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How To Work With Breeder Partners

How To "Partner"
I think this is an important topic because the hardest thing about doing genetics is having the space to work with a viable population... and partnering with others can help.
But having a lot of partners can also seriously compromise the quality of a line, so I will try and write up an idea of how to balance the use of partners in a breeding program.

Firstly, partnering should be done between established relationships, experienced animals people, and not advertised for publicly. Immediately this will be perceived as puppy mill stuff. Work with people who have appropriate facilities, and have the right situation for the lines you are placing with them. Do not take on “sub-breeders”. Inexperienced people do this, thinking they are more experienced than the people they are having breed for them. You cannot gage the quality of a line anywhere but on your own property, long term. Don’t allow anyone to take you on as a sub-breeder unless they have been in the CMDR for at least 5 years. Until then, breeders are not experienced and should be learning their own ropes.

We get calls from new CMD people trying to navigate a partnership with someone they didn't know well, or who was inexperienced. A good portion of the distress calls we receive and have to sort out, are from weakly made partnering agreements. In many cases breeding partnerships are made to mass produce puppies.

Who are you partnering with? How long has the mentor partner been in the breed? Is she an expert? One of the signs of a non-expert, is someone trying to appear like an expert when they don’t have experience in the breed, years of breeding behind them, dogs that go way back in the pedigree.

Mass production of pups is not good breeding. Beyond a point, if a dog doesn't come from your facility and doesn't have your personal training and hugs, you cannot ensure or predict the quality. How you raise a pup is as important as the genetics from the parents.

The lure is a lower priced dog. So here's a good principle for getting into breeding. If you cannot afford to personally own a researched high priced quality breeding dog from established lines, don't get into a partnership. Save up, learn more about the breed, and own your own program. We'll help you. When you have been in it a few years, and grab hold of your line strengths, begin to work other breeders you've met to expand your genetics and to help out with your goals... as an experienced, rather than a novice person.

I hope this is helpful, and that as the years go on, part of your enjoyment of this breed is the great people you meet and partner with.