A Terrier in one word? PERSONALITY!
They are feisty, tenacious and energetic. Terriers
project the attitude that they're always eager for a spirited argument.
They
make wonderful pets but require an owner who has the determination and patience
to match their dogs character.
Being a Terrier Owner is Not Easy! It
requires a sense of humor, but for the right person, you couldn't ask for a better
companion. The word "terrier' comes from the Latin word
"terra", which means earth.
It was given to these tough little dogs
because they were particularly skilled in tracking small game into the ground.
Because of their alert personality and small size, terriers are very popular. The
Australian Terrier was originally bred toward the end of the nineteenth century
in Australia. Busy newcomers
needed a dog that could share their rugged lives,
one who would help guard their homes and gold mines, who would
control varmints,
and withstand both the hot summers and wet, windy winters. With these qualities,
they also wanted
to add companionship, affection, and loyalty to their comparatively
lonely lives. The Australian Terrier is a tough, mischievous
little dog with the courage of a much larger dog. It has boundless
energy
and is very loyal, showing great affection for its immediate family and its extraordinary
intelligence
makes it a responsive and very protective companion.
It is
an alert, amusing and loveable little dog. Spirited, curious, and self-assured,
it has very keen hearing
and eyesight, so it makes an excellent watchdog.
The training of the Australian Terrier needs to be strict because this self-confident
dog prefers to
follow its own ideas, although they learn very quickly. Own
an Australian Terrier and you will never be bored!
Top
Breeders Genetics Can becoming a successful dog breeder
really be that easy? No. But you have to start with facts and a strong platform
for your breeding program. If this were a textbook, it would lead you through
step-by-step lessons designed to build layer upon layer of knowledge so that you
would really understand the opening sentence. Student or Master, you need only
to read that sentence again, then follow along here. You could
buy dozens of dogs and try all the fancy methods but unless you understand and
apply that maxim, you would surely go back to knitting or whatever creative thing
you enjoyed before you decided to become a dog breeder. You could study genetics
until you were conversant with terms like genotype, phenotype, and homozygous.
You'd be convinced that you knew all there is to know about breeding great dogs.
A lot of good people get only that far but if you have gone on, you find them
boring because they just throw around terms like they understood them.
Hopefully, you caught on to this: while a great male brings
a breeder glory, it is the bitch that sustains a breeding program. The strength
of the sire is the power of the dam. The problem for some is
that the lesson seemed too simple, for others it was too much like work. For those
who rely on statistical data; Bill and I are owner-handlers who don’t “network,”
have no dogs at public stud and keep fewer than four breeding bitches, yet we’ve
had over half of the Akita Hall Of Fame Producers including the #1 and #2 Sires
and Dams. All of our Top Ten Producers broke existing show records and a few set
new records which still stand today. The "power of the dam" has also
enabled us to breed top winners and/or producers in three other breeds so it is
not just a trite saying; we know where the power is and how to use it. You can
do likewise. So what's the secret? Well here it is. In the
sixties, we noticed that most “dominant sires” (Dobermans, Rottweilers,
etc.) produced greater numbers of outstanding bitches than they did sons. My mentor,
Dorothy Gooch of Skyraider Dobermans, planted a seed that grew into a belief.
The more I asked other breeders if these “genetic rules” applied in
their breeds, the more convinced I became that it was indeed the dam of a great
sire who passed on the most important breed characteristics. Taking it a step
further, I observed that a stud was only as good as the bitches he served unless
he was extremely dominant in which case, it was his daughters that would earn
him a reputation as a great sire. Sachmo became the Top Sire of all Working Breeds
having sired only 41 litters in his lifetime. Three decades later, thankfully,
some correctly remember him for the long list of ROM bitches he sired rather than
those 101 AKC Champions in the record books. Now, through scientific
advances of the nineties, aspiring breeders can really understand what “the
strength of the sire” means. Now we may be able to prove much of what top
breeders previously only “knew.”
Most people agree that the bitch
has the greatest influence on a litter. The rationale has always been that it
is she that nourishes and teaches the pups but we now have the technology to prove
why she contributes so much to a breeding program. I’ve
always been fascinated by differences between dog breeders and livestock producers.
The latter have exhaustive data on hardiness, weight, and reproductive ability
(qualities not to be overlooked!) because cattle, pigs, chickens, etc. are an
economic crop. Dairy farmers know how many gallons a heifer will produce at maturity
based more on her mother or grandmother's record than on the herd sire. We who
breed companion animals have had to muddle about without the economic incentives
that spur great scientific advances.
The
Breeder's Genetic X Factor Now from the Thoroughbred
Industry comes news of a genetic revelation. It is believed, and soon to be proven,
that the female passes on intelligence and physical attributes through something
called the “X Factor.” I was surprised to learn that the X chromosome
is actually much larger than the Y (male) chromosome. Perhaps that is why it carries
such a heavy genetic load! The female or X chromosome, is responsible for most
of the highly desirable characteristics for which dog and horse people strive.
If a mare gets the magic double X, she is even more empowered to reliably produce
outstanding progeny, including great sires. What we dog breeders have learned
from each other, geneticists are finally confirming. So knowing
that, how does one reach the pinnacle of success in dogs? There are two roads.
The shortest route is buying and campaigning a great male. The other is buying
a great bitch and using her wisely. It depends on whether one wants instant or
long term gratification. Both goals are equally important, especially when it
takes a sizeable budget to mount a successful campaign. A person may have to choose
which goal is most satisfying because rarely is a person able to do both nowadays.
The sport is healthy because there are dedicated fanciers who present outstanding
breed specimens created by the most talented of breeders. It is a wonderful partnership. With
all the gnashing of teeth about over-population, less is going to have to be more.
If you have discovered that your forte’ is study, nurturing, and creativity,
then put your money and time into a great bitch that comes from a line of great
bitches. She should become a ring star herself before being bred. You will have
to think carefully if she is of a late maturing breed. The question of whether
to breed her first or show her first is always a tough one.
But one thing is as certain as anything ever is when it comes
to genetic formula, if she is from a line of powerful bitches, she’ll surely
give you males that not only win, but with a little luck and planning, they too
can pass on her qualities to your next generation. That is why “The Strength
Of The Sire Is The Power Of The Dam.” He had a powerful dam. by
Barbara J. "BJ" Andrews
Judge Sandra
Goose Allen judged our National Specialty Show in Hampton VA in May 2009, she
gave some important information to Breeders, and I wanted to share this with you.
All
that she says, I have been striving to do since I started in the breed many many
years ago. It is a
nice thing to see when judges have the same view as Breeders.
From
Judge Sandra Goose Allen: *A Breeders job is to preserve the
breed type. Breed type is defined by the standard. A Breeder does
not improve
upon the standard. You can improve your individual dog and line, but the standard
sets the type. * There is only one correct type of Australian
Terrier. It is defined by the standard. Dogs may diverge
to a lesser or greater
degree from the standard and still be recognized as an Australian Terrier. *
To really comprehend the standard, you must study, study, study, study it. Watch
your competition
and read everything that has been written on the subject.
Seek out those who have been in the breed
many years -the lessons they can
teach you are invaluable. * Being objective is difficult -
especially when you love your own dogs; however, you will never breed better
dogs until you can evaluate them objectively, despite your affection for them.
Never inflate the dogs's
quality in your mind just because it's all you have.
Show it, finish it, but don't breed it.
* I urge all Breeders
to hold the best interest of the Australian Terrier paramount in your minds while
striving for breed type. The standard is your bible. It is not the win today,
but what comes out of the
whelping box tomorrow that counts. | 
