The science/art of breeding.
Jakezilla, you make some great points. You would be describing me to-a-tee 25 years ago! Hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut now-and-again, but the downside of breeding is that even the best ,most, knowledgeable, studied, breeders can't make guarantees. That's when I realized that I could best serve my customers by aligning myself with the best sources of the various breeds where I could actually "see what you get" - with some element of consistency.
My strength is in being able to see what I think will develop into a decent specimen however a breeder I am not.
You would think that after all these years I might be equipped to do so. That isn't how it works. It is a studied unique science that requires a huge dedicated investment in $$$$$$ and time. There is also an element of breeding ala-Whele, that many folk would find unpalatable, yet who can argue the results?
I recognize my strengths and will continue to develop them to my best ability. Breeding is not one of them. I wish more folk would leave it to the experienced/capable. We don't need MORE dogs. We need good/better dogs.