Taking Responsibility

The price of greatness is responsibility. - Winston Churchill
In any free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty -- all are responsible. - Abraham Heschel
The game is my life. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace. - Michael Jordan
If you take responsibility for yourself, you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams. - Les Brown

    I've been thinking a lot about responsibility lately, partly because of the strange things happening in the Havanese world (maybe a rant for a different day) and partly because a couple of people suggested to me recently that I haven't been open enough. Someone years ago told me never to bother to defend myself against accusations, because the people who want to tear you down won't listen and the people who love you don't need it. I don't agree with that 100%, though, especially when you're throwing your opinions around like they matter. You're just bound to get some criticism and should be ready to stand up for yourself. Or come clean, as the case may be.

    Although it wasn't my original intent, this blog seems to have made me something of a public figure, which means that some slings and arrows are going to be hurled my way. I receive probably 25-50 e-mails every time I post a new rant, and most are just warm and wonderful or question different things I say. Once in awhile I get one along the lines of "Who do you think you are? You aren't perfect!" which makes me shake me head and go...boy, do I know it. If I was able to accomplish half the things I wanted to but never will because of sloth, lack of direction, failure of faith, not following through, being too easily distracted, just not being capable and my horrid propensity to become involved in various activities that take me away from my goals -- gee, I'd really be something. But I'm not. I'm just another human being, slogging along, trying to figure things out and do the best I can. One of the weak and botched, I guess.

    The recent notes from people seem to be aimed at my breeding dogs without clearances. This is a real shocker to me, as I take the issue of clearances more seriously than most and was doing elbow x-rays long before they were "required" by the GRCA Code of Ethics. If you don't really know me, however, you don't know that, and I can imagine that people looking at my recent puppies on k9data are thinking I no longer care. So it's time to fess up and also explain what happened. Time to take responsibility. :)

    I've had three accidental breedings during my time in dogs. That doesn't sound too terrible considering my first litter was born about 20 years ago, except that two of them happened last year, with a male dog that does not have his final clearances.

    The first one was with Pearl, and how I missed her coming into season I'll never know. What I do know is that by the time I noticed she was in and separated her from the boy, it was too late. I ran out and got his heart and eye clearances and preliminary hip and elbow evaluations (she already has her clearances), but it shouldn't have happened.

    The other one was even worse, as it happened with a girl who is ALSO under two and had no final clearances. That one really was a true accident, as these horrid winds blew down a gate that separated two of my dog yards, allowing the boy to get to her before I knew it happened. Nevertheless, it was an accidental breeding I did not plan on, and at the end of the day I am responsible for it.

    In both these cases, I seriously debated aborting the litters. Thing is, that's just contrary to everything I believe in. Although calling the breeders of the two girls in question to tell them what happened was just about the hardest thing I ever had to do, they were wonderful and understanding. Considering two such breedings happened in such rapid succession, they had every right to question my actions and intentions. Yet in both instances I received support and understanding. So don't go telling me there aren't wonderful people "in dogs."

    I recently learned that there is new research linking the "morning after" injections with certain types of cancer, which makes me even more sure that allowing the puppies to be born was the right call. Both of these girls had lovely puppies that I take complete responsibility for, but they were also screw-ups on my part. I'm not proud of them, but I'm not hiding in the corner ashamed, either. It happened. Now I just have to become doubly sure that it doesn't happen again.

    So for those of you who frequent www.k9data.com and are criticizing  me for these two litters -- yep, you caught me. Even though it wasn't intentional, it was me making mistakes. On the upside, I never lied to any of the people who took those puppies home, and I'm giving the same guarantees I do with any puppy. A couple of the puppies are even in show homes, but those people understand what happened and are anxiously waiting to see if all the dogs in question get their clearances (as am I -- going in a couple of weeks...gulp).

    Did I mess up? Yes. Was I unethical? I guess that's for each individual to decide. I'm satisfied that I acted in the best interest of the dogs. And that's really where my responsibility counts the most.

Deborah Blair-Muzzin
ABELARD
 

Addendum: My own ability to understand human error was recently called on when I learned that an underage girl of my breeding had been accidentally bred to an underage boy. My first reaction was anger; then I was sad. Finally I realized that this stuff happens when you live with multiple dogs, and a weakness in a kennel run was found and exploited by a young dog. What can you do? Because of a number of personal factors, I am now bringing this girl to my house to whelp, raise and place her puppies. NO, I don't think this is the way to do it or desirable. YES, everyone involved is very upset about it. But we are all going to support each other the best we know how and do what's best for the girl and her babies. I think in the long run it will all turn out just fine. :) It always does.