breeders

[ct]

Can someone help me out here? I have been doing a lot of searching on the internet about dogs. I have found all these different breeders that ALL have "field champ" dogs and they sell the pups for anywhere between 800-1200 dollars. What I'm wondering is, how much better are these pups? I f I'm a very casual hunter and will be using the dog mainly as a family pet, do I need to spend 800-1200 dollars for a quality dog? Any opinions will be much appreciated.

[Benny]

I was in the same state of mind back in December of last year.I wanted a yellow lab with a good pedagree, and one with champion lines in it.Every one wanted big bucks for them as well,but I just couldn't bring my self to spend that kind of money .

The vice presedent of my company and I are good friends and have hunted together on a few occasions.He had bought a pup from a breeder out in Wisconsin who is very reputable and had many champion dogs to his credit.
He paid over $1500.00 for the pup, got all the garanties, researched the pedegree and saw all the dogs were OFA certified and were AKC as well.

Two months after he got the pup home they noticed it limping and whining a lot.
The vet dignosed it with hip displasyia.

The breeder was shocked and offered a new pup or money back, but he was going to destroy the pup as soon as he got it back.

Well the vise pres didn't want that so he opted to get the surgery done and now the pup is just fine.It hunts well, finds birds and all that but it still can't go all day like a dog that didn't have problems.

One of the best dogs I hunted with was one my best friend got from the humain society.
It looked pure bread but no one knew for sure.
That dog would cross the river all day long to get the ducks we shot and then fell over on the oposite bank.
He had a good nose, and well tempered.

I personaly think any lab so long as it is mostly pure bread will have the instinct to do what you ask it to do, some may eccel and others might just be a better companion.

You don't get any garanty that the dog will hunt, just that it will be heathy.
I don't doubt there is some truth to having a dog with the best pedagree to get a great dog, but a lesser dog has just as much of a chance to be good as well.
You have to make it what you want by putting time into the dog.

Good luck, Benny

[French Spaniel]

I raise dogs and so you don't think I'm trying to promote my kennel I won't mention its name. I think everyone has heard of people who got a dog from a backyard breeder who was a "one timer." The dog turned out wonderful. I myself had one of my best dogs be a lab with no papers.

I relate a quality breeder to a baseball coach. A baseball coach will bring in a left hand pitcher to pitch to a left hander batter because statistics say they will do better. It doesn't guarantee that he will get the batter out. But stats show that the odds are in their favor.

If you have a good genetic backround in health and hunting you increase your odds statistically that you will get a sound puppy. One in which the odds of are in your favor. It doesn't guarantee he will be a great hunter because a lot of that has to do with the new owner and the early training the pup gets.

You also have to be aware of what you are looking for in a dog. What kind of stock they have been bred from. What is a beautiful working dog in one man's eyes is horror in another. For example: I have friends who have pointing dogs out of big running stock. Their dogs hunt at 100 to 200 yards. That is great for the National Grasslands but not great for the small fields in MN. They are trained well, hold point and don't bust birds. They think it is wonderful. Myself, I would get rid of a dog like that. I want my dogs to hunt much closer.

If you get a dog out of a kennel that produces real bold dogs it might be more than an average hunter/trainer can deal with. That's where it is important to get to know the breeder and he can help pick a dog that fits your personality better. Talk to other people who have purchased dogs from them.

Yes, there is always going to be dogs out there that have no papers, no guarantee and do great. That is the fun part. Good luck!