Giving away / picking up trained / part trained gundogs

[trekmoor]

I've done it both ways. I "swapped" a young lab bitch for a big bit of weldmesh once. A friend of mines got her and she was his first gundog. She had a long and happy life with him. While with me she had competed in 3 Novice trials and got placed 2nd or 3rd in each of those trials. I decided she would always be a bridesmaid and never be a bride so I swapped her and started with a new lab.

Much more recently I bought Charlie , my cocker, from a man who already owned his sire and his litter sister. He felt he had enough of that bloodline. I got Charlie for £150 at 10 months old but untrained (except for chasing rabbits,) he is now my favourite dog. I got his sire a couple of years later. His sire was 4 years old and had won a Novice trial but could not be trusted not to run in. I was given him as a Xmas present and I still have him, he's a smashing dog and is a real "gentleman" compared to his nutcase son !

Wullie

[beth.james]

I mentioned I took on a 'useless' bitch for puppy prices. But I have also sold 2 part trained dogs too. A lab bitch and a springer dog, both actually ended up going to the same home in North Wales to an ex trialler whose son intends to trial them. I bought the lab as a pup about 6 month younger than my eldest with the probability that I would decide between the two and sell one, the one I now obviously have, was my clear favourite and so decided to sell on the other.

The springer was bought in as I'd always wanted to try my hand at a spaniel and I took a fancy to one from my friend's litter, the intention was always really to bring him on to sell, and he came lovely but I don't have the game availability at the moment to fully bring on a spaniel in my opinion.

Yes when I took them for their viewing and subsequently to be sold it was sad in a way, I'd grown fond of them both and it was strange driving home keep glancing in the back and not seeing them, then you miss their characters in the kennel for the next day or two. But I know they went to a great home and a fab future to someone that couldn't have bought them in from pups.

[craigavonjoe]

Ye know Ollie, I read your comment and could not let it pass. The statement you made is divisive and alienating, and you have purposefully done this with the full intent of starting an arguement and siting back and watch comments fly.
Dogs are property....... And can be bought and sold.
However with our emotional attachment to them it is not always that simple and you know this full well.
Some folk can buy and sell and some keep dogs for life, and the two camps will never agree.
I have more to say on this.... But as I am on my iPhone typing it is not the easiest thing to type on. I will log on in the morning and finish...

[Polmaise]

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13051

.......................
Two years ago I gave away a springer 'Tweed', spoken about many times on here,and featured on many of the video clips. I got her from a shooting friend at 9 months old,He could do nothing with her!..He said "Here, have her", I gave him £1 !!! , Fair exchange is no robbery?!...She was one of the best dogs I ever had. She now enjoy's a happy retirement getting cuddles from a very happy 6 year old,and playing in a 'Wendy House'

[pontbeck]

i hate the thought of dogs being treated like a comodity(spelling?), all animals for that matter!! I know there is many ways to look at this but that is my opinion, if you choose to take a dog it should be till the end, also people should seriously consider the responsability of having one in the first place before hand

I`m sorry but I feel that is totally unrealistic. I`ve been involved with dogs for many years, and yes I would agree that if you have purchased a dog as a pet but if you wish to compete it is impossible to keep each dog for it`s lifetime

Bill

[Polmaise]

i hate the thought of dogs being treated like a comodity(spelling?), all animals for that matter!! I know there is many ways to look at this but that is my opinion, if you choose to take a dog it should be till the end, also people should seriously consider the responsability of having one in the first place before hand

...If that was the case?...You would never have yours!

[Rookie]

My first dog was a free to good home springer, but he was a ruined/wild pet and I didn't so much train him as tame him. He worked away, with a few embarassing moments along the way, for several years. I don't think he really counts in the context of this thread.

I then got given a cocker. She was trained, 2 1/2 yrs old and an absolute cracker but had just had a leg amputated. She worked very well for me and several folk took a very long time to notice that she only had three legs. I'd love to have another one of her. I should have had her cloned.

Currently, there is a £50 labrador in the kennels. She'll never set the heather on fire and took a long time to come on but when she's on good form, she works away steadily enough. She was came here at a year old from a shooting man and his teenage son, more what I'd call "started" than "part-trained". She probably should have gone again as a pet. It was a possibility at one point, but she doesn't belong to me so although I did a lot with her, I didn't have the same attachment to her.

On the reverse side of the coin, I currently have a young springer that someone did tell me to rehome. At the moment, I just can't do it so she's here to stay and I'll make the best job of her that I can. I sort of hope that someday I toughen up a bit because I'd like to be able to train a spaniel to a high enough standard to compete with. I'll probably never get to that stage regardless of what I do but if I keep all the dogs that don't meet the standard I'll be reducing the odds even further.

[coco]

A local trialler near me does the same, he only has 4 dogs at a time as there are only so many hours in a day to give each the time they need. When I was looking for my pup he had just rehomed one that wasn't up to his standard. I would have been tempted if I'd known in time, as it would be better trained than mine is now.

I think that the people who take on these dogs are better prepared than the average family buying a pet. Sounds a win win situation to me.
It's similar in horsey circles, my sister has just sold her horse after bringing him on to a dressage level that she is happy with. She now wants another youngster to do the same. Dogs are relatively easy to look after in old age compared to horses.

[Lloyd90]

Aw nice, I was down that way training last Friday by the estuary, lovely bit of common land there.

In Lanzarote with work? If so, lucky you! Long time to be away though Yea bet you'll have 'different' dogs to come back to How old are they?

Yes its a lovely place , they won't be any different... family had ruined them before I even left ... my Lab will be just coming upto 3 1/2 and the spaniel 2 1/2 this winter.

Hopefully I will have some time before picking up work to get out with them and get back to basics. What training do you do ? Did you say gundog training is your job ?

Might have to pop down for a lesson or so

[Lloyd90]

i hate the thought of dogs being treated like a comodity(spelling?), all animals for that matter!! I know there is many ways to look at this but that is my opinion, if you choose to take a dog it should be till the end, also people should seriously consider the responsability of having one in the first place before hand

Thanks for contributing Ollie, however I feel the view you present is rather selfish. Im not talking about " a dog is for life not just for xmas" scenario's.

If a dog belonging to a field trialler is not upto standards then they have to either get a new dog in and stop with the dog that wont do it or stop trialling until there dog is old and dies and they get a new one , as some dogs just will never have what it takes to be a FTCH. Now when they do this they will need to spend time with the new dog training and exercising and the old dog thats not upto scratch will obviously take a back seat.

Are you seriously telling me that dog should be left in the kennel although given exercise and food to hardly ever be used, can you not see it is a much better life to be passed onto someone who is say a rough shooter, who doesn't need a world class FTCH retriever or spaniel and just needs a reliable dog for themselves. The dog then gets to work all season, may be the only dog and get a loving family and enjoys a much better quality or life and the trialler is happy knowing that even though they raised the dog from a pup that they have gone to a home to enjoy a good life and get worked like they should

I think sometimes people need to consider whats best for the dog and disregard the emotional attachment.