| FROM NOVICE TO EXPERT |
| FROM NOVICE TO EXPERT |
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| We all start out as novices, in whatever field we choose to participate in, and there is no disgrace in being a novice. How and what we choose to learn determines to what level of "expert" we achieve and how fast we achieve it. Some people quickly find that they do not have the determination that it takes to "pay their dues" and to learn the lessons they have learned and they quickly drop out of the picture. Then there are those that spend countless years making the same mistakes over and over, never progressing past the novice stage. And lastly, there are those individuals whose knowledge and understanding of sport is awe inspiring, and can be called a true expert in the dogs. Most fanciers in the beginning, start by being attracted to one dog. That certain dog with the right look, the determined attitude, the awe-inspiring performance that compels you to find out more about the breed. I remember, my father, Ralph Greenwood, in those early years with the APBT. His main interest was as a conditioner and handler. He said many times that good dogs can be found in every bloodline, and it was his interest to find the best ones, whether they were in his yard or the yard of friends and bring them to compete at the proper weight and in the best condition possible. He didn't spend too much energy worrying about the dog's pedigree, or if the dog was the product of line breeding, inbreeding or an out-crossed breeding. He truusted the breeder from whom he got the dog, for the selection of the brood stock, the research into the bloodlines and the careful planning of the breedings. As Ralph moved down the path from Novice to Expert, his understanding of the dog game deepend and his focus broadened. It was in the late 1960's when I remember the focus changing to pedigrees, and what bloodlines our current dogs came from. My brother Hank, in his drafting class at the Junior High School made up blank six generation pedigree forms. Mom and I spent hours writing out six generation pedigrees by hand on all of our dogs and the dogs of our friends. Ralph's interest went further into the individual histories of the dogs in the pedigrees of his dogs and other good dogs that he had the opportunity to see. I remember the letters and phone calls to breeders and the treasured hand written comments scrawled on the pedigrees about a certain sire or dam, ie., "3x winner", "producer of 2 champions", "best 37 lb. male I ever saw", etc.. We soon learned that it was the history behind the dogs that made it so fascinating. Another excellent breeder, who may be called a true EXPERT in the dogs, was Howard Heinzl. During the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's, he produced some of the best APBT's in the western United States. Howard was not only a breeder of the APBT, but he was also interested in thoroughbred racing horses and their breeding. The summer I turned 16, I had the opportunity to spend a few weeks with Howard and his wife at his home in Tempe, Arizona. Every day, when the mid afternoon temperatures would force us inside, we would retreat to his 'study'. It was an air-conditioned back porch, where we would look over different pedigrees. We would look over pedigrees of famous race horses to see what breeding produced this horse or that horse. Howard would tell me that dog in the pedigree that we were studying. He would also tell me about upcoming breedings that he was planning and why the breeding should produce the type of dog he was hoping. He would also laugh at the end of his story to proclaim, "and with all this careful planning, rest assured it is in the lap of the Gods." It was from Howard that I gained respect for a dog's pedigree, as his disdain was evident for anyone suspected of falsifying the breeding of a dog or a horse. One of his famous sayings was, that a man who would falsify a pedigree would "steal the gold coins off of his dead mother's eyes". It is interesting to note that this saying refers to the death ritual in England during the Victorian era. The body of a dead relative was prepared and shrouded and displayed in the parlor of the family home for relatives and friends to visit and mourn. Gold coins were placed on top of the shroud in the eye region, to buy the dead relatives entrance into Heaven. Anyone who would steal the gold coins off of his own mothers eyes, had to be lower than low! Howard understood that breeding dogs is speculative enough, even when you do all of your homework, plan your breeding carefully and select quality brood stock. For a breeder to breed a dog with an unknown pedigree, it would be like going duck hunting blind-folded. I have known of breeders wasting ten years or more breeding a line of dogs, and coming up broke. When I get numerous e-mails and calls from fanciers inquiring "how do I get papers on this wonderful dog of unknown background, so I can breed him" I remind myself that these are NOVICES and in time, with education, rational counseling and experience, they can come to understand the importance of selection of quality dogs with excellent bloodlines, for ones breeding program. Without this criteria, there is no assurance of quality dogs for the future. And when I hear someone proclaiming, "the only thing that pedigree papers are good for is cleaning up puppy poop", I smile and remember the beginning, FROM NOVICE TO EXPERT ! ADBA Gazette Spring 2002 by Amy (Greenwood) Burford, daughter of Ralph Greenwood |
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