Why Did They Breed To That Dog?

Have you ever wondered why someone decided to do a breeding?  Have you ever said to yourself, “Now why would they do that?" when you heard about a breeding that seemed totally unsuitable.  Did you ever want to ask, "What were you thinking?" when the two dogs seemed like a poor match?  By the same token, have you ever heard a breeding announced and thought, "Wow, what a great idea!  Can't wait to see what they get."  How DID they arrive at that decision?

There are many ways to select a stud dog including (but not limited to) –

• Using your own male because he’s handy and it won't cost anything
• Using your own male because he’s right for your bitch
• Using the male you purchased because he (or his pedigree) seemed right for your breeding program
• Using your own male because you purchased (or leased) this bitch to breed to him
• Accidental breeding – one of your own males made the decision for you
• Using a local dog because it’s cheaper than traveling or shipping or using chilled/frozen semen
• Using a local dog because he’s right for your bitch
• Breeding back into the bitch’s pedigree, using one of her male relatives, presumably lining up on quality dogs
• Breeding back into her pedigree because you want to advertise a linebred litter, even though you know nothing about the line or what it produces
• Using a dog suggested by the bitch’s breeder
• Using a dog whose owner has been pimping for him and making nice comments about your bitch
• Using a dog because "someone" told you he did nice ____s
• Using a dog because his owner will do it for a puppy, saving you a stud fee
• Using a top winning dog because you think it will help you sell puppies
• Using a close relative of a top winning dog because it may help sell puppies
• Using a close relative of a top winning dog because he’s a good producer
• Using a dog because you really like what he produces
• Using a dog because yo really like HIM and hope he can produce well
• Using frozen semen from a dog of the past because it will help you sell puppies
• Using a dog because it just “feels” right (don’t discount this one)
• Using a dog because you want to add “pedigree pieces”
• Using a dog because the litter will have a great looking pedigree
• Using a dog because he’s from a bloodline that is very good in areas you want to improve
• Using a dog because he “matches” up with your bitch, being extremely good where she may be faulty, and if he has some minor holes those are areas where your bitch is good
• Using a dog because everyone else is using him
• Using a dog because you want to do something "different"
• Using a dog because you can't think of anyone else

These are just a few of the ways a stud dog  might be selected, but not necessarily things the bitch owner will admit to (or even be conscious of).  It IS fun to sit on the sidelines and see what develops, like watching an experiment.  Did the combination work as well as the breeder hoped, or was the litter as bad as you expected? (Those are not mutually exclusive!)  Maybe the breeder lucked out and got some nice pups or maybe it was a bust.  I've always figured that as long as a breeding produces healthy pups with good dispositions, and the breeder was objective about the pups, then it was a good litter and the breeder may have learned something.

I'm currently following the progress of several breedings that SEEMED as if they should work really well.  I'm not sure which of the above possibilities were used in the decision making, but it will be interesting to see the results.  I can sit back on the sidelines, with no work and no expense and watch the results.   I never get tired of that.  It's just the Breeder in me, I guess.