".....But I don't want a Show Dog, just a pet....."

I hear this all the time.

I hear it when people email me looking for a puppy, almost ashamed because they want a Keeshond to love, but they don't want to commit to showing.

I hear it over the phone when people ask me if I even sell pets or just show dogs.

My AI site analytics tell me that I could be more approachable to the pet market and would score higher on Google if I took the focus of my website away from show achievements.

Well, I am sorry, but I am not gonna do that, and I'll get to that later.

So here is why someone looking for a pet should actually want to buy from someone who shows their dogs.

First, let's get one thing straight.

You do not have to show your dog.

You don't have to learn how to stack it, gait it, groom it for the ring, or spend your weekends in a show building. You don't have to know what a championship title means, and you certainly don't have to care whether your puppy ever wins a single ribbon....I don't!

I am not going to be offended if you want your puppy to spend its weekends hiking, playing with the kids, sleeping on your sofa, or stealing your side of the bed.

And if you want a Keeshond simply because you love the breed, its personality, its ridiculous expressions, its glorious coat, and the way it becomes part of your family, then we are on the same page.

Here's where I think there is a misunderstanding.

When I talk about show dogs, I am not talking about a different category of dog that exists separately from the dogs people keep as companions.

I am talking about the same breed. The same temperament, the same breed characteristics, the same structure, and the same standards that define what a Keeshond is supposed to be.

PURE BRED ≠ WELL BRED.

A pet owner deserves a quality, thoughtfully-bred representation of the breed just as much as a show puppy owner.

A show dog is still a dog.

Somewhere along the way, the phrase "show dog" has acquired a reputation for meaning something expensive, precious, high-maintenance, or somehow unsuitable for ordinary life.

Perhaps people imagine a dog that spends its life being groomed, posed, and paraded around a ring, with an owner who cares more about a judge's opinion than whether the dog is happy.

I'm sure those people exist, but that isn't what responsible breeding should be about.

As Pat Trotter (AKC Dog Show Judge) said it best....“Every pet may not be a show dog, but be assured, every show dog is a pet.”

A show dog should still be able to live in a home, enjoy a walk, play with other dogs, and curl up with its family. It should have a sound temperament and be physically capable of doing the things an ordinary dog needs to do.

The same things that make a dog a good show prospect can matter to a pet owner, too.

Correct structure isn't just about looking pretty in a ring. Temperament isn't just about getting through an examination by a judge. Breed type isn't just about winning a ribbon.

These are parts of preserving the breed we love.

What exactly are you buying from a breeder who shows?

When you buy a puppy, you aren't just buying the eight-week-old bundle of fluff sitting in front of you. You are buying the results of generations of breeding decisions.

You are buying the thought that went into choosing the parents, the knowledge of the breed behind those decisions, and the breeder's understanding of what they are trying to produce.

A breeder who is actively involved in the breed has opportunities to evaluate their dogs against a written breed standard and alongside dogs from other breeding programs. They can see where their dogs excel, where they fall short, and what they need to improve in the next generation.

That doesn't make every show breeder a good breeder, and it certainly doesn't mean every breeder who doesn't show is doing something wrong. A ribbon is not a health certificate, and a championship title is not a guarantee of a perfect dog.

Showing, however, can be one useful part of a much bigger picture: evaluating the dogs we breed and making informed decisions about the future of the breed.

Those decisions affect the puppies that go to pet homes just as much as the puppies that go to show homes.

No, your puppy doesn't have to be a show prospect.

Not every puppy in a litter is destined for the show ring. Even when both parents have impressive credentials, puppies will differ in structure, movement, coat, expression, and all the other details that matter when you are evaluating a dog against the breed standard.

Some puppies may be particularly promising in the ring. Others may be perfectly wonderful examples of the breed but have a characteristic that makes them less competitive in the show world.

And sometimes the decision has nothing to do with conformation at all. A puppy's temperament, energy level, or suitability for a particular home may make one puppy a better match than another.

My goal is to breed healthy, sound, well-tempered dogs and to place them in homes where they can thrive. The show ring is one way I evaluate my breeding program; it is not the purpose of every puppy's life.

Why I am not going to hide the show side of my website.

This brings me back to my website analytics.

Apparently, I could make my website more appealing to pet buyers by putting less emphasis on show achievements.

I understand the logic. Someone who has never set foot in a dog show might see a page full of titles and awards and think, "This breeder isn't interested in people like me."

However, removing that information would be doing prospective owners a disservice.

My show results are part of my dogs' history. They document evaluation, accomplishments, the work I have put into my breeding program, and the hard work and accomplishments of the breeders before me.

They also celebrate the achievements of the people that DID choose to purchase a show puppy from me, and compete with that puppy, and I am so proud of that!

(Also, it's my expensive hobby and social life, so there's that too)

I am not going to pretend that showing doesn't matter to me just because it might make my website look more approachable to someone who isn't interested in it; instead, I would rather explain why it matters, what it does and doesn't tell you about my dogs, and why you don't have to share my interest in showing to appreciate the work behind a litter.

What should a pet buyer actually be looking for?

Ask about health testing; a good breeder show be able to provide at the minimum a CHIC# for their dogs. Ask about temperament. Ask how the puppies are raised, what experiences they have before they leave, and what support the breeder offers after they go home.

Ask how the breeder makes decisions about pairings and what they are trying to improve in their lines. Ask what they know about the health and longevity of the dogs behind your puppy.

Pay attention to how the breeder talks about their dogs! Are they interested in the individual dogs, or only in their achievements? Can they talk honestly about faults and challenges as well as successes?

Those things matter far more to your experience as a dog owner than whether your puppy's parents have three titles or thirteen.

A responsible breeder should welcome questions from a pet buyer just as readily as questions from someone hoping to enter the show ring.

You are buying a companion. I am breeding a Keeshond.

Those two things are not mutually exclusive.

You want a dog who will be your companion for the next decade or more. I want to produce Keeshonden that are healthy, sound, recognizable representatives of their breed, and equipped with the temperament to live happily in their homes.

Our priorities aren't in conflict!

You don't have to care about showing. You don't have to admire my dogs' pedigrees. You don't have to share my enthusiasm for the breed standard or understand why I get excited about a particular dog's movement.

.....But I hope you can appreciate that the work behind your puppy matters!

While you may be looking for a pet, I am not simply producing pets. I am preserving and improving a breed I love, one generation at a time.

And the puppy you bring home is part of that work, whether it ever sees a show ring or not.

Please, when you contact me, don't feel you need to explain or apologize for wanting a pet.

Tell me about the home you can offer, the life you want to share with your dog, and what you love about Keeshonds.

I care about putting my puppies in GOOD homes, not SHOW homes (...although...both can be true!)

You don't need to want a show dog.

You just need to want a Keeshond.

Please enjoy this beautiful example of a well bred Peregrine keeshond (Dillon) that wins big ribbons but also is very spoiled, sleeps on the bed, chases squirrels and digs big holes

This is Houdini. Houdini is Dillons littermate and not a show dog, but he is his humans best friend. Houdini is also loved and spoiled, (and probably also digs big holes). Both dogs were bred here at Peregrine, both had the same thought and care go into the breeding and raising the litter, both owners get to enjoy the work behind that approach and a well bred keeshond!