EDITOR’S PAGE
Breeders: Taking Back
Our Rightful Place
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DOGSinREVIEW.com
one donates more dollars to health research than parent
clubs and responsible breeders. No one does more for rescue than concerned breeders and breed clubs. Yet the media
paints the fancy as uncaring snobs who breed exaggerated,
unhealthy dogs and devote their time to entering shows and
winning ribbons. Many of the reporters in the mainstream
media are in their 20s and 30s and have grown up, as Susi
Szeremy says, “with the rescue movement driving the conversation about responsible dog ownership.”
The throngs of people who visit the Meet the Breeds
events in New York and Orlando clearly illustrate the power of influencing people in person. The public wants to see
our dogs, and we need to market ourselves more forcefully
to capitalize on that interest. The days of living in an ivory
The key question is:
How accessible are
we to individuals who
want a puppy but don’t
know where to look?
tower and waiting for reservations on our well-bred puppies
will not sustain us. The key question is: How accessible are
we to individuals who want a puppy but don’t know where
to look? It is imperative that we make ourselves available
— online and offline — to those who are looking for information on dogs. Bad breeders with good marketing skills
must never be the only option.
Allan Reznik, Editor
[email protected]
Correction: In the August 2016 “Best in Show Winners of the Past” article, the Mazelaine Kennels’ owners were misidentified. The owners were Mazie and
John Phelps Wagner.
JULIE LYNN MUELLER
elcome to the November Breeders Issue. At
a time when “Adopt,
Don’t Shop!” has become the mantra for the animal rights zealots and
too many good breeders are reluctant to produce even an occasional
well-planned litter, we hope this
issue helps restore the pride and
optimism that seems to be missing from the sport these days.
In “Growing Our Web Presence” (page 30), columnist Susi
Szeremy challenges us to take
back our rightful place as the
public’s go-to authorities on
dogs by facing substandard
breeders in the very place
where they do such a thriving
business: online. In Susi’s words, “Websites that hawk puppies from substandard breeders and stud services with nary
a health test are precisely where reputable fanciers need
to be… We could be the first line of defense, a preemptive
strike against disreputable breeders by placing ads that tell
visitors, ‘We know this breed. Come to us first!’ Saving our
sport and our breeds begins with educating one person at a
time. Does it really matter where we find them? The person
looking for a puppy who doesn’t know enough to contact
the AKC first is exactly the person we need to reach. Kennel
clubs should be all over this, but aren’t.” Too true.
For years, good breeders could be complacent, knowing they had reservations for their show prospects along
with their well-bred companion puppies without needing to
advertise. But suddenly we have a generation of consumers who do everything online, from shopping for a home to
buying clothes to restocking their refrigerator every week.
Is it any surprise that they would Google “French Bulldog”
or “King Charles Spaniel” to find a pet, and blissfully type in
their credit card number? But what if good breeders could
be found in the same place, offering prospective owners a
healthy, sound alternative, along with a lifetime of mentoring and support? It’s the value added that we as responsible
breeders have always provided — advice on everything from
grooming to boarding. Now it’s time to be more vocal about
these services as we attempt to restore our good name. No