Facts and statistics on why top winning AKC Champions make gorgeous, healthy, outgoing Toy Fox Terriers for family pets.
Every breeder thinks their dogs are the best.
That's why judges were invented.
No one can claim to breed good dogs unless they prove it in the show
ring.
More to the point, only a breeder who has that commitment will have the
knowledge necessary to help you "after the sale" whether you have a show dog
or family pet.
Creating twenty generations of top ranked AKC Winners is only slightly better than winning the Triple Crown. It's been an exciting hobby but that's not why we show and certainly not why we breed dogs.
Before you make decisions that will impact your life for many years, get the facts nobody's talking about.
Fact:
According to AKC statistics,
less than 15% of litters
are bred by people who care about genetic health or whether their dogs look and act
like that breed. Purebred dogs, including Toy Fox Terriers, have
become a profitable
crop, just like chickens or pigs, and are farmed accordingly. Puppy
mills churn them out to be sold online, in pet shops, or by local retailers
posing as the nice family who had a litter to "teach the kids."
I know, you're thinking "how do I tell a caring breeder from the other kind?" Pretty simple really. Just as we're known by the company we keep, breeders become known for the quality of the dogs they display to licensed judges, competitors, and spectators. If they don't show, they don't know. Or maybe they just don't care.
Ch. Hugely Handsome O'BJ was always shown breeder-owner-handled. Even with no advertising, he was defeated only three times in his whole career. Hugely became the #2 Nationally ranked Toy Fox Terrier in less than a year. His last two shows were back-to-back Group II wins before we had to quit showing due to Bill's cancer. Hugely's virtues are generously passed on to his offspring but strong genes can be quickly ruined by careless or commercial breeding. That is why he has never been at public stud and why I'm careful about who his intact sons are sold to.
So what does any of this mean if you just want a family pet? Look at it this way. From fields and farms to the Madison Square Garden shows of today, comparative competition decide which dogs should produce the next generation. The centuries-old tradition is still enjoyed by royalty, super celebrities and ordinary people like me and you. It's not just a "beauty contest" as commercial breeders would have you believe! In nature, it would be survival of the fittest and insuring strong gene pools.
With
less than half a dozen breeding age Toy Fox Terriers our gene pool is tight. Our first mentor,
Dorothy Gooch of Skyraider Dobermans, ingrained in me that bringing a
hundred puppies into the world just to get one winner was unconscionable.
So whether you want a show dog or family pet, it might be good to measure the seller by what Dorothy said when she first took me on as her pupil, "Breeding quality dogs requires a commitment few are willing to make."
A Google search will bring up thousands of Toy Fox Terrier "breeders" pumping out litters. A few well-worded questions may reveal how many breeds, how many dogs they have, whether they show, and if their dogs actually win in the show ring. Commercial breeders put profit and production before quality. I'm not saying that buying from a show breeder is a safe bet but it's a good place to start because facts are facts.
Fact: Shelters and rescue groups are full of commercially bred dogs. Less than 2% of those defective or discarded dogs began life in the hands of a dedicated show breeder.
Fact: Most Toy Fox Terrier breeders, anxious to sell you a "show puppy," neglect to mention that a typical show weekend costs at least $150. For an overnight trip or a handler, you can double that amount. Multiplied by the minimum three shows required to earn the Champion Title, the cost of a puppy that doesn't win can be staggering. Worse yet, a sickly dog can break your bank account and your heart!
Fact: In order to win, a breeder must study health and genetics. Show dogs are assessed by a written Breed Standard that defines personality as well as physical features such as weight and height, body shape, coat length and texture, bone density, good teeth and eyes, and most important, expression! The judge checks all of these qualities. They even counts teeth and testicles!!! If you buy a Toy Fox Terrier puppy, it should not grow up to look like a Rat Terrier, that cringes before other dogs, or barks at light bulbs!
Fact: Showing challenges a dog's immune system and emotional stability. He's continually exposed to disease. Traveling is stressful. Having strangers examine his mouth and private parts is disconcerting to any dog! Children shrieking, crowds cheering, loudspeakers blaring…. if he copes with all of this because his person asks him to, if he struts into the ring and shows his stuff because he's a Toy Fox Terrier (and knows it) he has proven himself fit to reproduce. Unlike a wild stallion, the domestic dog has no natural way to win the right to sire. In a modern world, only the stars of the ultimate canine "Reality Show" should win the right to produce offspring - for someone like you.
Fact:
Expect to have a Toy Fox Terrier for at least fifteen years -
about three times as long as you would keep a car that you would never
buy from an unknown
maker built in a factory with no quality control or inspection...
Hadn't thought of it that way? I know. That's what
commercial breeders count on.
Fact: But there's a Guarantee? An attorney will tell you it's worthless unless they live in the same state and even then, it is only a small claims matter. Misrepresentation is not criminal and not worth the expense of a civil suit. A guarantee is only as good as the person who gives it, meaning someone who has a reputation worth protecting.
One more fact: No one likes to lose. Show Breeders work hard to build a "line" of wonderful Toy Fox Terriers for YOU. Whether you want pet or show quality, be sure your puppy doesn't come from a puppy-producing machine hidden from public view. Now you know why I say "we show our pets!" We call them in from the yard, wash off the North Carolina clay, trim toenails, polish coats and load them in the motor home. Toy Fox Terriers O'BJ are awarded by judges, admired by our competitors, and adored by proud owners. They are carefully planned and presented with pride. And that's a fact!
There's a a lot more on this site designed to help you decide on a dog. Whether for family pet or show dog, you should know more about Health Certifications and what the breed was intended to do, other than be your personal best friend.