TWENTY BREEDING PRINCIPLES:

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By: Raymond Oppenhiemer, Bull Terrier Breeder

Published in his book: "McGuffin and Co."

 

1. Don't make use of indiscriminate out crosses. A judicious out cross can be of great value;

an injudicious one can produce an aggregation of every imaginable fault in the breed.

 

2. Don't linebreed just for the sake of linebreeding. Linebreeding with complementary types can bring

great rewards; with unsuitable ones it will lead to immediate disaster.

 

3. Don't take advice from people who have always been unsuccessful breeders. If their opinions were

worth having they would have proved it by their successes.

 

4. Don't believe the popular cliché about the brother or sister of the great champion being

just as good to breed from. For every one that is, hundreds are not. It depends on the animal concerned.

 

5. Don't credit your own dogs with virtues they don't possess.

Self deceit is a stepping stone to failure.

 

6. Don't breed from mediocritizes. THE ABSENCE OF A FAULT DOES NOT IN

ANY WAY SIGNIFY THE PRESENCE OF ITS CORRESPONDING VIRTUE.

 

7. Don't try to linebreed to two dogs at the same time; you will end by linebreeding to neither.

 

8. Don't assess the worth of a stud dog by his inferior progeny. All stud dogs sire rubbish at

times. NOT ALL ARE CAPABLE OF SIRING GREATNESS. What matters is how good their BEST efforts are.

 

9. Don't allow personal feelings to influence your choice of a stud dog. The right

dog for your bitch is the right dog, whomever owns it.

 

10. Don't allow admiration of a stud dog to blind you to his faults.

If you do you will soon be the victim of autointoxication.

 

11. Don't breed together animals which share the same fault.

You are asking for trouble if you do.

 

12. Don't forget that it is the whole dog that counts. If you forget one

virtue while searching for another you will pay for it.

 

13. Don't search for the perfect dog as a mate for your bitch. The perfect

dog (or bitch) doesn't exist, never has and never will!

 

14. Don't be frightened of breeding from animals that have obvious faults so long as they

have COMPENSATING VIRTUES. A LACK OF VIRTUE IS BY FAR THE GREATEST FAULT OF ALL.

 

15. Don't breed together non-complementary types. An ability to recognize type at a glance

is a breeder's greatest gift. Ask the successful breeders to explain this subject-there is no other way of learning.

 

16. Don't forget the necessity to preserve head quality. It will vanish like a dream if you do.

 

17. Don't forget that substance plus quality should be one of your aims. Any fool can breed one without the other!

 

18. Don't forget that a great head plus soundness should be another of your aims. Many people can never breed either!

 

19. Don't ever try to decry a great dog of any breed A THING OF BEAUTY IS NOT ONLY A JOY FOREVER

BUT A GREAT DOG OF ANY BREED SHOULD BE A SOURCE OF AESTHETIC PRIDE AND PLEASURE TO ALL TRUE LOVERS OF DOGS.

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20. Don't be satisfied with anything but the best. The second best is never good enough.