I was sitting down with a dear friend who shares my breed and we got into a discussion of numbers pertaining to breeding dogs. There is a conflict in my mind with establishing a line of dogs bearing my kennel name and the suggested numbers of dogs it takes to do so. One breeder I spoke with said if I bred normal size dogs that a minimum of ten litters a year was needed to establish a kennel name but for dogs who whelp as small of litters as mine fifteen to twenty would be more ideal to produce the number you would need to select a few really nice dogs. This breeder is a well established and well respected breeder of papillons and herself owns a kennel with at least 40 adult dogs. She owns most of her own studs sends her dogs out to campaign with handlers and has a lot of champions that bear her kennel name.
I gotta say I gagged on these numbers a bit. Then I decided I would do a quick non scientific survey of some of the top names in the toy fancy to see how many dogs they owned or listed as being sole owners on their websites. 48, 60ish, 110, 70, 35, 55, and a staggering 147. HOLY CRAP. Only two of these kennels would be even legal in my state due to anti puppymill laws. I have to wonder about temperament selection, quality of life, and how well any breeder could know a dog when they have so many and with the numbers being produced and readily eaten up by people within the fancy the impact of these kinds of operations on the breed as a whole.
Anyway, I guess that's my point of ponder and I wondered what you guys who have experience with successful bloodlines/breeders and breeding dogs think?
I gotta say I gagged on these numbers a bit. Then I decided I would do a quick non scientific survey of some of the top names in the toy fancy to see how many dogs they owned or listed as being sole owners on their websites. 48, 60ish, 110, 70, 35, 55, and a staggering 147. HOLY CRAP. Only two of these kennels would be even legal in my state due to anti puppymill laws. I have to wonder about temperament selection, quality of life, and how well any breeder could know a dog when they have so many and with the numbers being produced and readily eaten up by people within the fancy the impact of these kinds of operations on the breed as a whole.
Anyway, I guess that's my point of ponder and I wondered what you guys who have experience with successful bloodlines/breeders and breeding dogs think?