I wanted to take the time to create an article about a very amorphous term in the dog, more specifically, breeding community: Proven. The term proven is an interesting word that appears a fair amount when searching through various puppy ads, stud ads, kennel pages etc. It is fairly prolific in use, or at least in thought among breeders. But what does it mean?
As an individual looking to enter into the world of breeding, I believe it is important to be able to answer that question. I preface this by first stating, do not believe there is a right or wrong answer. I do not think my perspective on the question is more correct than another. I do not wish to impose my views on anyone else. However, I would like to have a healthy discussion and dialog around the topic so that individuals can develop their own definition.
Defining the constructs of what proven is in relation to my future breeding program is important to me. I believe working towards proving my dogs informs the actions that I take. I have spent years doing what I think is "right". I have done what others suggest (or imply) in order to a prove a dog. Chasing down titles because that is what is prescribed as the "right" thing to do. And yet at the end of the day I was simply going through the motions. I did not understand why I was doing what I was doing, outside of the fact someone told me it was "right". It was productive and fun in the sense of spending time with my dogs and creating memories I will have forever, but from the perspective of the breeder what was I really doing? I could not answer that question at the time.
I had to take a step back and ask myself what does proven mean to me? Are the steps I'm taking correct for proving a dog? If it is "right" then why? If it is wrong then why? I believe I have reached the answer to my questions, however, admittedly my personal definition of proven is a living, breathing, working definition. My perspective could and should change as I mature, however, right now to me proven is the intersection of accomplishments and production.
Accomplishments are the first part of my definition of proving a dog. To me, there are serveral subcategories that exist; structure and health, trainability, athleticism. Admittedly, some of the lines are blurred, and everything exists on a spectrum, but these categories make it a little more straight forward to explain and discuss. All dogs are created with a purpose, and Siberians are no different. I believe these subcategories support the success of Siberian's proposed purpose. This is where I believe titling dogs are important and hold value. I want to start by saying, the sled dog title is the ultimate way of covering these categories in my opinion, it hits on conformation, trainability, and athleticism, therefore it is of high value for proving a dog to me. I would LOVE to participate in a sled dog race and plan to eventually, however, I live in the south where snow is not seen often. Therefore, I try to find ways to supplement this short coming.
Conformation titles mark the relative success of the structure of a dog. The anatomy of the dog is judged to be correct for the breed's purpose. The reason this is not enough to me, is because the anatomy being correct just means that the dog should be able to perform. Your Siberian should be able to sled. They should be able to travel long distances with light loads. But can they? There is more to proving a dog than it's ability to stand in a ring and move beautifully.
Trainability is an important category that I feel sometimes gets overlooked. How good is your dog at learning? At taking command? At working with a human? At performing in new/uncomfortable settings? At being open to new experiences? A conformation title alone cannot prove the trainability of a dog. This is why I opt to seek other titles that can express trainability. For me, trick dog, dock diving, and eventually, rally are successful ways in showing trainability. There are numerous other titles and events that can express this as well, I simply have chosen the ones me and my dogs enjoy doing.
Athleticism is the last category I find important. Is your dog strong and conditioned? Do they have stamina? Are they the cream of the crop when it comes to performing physical tasks? Trick dog, rally, and conformation titles simply do not answer these questions. In order to prove my dog's athleticism, I looked for events that highlight the physical qualities of my dogs. FastCATs, CATs, and dock diving are all events that test a dogs physique that we actively participate in. Furthermore, I also participate in both recreational and competitive canicross and bikejoring.
Earning titles across various events shows the success of conformation, trainability, and athleticism. It is a lot of hard work, time, and money earning these different accomplishments for dogs, but it is important to me. Yet does having all these titles mean my dog is proven? To me, the answer is no. The accomplishments earned are the "green light" if you will to seek production.
Production is the last and biggest part of the equation for me. The most important question for myself to be able to answer in order to claim my dog is proven: Can your dog produce offspring fit to earn the accolades of value? Does the genetics behind your dog transcend to future generations? Does your dog produce puppies that advance the purpose of the breed? Does your dog have consistent litters? There are plenty of champion dogs who were not good producers. There are plenty of non-champion dogs who are phenomenal producers. Production is inseparable from the concept of proven. What occurs inside the whelping box is how a dog proves themselves. It is the ability to replicate the greatness within their genetics and pedigree that defines a proven dog. The accomplishments of a dog’s puppies are the true signal of a proven dog in my opinion. A dog can hold all the titles in the world, but does not serve the preservation of the breed if it cannot produce quality offspring.
I hope that this article sheds light on my thought process and path of Ivie Huskies. All of these parts that make up a proven dog to me are not held equal, however, they are all considered. To me, a proven dog is the dog that exist somewhere between the intersection of accomplishments and production.
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