Dogs in Review - Sept. 2003 

Breeding as Art

Dog Breeding As A Fine Art, by Amy Fernandez, is not a "nuts and bolts" how-to book about producing puppies.  It is instead a book for the true dog fancier, a person who desires to stamp the breed of their choice with a line of outstanding dogs.  Obviously not a task for the faint hearted!

Ms. Fernandez takes us on an intellectual journey from the beginnings of dog breeding totally for function to the present emphasis on form.  She outlines a philosophy that takes the best of both approaches and ends with dogs that represent fine works of art -- but sound and functional as well.  History, genetics and discussions of outstanding dogs and breeders all help to outline her approach to breeding top-quality dogs.

Clearly this is a book for the dedicated breeder and diehard dog fancier who wishes to breed only the best and not for high volume.  Ms. Fernandez's philosophy requires objective soul searching and objective evaluations of dogs and pedigrees, but leads to superb results -- her own kennel of exceptional Chine Crested stand as proof of this!

   Dog Breeding As a Fine Art by Amy Fernandez.  Ltd Editions Media, Inc. 2002. ISBN 0-9722952-0-8

--Deb M. Eldredge, DVM

 In My Opinion
By Peter Belmont, Jr.

"Dog Breeding As A Fine Art"

An inventive breath of fresh air.  A great big surprising treat!  A fascinating and in depth examination of the creative process, whether with paint and brush and canvas or dealing with live genes of dog!  Not a light read for the fluffhead.  I just love this book.  This book as well as the accomplishments of Ms. Fernandez's breeding program are without parallel.

The Write Dog 
Dog Writers Association of America, Inc.

Dog breeding as a Fine Art

Many of us don't think of breeding dogs as an expression of art, but Amy Fernandez does.  In this book, she clarifies why she feels that way.  She's produced enough (over 130) champions to know what she's talking about.  Our own Chris Walkowicz provided a blurb for the book: "here is all the information a serious dog fancier could crave on the history and methodology of dog breeding.  Wish I'd read this before I started breeding."

Fernandez refers to breeders as "breeder-artists," which really makes you think about what a breeder can do.  The woman who published the book, Carol Fensholt, once asked Fernandez "how do you decide which two dogs to breed together?" and the seed for the book was born.  The book has 20 chapters ranging on subjects as intuition, the cause of kennel blindness, the limitation of liner thinking (my personal favorite), inheritance patterns and mutations, and selecting against health disorders.  Whether you're considering breeding, just started, or been doing it for years, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

Must-read

"Dog Breeding as a Fine Art" by Amy Fernandez is a book that all dog lovers should read.  For anyone thinking about breeding dogs, it should be essential.

The author gives breeders thought-provoking points to ponder.  She asks breeders to consider their goals and says that ideal type should be the focal point of a breeding program.  Fernandez tells how to avoid common pitfalls, how to select for type and how to understand genetic principles.

Fernandez has been breeding Chinese cresteds and Xoloitzcuintlis for more than 20 years and Chihuahuas and Italian Greyhounds before that.  Her Razzmatazz kennel has produced more than 100 American Kennel Club Chinese crested champions, so she has a solid background in breeding dogs.  The book, however, is not limited to these breeds.  Fernandez has a vast knowledge of many breeds and inclusion of their history and development throughout the world is what makes this book so fascinating.

Fernandez is also an artist, which makes he sense of observation unusually keen and which was undoubtedly instrumental in developing her own line of dogs.  However, observation goes way beyond beauty.  Fernandez covers structure, temperament and breeding to eliminate serious health problems.

Those who love dogs, but have no intention of breeding, will enjoy the book for the tremendous amount of canine history and will gain a new appreciation of the planning required to produce a well-bred dog.