# Breeding Article



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Thought that the breeders would like this "old" but I'm told "good " article on breeding. Gail Fisher sent me this article that she remembered from years ago about Lloyd Brackett and the GSD's that he pioneered in the country. I was looking for info ,because my grandfather was one of the first to get a GSD in NorthAmerica, and I've been trying to find out more on this history. My grandfather is long gone, and the only records of this dog were word of mouth.from my mom ,dad and cousins. Boy has this breed changed from the pictures I remember. Also trying to find these pics. as they disappeared over the years. GEEZE
http://www.nylana.org/RRACI/brackett.htm


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Oh yeah, when I read this article ,I realize, that you have to almost be a "rocket scientist" to get into this profession. It certainly shouldn't be for the faint of heart or for those unwilling to learn most of this stuff, BEFORE they "tie" a couple of dogs together.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

Thanks for sharing this.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Great article. If only more breeders followed it. Few do. Not rocket science at all, but if you saw our Schedule C for the dog "business", you wouldn't call it a "profession" either.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Tom King said:


> Great article. If only more breeders followed it. Few do. Not rocket science at all, but if you saw our Schedule C for the dog "business", you wouldn't call it a "profession" either.


LOL Tom, Uncle Sam making it difficult for ya.?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

No, not Uncle Sam. There is just little to no profit in it, so the IRS gets very little. The word "profession" to me, implies that one is making a living, which requires a business to be profitable.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Tom King said:


> No, not Uncle Sam. There is just little to no profit in it, so the IRS gets very little. The word "profession" to me, implies that one is making a living, which requires a business to be profitable.


I think it's time to raise the prices .ound:


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Yeah, I figured a while back that if it was a real business, as in comparing it to other businesses that Pam could do, including less time than she actually puts into the dogs, that we would need to get $5500 per puppy.

Even in the article you posted, Brackett said he almost had to close his kennel, because the hobby was taking too much time away from whatever business he was in.

The only way to make money is the way puppy mills do it, and we have no inclination at all to increase numbers beyond what we are doing now. $2,000 per puppy sounds like a lucrative business, but figure a total of 15 puppies a year, and then take expenses out. An IRS Schedule C is a profit and loss statement for a business. Last year, we showed a profit of $658 on the dog business Schedule C, and we put zero dollars in advertising or professional handlers.

The article was great. I guess the person who posted last week that she was "freaked out" by my statement about linebreeding on our website hadn't read it.

It was written by a breeder who was big in it back in the '30s and '40s. Today we have many benefits from genetic research, health tests, genetic tests, and computers to help calculate it all out, but everything he said still applies, and needs to be understood just as a start.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks Tom for your perspective. It sounds right with what I've heard from responsible breeders. We need more people breeding like you and we hope you don't raise the price that high and take advantage of some of these poor people with MHS. ound:


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## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

Great article!!!


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I am amazed you actually mad a profit one year, Tom. We've been showing our dogs since the '70s and keep track, until it is doomed, and have never made a profit. We all know, I hope, that show breeders do breedings to hopefully better what we have and to showcase it in the breed ring, knowing all the pups likely won't be show dogs. I don't have that many litters, usually one every two or three years so I'll have something to show. The breeding article should open some eyes, but probably most whose eyes aren't open won't read it, sadly.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

It was the first year we "showed" a profit. I didn't claim any deduction for the dog part of the addition on our house. I just thought with all the legislation floating around that it might be a good idea to "show" a profit, so that we might qualify as "professional".


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