Having a mentor

Many people refuse to have a mentor just like many 18 year olds refuse to hear thier parents advice. They must screw it all up themselves in order to learn.I choose to have a mentor not because I can't stand on my own 2 feet (after all, I have been helping othe people with thier breeding programs)but because I subscribe to the belief that 90% of the worlds most successful people had or have mentors.They will be the 1st to tell you this. To me, having a close friend or confidant who is further down the path than I am is invaluable.
HAVING A MENTOR GIVES YOU AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE:

1.You have direct access to the thoughts and practices that got them where they are
2.You can become personally familiar with the line of dogs that is probably your foundation
3.Your mentor will pass down thier knowledge and experience
4. You will have a successful person who knows where youre headed because they have been there and done that!
5.You will be taught things that you could only learn from loss of time, wasted money, and heartache.

DO NOT SELECT A MENTOR WHO...

1.Is not aware of the common health problems in the breed.
2.Has not done what you want to do, bred the dogs you want to breed, & does not know what you want to know
3.Does not test thier own breeding stock against health, temperament, and genetic traits
4.Lies about pedigree's