What
are Champion Lines? |
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When you see ad's in the Newspaper, or sometimes magazines, you often see
the phrase 'Champion Lines'. What does this mean? Hopefully, this
explanation of what is, and is not considered 'Champion Lines' will help
define what this phrase means, and when a breeder truly has 'Champion
Lines'. Here's a common ad seen in
newspapers all over the USA: AKC
Boxer Pups - AKC Boxer Pups - All too
often, people use the 'AKC' Sales pitch as a sort of 'Stamp of approval'
and sadly, people often believe it. AKC papers DO NOT mean quality!! They
are like the title to a car, they may SAY Cadillac, but it may still be a
lemon! AKC Papers ONLY mean the puppy was born out of two AKC registered
parents. (And in some cases, this can be questionable!) Ready
to go now- Usually means, "They are getting on my nerves, get
them OUT of here!" Many novice, or questionable breeders allow
puppies to go home before 8 weeks of age. This is not the best for the
puppy. Most states have laws stating that pups can NOT be sold prior to 7
weeks of age. Most reputable breeders sell puppies from 8-10 weeks of age. Vet Checked, Shots - Doesn't
mean alot. The last time the vet may have seen these pups is when the
tails and dewclaws were done. The vet saw them, and said, yep, they are
alive, they are dogs! Shots- well... most breeders know you cannot sell a
puppy without its shots, so, its really necessary. Pups without shots
don't sell! Ahh-
Champion Lines - Heres the part needing REAL explanation! Does a
pedigree with one champion in 4 or 5 generations really classify as a
Champion line? No. Does a pedigree with all pet breeding on one side of
the pedigree bred TO a Champion qualify as a Champion line? No. Heres two
sample pedigrees:
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Ch.William VI Polly
(This is the dog with the supposed 'Champion Lines')
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In the above pedigree, there is
ONE Champion, shown in red. While there may be more Champions behind this
one Champion shown, the majority of this pedigree is pet breeding. Heres another common example. |
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Dempsey Bruno VII Becky III Bonnie Buck Lisa Marie Lucy
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This is a common situation. A
Breeder with a Champion male allows him to be bred to a bitch of pet
lines. Sadly this is often done for profit, with no concern for improving
the breed. This is usually where the 'breakdown' in a pedigree happens,
from this generation on, most often, the dogs from these sorts of
breedings will only be bred back into pet lines, and the breeders of these
litters now have what they call "Champion Lines" as a selling
point to these puppies, who often have very little planning behind them,
if any. While half of this pedigree IS Champion lines, the other half IS
enough to make the well-planned breeding behind the sire null and void.
Breedings like these seldom produce quality in future litters, and most
breeders will not breed into such a pedigree. Its important to know the difference between TRUE Champion lines, and what some breeders call Champion lines for the sake of selling puppies. Please read the article "Why are 'Champion Lines' important to me?" to learn about why its necessary to know the difference between 'pet' and 'show' lines, even if you just want a pet! Now, to learn why "Champion Lines" are important to you, Click HERE. |
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