Quailty birddogs, breeding or training?

[Gatzby]

I breed dogs for guys who like to hunt. I think you can close your eyes, reach into the whelping box and pick out a hunting dog. I say that because I spend a lot of time finding the right pairing for my pups. Now I also have one owner who had one pup since she was 7 weeks old. he has another pup from the same litter that was returned to me because it was too much dog for the family! I asked him last week how the two of them compare in when hunting together? The one he has had since 7 weeks old and has been training all along is a way better hunting dog he says. The other dog who was not given much training for the first year of it's life struggles to stay on task and has developed bad habits. Both dogs hunt, retrieve, and by themselves you would say are great hunting dogs. But in the end it was the training at an early age that made the difference in those two dogs! So to answer your question I would say breeding has to be there but without training a good pedigree is just paper.

Your last sentence says it all. Buy a good pedigree for insurance then train! That's how you get a great dog.

 

[carptom1]

By my own admission I am a poor trainer. I lack patience, follow through and finish it off with little knowledge. I try to buy the best bred dog I can afford, and put them on as many birds as I can. Wild birds make dogs that hunters want. My labs won't win hunt tests or field trials, but they are sure fun to hunt behind. Ask anyone that has hunted with me. The only credit I can take is exposing him to a few thousand wild roosters, a little obedience, and some half assed training on my part. He really is a lot of fun to hunt behind.