Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 1

Each time someone rings up to enquire about finding a puppy, I'm taken back to my first dog, Sam. I bought Sam from a mate who had an athletic, keen hunting dog. He decided to mate his girl with a very handsome male whose forebears had found fame in the show ring. I was extremely excited at the prospect of bringing home this beautiful looking puppy and had high hopes of training him to become a perfect hunting dog.

Like many people, I didn't take any time to research the breeding and gain some understanding of what this puppy might turn out to be. If the parents were good enough for my mates, then a puppy from their dogs should be good enough for me. As my knowledge of dogs grew, I realised a mistake had been made in purchasing this puppy. Sam grew up with little desire to retrieve and great looks. He was an average hunting dog and my attempts to train him for field trials frustrated both of us greatly. I was attempting to force something into this dog that his genes would not accept. Before you buy a dog, take your time by asking questions of yourself and the seller.

Ask yourself this question first. Do you want a puppy, a started dog, or a finished dog? If you decide to start with a puppy, plan on having a patient training routine and not rushing into a situation that the pup is not ready for. Starting with a pup takes dedication on your part, but is by far the most rewarding way to go. Some people have a hard time dealing with puppyhood. They look for a started dog to avoid the house training, chewing, and other things pups do to annoy their owners. Taking the started dogs forward in training saves you time but there are risks involved. Then, there are the people who need instant gratification. For these folks, you'll occasionally find a finished dog for sale. Which way do you want to go?

Let's begin with what I believe to be the best approach, acquiring a puppy. Prior to purchasing a puppy, there must be a litter available. The place from which you obtain your puppy can significantly influence the success of the training process. Getting a puppy from a local neighbourhood breeder is convenient but probably not the best method to find a future trained dog. I'm not suggesting you dismiss local litters outright, just to be cautious when doing your research. Look in any newspaper and the classified adverts will be teeming with puppies for sale. Exercise particular caution with these dogs. Most well-bred litters are not advertised because the puppies are usually sold long before they're ready to leave for their new homes. This is how most professional breeders operate and I advise you to commence your research with a professional breeder. The majority of individuals who breed puppies professionally dedicate countless hours to studying pedigrees and invest years into the breed of dog they prefer. For the majority, this is more than a mere pastime; it's a serious enterprise.

I have never seen a litter that was not promoted as having champion bloodlines. What exactly does this mean? To me, it means the litter owner is forced to sell the merits of his litter because the parents may be something less than finished dogs. If you research every pedigree, you will find a titled dog somewhere in the past. It might be seven generations back, but there still is a champion in these bloodlines. When I look for a puppy, the focus is directed towards the parents and grandparents of the litter. Titled dogs in four to five prior generations mean little or nothing when purchasing a dog.

Champion bloodlines come in many forms depending upon which titles the owners wished to pursue. When you look at a pedigree, it's common to see many different letters in front of or behind the registered name. What does all this alphabet soup mean? These letters represent titles given by various groups that test or evaluate dogs in their ability to perform certain skills. Don't get excited simply because the dog has a lot of titles in its background. Ensure those titles are in a field similar to what you want your dog to become. CH is a title awarded to dogs based on their appearance and conformation. It has nothing to do with the dog’s ability to hunt or be trained. I would not recommend you to start training a hunting dog by purchasing a puppy whose pedigree was filled with champion show dogs.

Currently there are several groups that award titles to dogs. For the AKC (American Kennel Club), NFC, NAFC, FC and AFC titles are awarded to field trial dogs that have earned a certain number of points in particular events. Dogs with these titles have proven that they are capable of being trained to a very high level.

Other pedigrees will have titles such as GMHR, MHR, WR, SR, MH, SH, JH or GRCH in front of or behind the registered names. These titles are earned in non-competitive field tests or hunt tests, which emphasise a dog's ability to hunt. Most of this alphabet soup makes the future owner and breeder feel good about what they're doing. In my experience, I have seen many of these titled dogs for which I had little respect. Politics play a big part in the dog world, and quite often dogs do not deserve the titles they receive. So buyer beware, just because there are a lot of letters in front of a dog's name, there is no guarantee that the puppies will become finished dogs that their owners will be proud of.

To be continued in Part 2 of this article series.

Always check your local and state regulations related to dog training and the use of game birds on private and public property.