They're ALL Companions!

Someone the other day asked me about prices for puppies and whether there were price differences for a companion dog versus a show dog. I told her I priced my ALL my dogs the same. I could tell you the pros and cons of each scenario in terms of "costs". For example, a show dog has training and showing costs: entry fees, handler fees, travel and hotel fees, etc. But who exactly gets the benefit of a dog being a "show dog"? I've never met a dog that gave a hoot about the ribbons or the CH title.
A breeding dog may have a full AKC registration but also has increased potential of getting a uterine infection, prostate cancer, breast cancer, reproductive disease, C-sections, or even loss of life during whelping. Dog breeding, like horse breeding or similar activities, is fraught with high cost and risk of loss. Yes, a companion dog has to be neutered or spayed, and gets different colored registration papers, but, again, does the dog care? And, except for breeding and showing, these dogs can participate in all the other activities of any other dog. We can go on and on.

The thing that struck me most profoundly was that no matter what their "early career" may be, showing, breeding, companion, performance, search & rescue, or whatever, eventually ALL our dogs become companions. They may take on new careers as they get older such as therapy or baby-sitter or just be fireside, trailside or couch companions. But they all eventually become our companions and friends.
I also remembered something the breeder of my "Kate" told me the day I was blessed to get "Kate". She said that her goal as a breeder was to breed the best companion dog possible. If some were show quality or breeding quality, that was a plus. I had forgotten her words until the other day. Her thinking was so enlightened.

The answer to that person's question is that it really makes no sense to differentiate dogs as show versus companion. We are all breeding companion dogs, or we should be. While their early careers may be varied, all their latter years are spent as devoted companions to us, as we should be devoted to them. What they did or accomplished in their younger years becomes but a memory for us. What they give us as our companions goes way beyond and is much more valuable than any price.