mumsy

I just spent a bit of time looking for some of Jeds posts. I have talked to her on the boxer thread but I don't know her personally. I could tell from all the lovely messages that she is a very highly regarded member of DOL. I have included a quote from one of her topics that has made me feel like I know alot more about her and thought I would share it.

QUOTE

"From time to time the question arises of whether breeders make a profit or not. Who cares? Obviously someone does, or they wouldn't ask. Why? I have no idea. Is it wrong to make a profit? Is it right?

I never respond from a personal point of view. I have no idea whether I make a profit or not. I care for the dogs, spend whatever needs to be spent, and sell the pups for the average price. Sometimes things don't go well, and it costs more than I get back. Sometimes the income from the pups is more than the cost of getting them. That's life.

I don't keep records of income and expenditure. If I wanted to know, I would probably work it out, and I would probably find that over a year I was covering the costs. I don't worry too much about it. The profits are not in the money in the bank.

But there are huge profits, for me, from keeping and breeding dogs.

The profits are in seeing happy, glossy dogs playing in the garden, waggy tails and wide smiles when I come home from work. In constant smiling companionship. The pleasure of grooming them, or stroking them, or playing with them. They don't care what's on TV, they never complain if I am home late, they never fret or sulk if I don't have as much time tonight as I had last night. That confiding little nose pushed under my arm at night, that little body curled at my feet.

The profts are in seeing the little mummies so thrilled with and proud of their babies. Proud, strutting daddy dogs thinking they rule the world. Seeing little pups grow into nice dogs that I can be proud of as a breeder; each one special, unique, never to be repeated, and loved for his own little self for the short time he is here. Seeing gentle adult dogs playing with babies in the garden, running, jumping, chasing - then falling in an untidy heap - instantly asleep.

The profits are in the diversity, yet the similarity in the breed, the profits are in calling one of the 4th generation home bred, and realising I have the wong dog - because my dogs are now a line, and resemble each other.

Those little insensate hairy newborn blobs turning into real dogs, barking, running, playing, going cheerfully off to new homes with never a backward glance, as I wipe away whatever it is that got in my eye.

The profits are in the photos and letters I get back from puppy buyers, sometimes for years, sometimes for the life of the dog. The profits are in sorting out any problems so the dog has a lifetime home.

The profits are in encountering a new problem - veterinary, training, whatever - and finding the solution, and learning more so I can be a better breeder from the experience.

The profits are in studying the bloodllines and the type in my yard, and scheming and plotting and planning how to improve them - and doing more research.

The profits are in good friends, always ready with good advice, or an understanding shoulder. Who else but a breeder would understand the grief that losing a day old pup brings? Or a stillborn? Or an eagerly awaited preganacy which doesn't evenuate. Or losing an oldie - your "regular" friends say "it's only a dog, and an old one at that", but your breeder friends understand you have lost your friend, your easy companion who never needed calling, because she knew where to be when, never needed a hard word, because she understood how things worked as well as you did - the great-grandmother of the pup which is winning for someone; or the grandmother of some little kid's nice pet; they understand you have lost part of your history, and they grieve with you.

The profits are in the ones you keep, the pleausre in training them, in having them, in enjoying them, in seeing them as good canine citizens, growing old in easy companionship, lying by your feet.

The profits are in seeing a beautiful dog - whether mine or not - which fills my eye, and gives me pleasure, just by existimg, and being his own individual, special doggy person.

Those are the profits for me. I don't know whether I make monetary profit or not, and I don't care - as long as there is enough for our needs, I am happy.

If you make some money, why not? You certainly wont keep breeding if you are going bankrupt, and then the puppy farms will be able to sell more pups. And if enough breeders go bankrupt, the gene pool will be so reduced, it will be impossible to buy a healthy registered pup.

and that's a bad thing."

You seem like a wonderful person Jane. Please get better soon.

Good luck for today.

If good wishes count for anything Jed you will be okay.

Not everyone does everything right all the time!

I don't know anything about QLD RSPCA but they were there when they were needed and for that they deserve our respect and thanks.

Also a link from abc

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/05/12/2897443.htm

Our best wishes!!

Will donate now.

Fingers crossed she will recover.

Our deepest sympathy too.

Our boxer makes it to the door all happy until he spots the rain. It is like in the cartoons when their legs spin around so fast they are a big circle. I have to force him out (under an umbrella so it's not too bad!) and put him on the grass. He looks at me like i'm the worst mum in the world. Better that than my carpets!!

Do we have a winner yet? Quite funny reading through all these posts!!

Ditto for our boxer pup. I have to literally push him out the door. Even if I have an umbrella. The problem is I don't want him to think inside is okay?!

i'm confused

oh my god....we are living parallel lives!!!

This is probably a little off topic but my husband told me about a guy who was talking about the worst things your parents ever did to you. The previous night the family had a BBQ and the dog ate the bag the sausages were in. Too late to stop it they just checked the next day to make sure it came out.

Well it was halfway out and the dad asked the boy to hold the dogs head while he pulled the whole thing out.

Well he pulled it out the dogs bum and pulled it straight over his sons head ;) :D

i'm noticing our boxer is cold at night. Anybody have a link to someone who does them?

Okay well our boxer is named Wilson for two reasons...first the tennis was on and we all like the Tom Hanks movie Castaway.

Fitzy our cat was named after Fitzy from Friday Night Games. ( Big brother)

Twinkle our cat was named by our girls.

Hugo our cat because he is a big lump and his litter was named all designer label names.

okay i'm confused...more info please?

that is gorgeous!!

just signed up...haven't shopped yet but I have saved you to my favourites....

I have to say we have recently bought a boxer pup from a breeder that lived only half an hour away from us. Not only was she more than obliging about us visitting the pups, but also sent photo's of them and some of her other dogs. Was happy to answer any questions and has been in contact since we brought him home. We have been more than happy with her.

From the point of view of the purchaser, I am tired of hearing about how so many breeders (both cats and dogs) are busy, tired, overly committed etc etc. When you are paying thousands of dollars for a pup, I don't feel like a photo is asking too much. This is a VERY emotional purchase for most of us. You are not buying a new step ladder, you are adding a family member!! To the purchaser this is not a business.

It is the choice of each individual if you choose to breed and are then busy because you made that choice. So many people are made to feel like they are an inconveniece because they would actually like some info. God forbid you actually want to see what you have just paid a couple of thousand dollars for!!!

There are many wonderful, informative and devoted breeders out there and I commend you. It is a shame there seems to be so many breeders that are happy to sign up a purchase and then treat you like an interuption to their day. Don't advertise if you don't want purchasers to bother you.

This is a great thread. Here is a photo of our girl Tasha (rip). When she was about twelve years old I came down one morning to let her in. She used to sleep outside in the summer. We had a group of people over the night before and her bed was moved under a tree. I woke up to her standing at the door with a baby possum hanging onto her neck. It was not what I was expecting on Sunday morning!!

To make a long story short, it turns out the the mother possum had tried to get back into her possum box but couldn't fit through the hole with the baby on her back and it got knocked off. Tasha's bed was underneath and so baby clung onto Tasha. She must have had it on her for a couple of hours. She didn't try to hurt it but she certainly looked at me like " GET THIS THING OFF ME!!!"

Hope you remember all the love you shared!!

Well it seems our boxer loves anything that makes a noise so 3 mediums for me please. I know we will loose at least one!!!

Don't want to seem stupid, but what are they? In my defense I am quite new to doggie ownership!!!

We have a twelve week old puppy and live in Melbourne. We have not started heartworm treatment yet. What do you recommend and is it necessary to keep on this forever?

For us it has been a great knowledge base. Never had a puppy before and from the info I have gotten on here, we are making great progress already. It has been wonderful to come on, ask a question and within a few minutes, get some advice. Lovely helpful people!!

I really think this has helped us make the right decision regarding breed and has made it a much less stressful process. I feel like we are definitely doing the right thing by our new little man.

My mother in law who is retired walked into a movie theatre one afternoon that only had two other people in it. She walked right up to them and told them they were sitting in her seat......They actually got up to move before she told them she was just joking!!!