Agreed! With my own dogs, and the very limited breeding I have done, I think the most important quality of the dogs/pedigree and future pups is temperament. I want the correct character in the breed, stability (often hard to come by in my favored breeds), and the ability to "think" as opposed to "react"... and an "off button" is good, too. Skitzy behavior is unacceptable to me.
Health is also a huge factor - I do just about every test imaginable on my breeding stock - hips, elbows, patellas, eyes, heart, thyroid, DM - and making sure their physical conformation is sound is critical.
One of my concerns is the future of the vlcak in the United States. As Marcy co-owns Luna, I am more than happy to have her make the breeding decisions. Right now I have not decided on exactly what I am looking for when it comes to vlcaks... do I retain the European character that accepts less social behavior which might lead to shyness? Or do I select for more bold personalities to "Americanize" the breed a little as so many of them are likely to end up as family companions? Certainly, as in my other breeds, confidence and stability are critical to me - I want my dogs to be known for solid, sound temperaments, and it remains to be seen how challenging developing those characteristics will be given our limited gene pool...
|