Men anledning av det nyligen timade besöket av Mr. Ronnie Irving, Chairman of the Kennel Club - samt avelsprinciper som av allt att döma diskuteras i vårt land, finns det anledning att påminna om hans ledare för ett par år sedan i The Kennel Gazette. Tar mig friheten att åter citerar några stycken:

"In some countries there has for many years been greater intervention from breed societies or from the central kennel authority as to the selection of breeding stock. In recent years there has been increasing pressure on kennel clubs from various quarters, to introduce restrictions and to impose rules on all breeders as to what they can and cannot do.

In some countries dogs and bitches cannot be bred from unless a ‘breed committee;’ has authorised both the use of the dogs involved and the particular combination of dog and bitch requested. In other countries, an increasing number these days, compulsion is applied when it comes to health testing and other screening requirements.

It has always been the view of the Kennel Club that these restrictions should be kept to a minimum. The KC’s view is that as much reliable information as possible should be provided to breeders, so that they themselves may make their own decisions – aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the individual dogs concerned. The view is that the many decisions of individual breeders are likely to be more sensible and less dangerous than the alternative – namely the single decision of a committee of breeders.

We are also aware of certain countries where a limit is being set for the maximum number of registered progeny which any particular stud dog is allowed to produce. And in other countries consideration is being given to stipulating mathematical maximum ‘coefficients of in-breeding’ which are to be allowed for any permitted mating. These moves are being made in order to respond to criticism from outsiders that dogs are too ‘in-bred’. Such views are very often expressed by people who understand very little of the aims and objectives of serious dog breeders. In my view, to lay down crude rules of this kind is insulting to the intelligence of most experienced and responsible dog breeders and can only be described as being the complete antithesis of the whole ethos of what good dog breeding should be all about." 

"But for experienced and proven skilful breeders, restrictions on the maximum number of progeny from any one sire and insistence on maximum permitted coefficients of inbreeding are very blunt instruments, They cut right across what we in Britain think is the way to breed animals. It is to be hoped that we in this country never find ourselves having to force established and proven successful breeders to take up that approach to the breeding of pedigree dogs! "

Eller mer komprimerat; KC:s ordförandes ord vid SKK:s generella domarkonferens om den tradition som skapat våra hundraser: ”Breeding dogs, like judging, is an art – not a science. The art should be supported by science, not dominated by it.”

  Kylan är brutal! Tänk att det kan göra så ont i kroppen efter dygn på tandskallringsnivå... Man kunde tro att botten är nådd; jävligare än så här kunde inte den här vintern bli. Det kunde den. 22 minus i morse, Yours Truly sitter och väntar på att den bleka kalla vintersolen ska sega sig upp och skänka liten temperaturhöjning. 

Hundarna vill inte gå ut... Det vill inte jag heller! Men ut måste man, väl påpälsad, har t.o.m vantar på händerna vilket brukar undvikas på grund av risk för fummel. Stalldörren fastfrusen, tog fem minuter att öppna. Mina modiga små hästar trippade ut på lätta och numera nyverkade hovar.

Tur att man slipper köra bil idag, det vore som att röra om i en degbunke - segt... Men det finns att göra hemma! Bottenfruset i pavan med flytande tvättmedel som står i toalettrumsfönstret! Det har aldrig hänt tidigare. Undrans på att toalettsitsen drabbar en eventuell bakdel som en iskall chock! Ja... ursäkta interiör av hm... mer fundamental beskaffenhet...

Massor av jobb med tillsyn av frusna ledningar, att bre ut vetbeddar och mattor, på det att hundar (och människor) törs nudda golvet. Det är 15 + inne - på det varmaste stället... För ö är Yours Truly ett pervo som faktiskt gillar att tampas med elementens raseri - ett friskt och sunt göra, elda i spisen, att se till att alla får mat och värme och har det så bra som möjligt. Ligger förmodligen i generna.