha has been a sheer joy, and meeting some of my fully grown pups out with their 'mums and dads' walking in the countryside is a privilige I defy "show breeders" to deny me! 'Sorry to be so verbose , but this message posting has really irritated me!! Bigotry? I hope not !! Kind Regards . A non showing "breeder" !

The purpose of breeding should be to improve upon the parents.  the particular post refered to the poster said that the parents were not show dogs.  Now even if the breeder did not show, if they were breeding to maintain and improve the breed then I would expect the sire at least to be one with some record of show success, as the breed isn't a working one.

How are you assessing the quality of the breeding stock if you are not comparing them to other breeders stock.  How are you finding suitable studs for your bitches to complement them, to minimise their faults and acentuate their good points.

All pedigree breeding should be with the breed standard in mind, and unless you are a very rare person with many years expereince how can you be sure that your own opinions on your own stock are unbiased and correct?

I happen to beleive that pedigree puppies should be bred to supply other breed lovers with the most typical examples of the breed in question, and this is no easy task and certainly cannot be achieved in isolation. 

The showring is primarily a window for showing off and selecting future breeding stock.

I would also expect a breeder to be able to spell their breeds name.  Though I am guilty of awful typos :D

Couldn't have put it better myself Brainless.
The day I stop going to shows is the day that I'll stop breeding because I'll not know what lines are compatible and what dogs produce good/bad temperament and/or defects.
I don't understand how people who don't attend shows (or working/obedience/agility, whatever is their chosen field) can possibly get to "know" the dogs behind their bitch's pedigree to begin to understand what to look for in a stud dog??
Successfully showing a dog isn't to say that my dog is better than your dog.  It says that my dog is of sufficient quality to be fit to be bred from and carry the breed forward into the future.

Also forgot to say that my reply about asking why the litter was bred was in response to a seemingly high prive for the pups.  I would expect to pay possibly (though not in my breed, as we all charge the same) a premium price for pups extra special in some way.

I think there are good points on both sides of this arguement.  I bred my bitch a pet bitch to another pet dog.  The stud dog is not shown because he is a hooligan and mine is not shown because she is too heavily marked.  I have also had a so called expert come to my house and tell me I should not breed my bitch any more because of her markings.  Out of this union from my first litter I bred two bitches one with two cc's and 17 firsts at champ shows in her first year of showing.  Her lighter shown sister is also consistantly placed.  From the second mating I kept two pups both of whom have done extremely well.  The stud dog has also produced many champions.

On the other hand I also agree with brainless that the aim is to produce the best you can to protect the breed you love.  Whether your dogs are bred for pets or not.  Only by breeding the best stock will problems be erradicated.

I suppose the point I am trying to make is that not all the best dogs are show dogs for whatever reason.  Yes you will see a selection of good dogs at show but within my own breed a significent number of people are getting their stud dogs from outside the show ring. You also have the risk of causing a gene pool if everyone uses the same stud dogs.

I know for an absolute fact that many of the best dogs are never shown, and when I see pups I have bred or freinds have bred that are really super I wish they would, as the only way the nice young males will get used is if someone sees them (though sadly many are castrated before their owners had really thought about how good they were and that they might make an contribution to the breed).

My main point is that your average Pet owner will have no idea wjeyher their dog or bitch is suitable breeding material.  I am sure you will agree that the reason your bitch peoduced well was that she had good breeding behind her, and she nicked with the male, who as you say has proven to produce well.

I think you will have to admit that most of these one off (because sophie is just the most lovely bitch and tommy down the road is too) reagrdless that the owners have never heard of a breed standard, health tests and that their pets may be wonderful members of the family but they and most of their ancestors for several generations only bear passing resemblance to their breed.

I always feel that the new puppy owner is being cheated, because they are not getting a typical breed representative (let alone a really good one with which they might be able to deepen their involvement with the breed if they so wish) but are not getting the knowledgeable and back up they are entitled too.  They are also rarelky there to take dogs back, seeming to think their responsibilities end once the pups leaves the premises.