Photo by Malachi Brooks on Unsplash
The old adage “ The Only Thing Constant in Life is Change ” holds true .
A lot has been going on in the Nation with the 2024 election , inauguration of President Trump , the devastation in the southeast with hurricane Helene and flooding in North Carolina .
The wildfires in Southern California are particularly close to my heart as I started my married life in Long Beach , California and was associated with the Golden State Pit Bull Terrier Club with my husband , Joe Burford , until our move to Utah in 1986 . I still have many friends and family members in California that , so far , have been spared from the fire ’ s rampage .
In listening to news stories and podcasts concerning these events , I recently had the pleasure to hear Tony Robbins speak about the unexpected opportunities that a crisis presents … a so called ‘ silver lining ’ when one is faced with a devastating circumstance . He stated that a crisis :
# 1 : Gives one the opportunity to assess your individual strength .
# 2 : Gives one the knowledge to know who your friends really are . Not your facebook friends , but those people in your life that actually show-up .
# 3 : Provides the opportunity to build unity within a family , club , community and / or neighborhood .
For the APBT fanciers that have been affected by these tragic events , you have our attention and prayers . We would like to hear your stories .
Bias , Distortions and Outright Lies
We all have bias because of our life experiences from childhood . I can remember those stories told to me by my father , Ralph Greenwood , and how his opinions became my opinions because of the respect that I had for him and his expertise in the dogs .
To get an understanding of one ’ s bias , it is advised to write them down and to review them from time to time so they can be put in proper perspective .
Distortions are common with breeders and fanciers that are kennel blind about the dogs in their yards or homes . We make excuses for those less than desirable traits because we see them daily and are ‘ in love ’ with our dogs . We tend to think in terms of our animals as being almost human , thinking like a person instead of like a dog . This is where the opinion of a knowledgeable person or judge can assist you with looking at prospective brood stock and giving you their objective opinion .
My husband , Alex , and I were given a beautiful female pup for a wedding present . She was striking ; black with white markings and her name was Bonnie .
Bonnie was body beautiful with a great temperament and pedigree . I loved watching her play in the backyard as her movement was flawless with every part of her body moving in synchrony .
As luck would have it , Bonnie ’ s muzzle was lacking , and her bite was bad . We toyed with the idea of breeding her because she was our ‘ baby ’ and we were a little blind about the significance of her faults . When she was eight months old , we took Bonnie to a show in Nevada and had experienced conformation judges look her over . We listened to their opinions and ended up spaying her before we could be tempted to breed her , regardless of her faults . Bonnie lived a beautiful life as our # 1 housedog until the day that she died and she brought much joy to our lives .
Outright lies can destroy one ’ s success personally , in business , and especially as a breeder .
It has been said that the closer you are to the truth , the more successful you will be . People often will listen to lies but over time the truth will surface , and the business , relationship or individual , will fail .
In the dog game , developing a relationship with trustworthy individuals should be your number one goal . Attending sanctioned events and meeting club members from successful clubs that have been around for a while is a good place to start .
Buying registered dogs from reputable breeders is essential . Trying to develop a breeding program with dogs from bogus pedigrees is like trying to find your way in the dark . Many honest breeders will be willing to mentor and give advice when asked . I will say it again , the closer you are to the truth – the more successful one will become .
Due to readers ’ requests I present the following prepotent breeding dogs :
Mestizo ’ s Mafia
Mafia was bred , whelped and raised by Mestizo Kennel in the Midwest . He was whelped September 2002 in Michigan . Mafia also began his stud career in Michigan where he was bred to select females and produced very well with all of them with great percentages of offspring produced .
He has proven to be a prepotent stud dog by creating his own bloodline leaving a legacy which has made its way throughout the United States , Mexico , Central and South America , and the Caribbean , producing quality offspring
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