In light of the 'when to give up' thread, I thought I'd share the seven stages of breeding as a refresher.
The Seven Stages of Breeding
According to Mary Roslin Williams, an English breeder of Labrador Retrievers and a noted authority on breeding, a successful breeder goes through seven stages of learning.
First the Beginner, doing everything wrong, thinking wrong, buying wrong, feeding wrong.
Second the Learner who now realizes that he has started badly and while keeping his initial mistake(s), has now learned better and is doing his best to set out on the right path.
Third, the Novice who has now righted himself and has bought a decent bitch, has bred his first litter or two, is starting to win and is beginning to be known and recognized by other breeders and exhibitors.
Fourth is the Everlasting Novice, probably the happiest category of them all. They are always such nice people, with an equally charming dog, well liked by all. They have no ambition, no opportunity to keep more than the odd dog or two, practically never breed a litter and if they do, use the nearest, handiest dog. They are known by everybody and never get anywhere, being perfectly happy to dabble along just as a pleasant and interesting hobby.
Next we come to the Fifth stage, the Middle-range breeder, by far the largest section of all. This is the average breeder who is definitely "one of us". Recognized as reliable, breeding decent litters, raising puppies properly, with a good eye for a dog and the facilities necessary for good hygiene and care. They go to most of the shows in their area, have a kennel prefix and have a chance at winning or placing at most shows. They are the backbone of any breed and are indispensable because they supply the majority of the average puppies for sale, serve their own area with a decent stud- dog and form the mass of ringsiders. They are in the various breed clubs and support all the activities, trying their very best to be an asset and a credit to their breed.
Sixth, leading on from them is the Good Breeder, rather a rare category because they have realized something the average breeder does not and that is that there is a definite thing called a "Good Dog" and that the decent dog is not quite good enough. Once the middle-range breeder realizes this, he graduates into a better standard of dog and will never again be satisfied with a very slightly mediocre though typical and pleasing dog. He has decided the middle ranges are not for him and has generally raised his ideals.
The good breeder is always ready to learn, and has taken the trouble to, learn, and has taken the trouble to find out most of the more advanced points such as what constitutes a good shoulder or hock and whatever virtues may be found. He has some very nice stock and has learned to use it to the best advantage. The good breeder is trying to improve all the time and will sell a decent dog that the middle- ranger would have kept. The good breeder realizing that either he has a better one or that the good one is not quite good enough. He supplies the middle-rangers with better stock when they themselves wish to raise their standards. The good breeder, in general, has been in their breed for about ten years or more and is generally recognized as such, even by the top breeders.
Lastly we come to the Seventh and last category, the Top Breeder. This is a difficult category to define, although we all know them. There are never too many of them at one time, and they seemingly go on forever, always able to produce a good one, always having a decent one coming on, always with quality finished stuff. Having failings rather than faults. Usually they have been at the top for many years and have established a strain of their own, readily recognizable as being of a distinct and individual type. Very few breeders join their ranks.
