HI, I show and breed maltese. In this disscusion forum there have been many people who think that you shouldn't breed unless you show. I agree with that, but isn't there more to it than just showwing. I have a friend who breeds and shows bichon frises. After she shows them, they go straight into the kenne. No treat, no praise. After my dogs have a hard day in the show ring, they go home and they get love and treats galor! When my friends female has her pups, the pups stay in the kennel all day to. When I asked my friend if she really loves her dogs, she said "Well she is a good show bitch" I was astonished. Isn't breeding more than just showing and a paper that says they are AKC registered. Don't you really have to love dogs, and especially your breed. Isn't that the most important, or is it really just having dogs that have peices of papers that proves that they are purebreds. I now once apon a time my friend loved her dogs, but now she treats them like actual dogs instead of members of her family. If you want to be a breeder yes showing is important, but isnt the love for animals even more important?

Yes, it is. I am torn between if you should breed only if you show or not. I can't decide. But poor Bichons :(

Sugerbum.................That must have went right over my head. I was not aware that most people feel you should show, if you breed. I do not believe that, and there are people that show dogs especially Maltese that do not socialize with them at all.

I don't show (yet) and I don't breed my dogs, however I have been involved with the Canadian Staffordshire Bull Terrier community, and I have made the observation that there seem to be two kinds of breeders (generalization of course). One is a hobby breeder that loves their breed, and very often may use a stud show dog (to improve the line), but is often not interested in showing. Then there is the "serious" breeder who should certainly love their breed, but it is very often also a serious business for them. They are usually very professional, and take it seriously, but as in any business very often they run kennels, and it becomes something a little more impersonal. I have spoken to both kinds of breeders in the U.S. and U.K. and Canada, (when we were looking for our puppy), and we chose to go with a hobby breeder in the U.K. (who used a show stud dog), dut to the fact that it was a home operation, and the animals were family members. Other breeders were very professional, and very responsible, but ran big operations and the dogs were kennel raised. I am generalizing of course, but those have been my observations.

I would think that proper breeding and testing is so expensive that having a Ch. in front of a dog's name helps alot when selling them. I know good breeders don't make money, but I would like to break even, if it were me. Although, I hear showing is pretty expensive, too. It cant be about money, if it is the dogs are the ones that lose.

I have really never given any thought as to whether anyone would approve of me breeding my puppies. I can't say that it matters to me.