Breeder and Buyer: By Chris “Bully The Kid” Bennett
Arguments between breeders and their buyers about credit and who did what are odd to me. I constantly see the argument and it’s odd to me. Cassius Clay aka The G.O.A.T was recently brought into such a conversation. Basically that at the end of the day I didn’t produce him so the credit is not mine. It really got me to thinking.
Let me say this Cassius Clay aka The G.O.A.T was produced and created by Jamie Sweet at Blue River. It was her planning, her idea, her vision that brought him to my hands.
She produced and created him
I promoted and made him. We are a team and operate as such. I look at it like this.
Jamie Sweet makes the race cars and I drive them. She makes the fastest cars, but needs the best drivers for the car to reach the peak of their performance. If she had no one to drive them, then they would be fast, but wouldn’t win shit. If I had a lesser car I could still drive, but wouldn’t win as much. As a team though, we are BEASTS and changed the landscape of a breed. That’s not being cocky, that’s the truth.
I feel that this is a relationship between breeder and buyer that creates friendships and makes showing fun.
I am not in competition with her, I am not trying to outdo her, or be larger than her vision, we work together, her success is mine, and mine is hers. It’s a relationship built on conversation and trust. It’s a friendship that makes the show experience, wins and losses that much more fun.
Breeders sell dogs for only a few reasons: they didn’t want the pup, can’t do something with the pup, or to make money.
To get the top quality pup, the pick pup from a good breeder you had better be able to do something the breeder can’t, or in an area the breeder can’t be seen in. Otherwise you get the ones he didn’t want. How are you going to build a team when all you are getting is leftovers. When all you are trying to do is outbreed the very person who put you on?
Why the competition with a person you should respect? Why bypass the person that could be your mentor? It’s a huge problem in my opinion and has a huge effect on the Bully show scene.
The lack of TEAM…. When I started in this world 6-7 years ago, booths were packed with people and dogs. The one man wrecking team was few and far between. The booths were full of groups and breeders and the dogs they bred. Now the booths have 2 people and 8 dogs. The fun in my opinion had a lot to do with the cheers and the sharing of ideas. The breeders relationships with their buyers.
Breeders I’ve purchased dogs from always received a call before the show, and a call afterwards with results. They texted or called all day because they were anxious for results. Now all I see is whose name is on the paperwork, or who did what, and that’s why I think people are in and out in this community in a year if not just a few months.
Is it just me or is it the lack of team, and mentorship that has truly effected the show world and scene? The lack of relationship between breeder and buyer?
