Springfield Pointers wrote: ↑Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:37 pm
There is some value in going back to old sires and blood if you can find the straws - and you are clear about what you want to accomplish. We went back to old stock on pointers with great results and the pups produced gave us exactly what we wanted. Luckily we had access to people who shared our quest for the dogs we wanted and we had committed people driving the research who were able to get right into the nuts and bolts of it all, with unparalleled insight. The results spoke for themselves. I am yet to see better dogs being bred for what we wanted. Anywhere.
Very interesting, what exactly did they pick out, how did they know it would give the exact traits you wanted?
Unfortunately, in the dog game, it's hard to get honest reviews of dogs off most owners, again and again people will big up their dogs... a bloke on Saturday at our first shoot of the season had a nice little black and tan cocker, the dog ran in to shot, didn't hunt within range and when he brought a bird back one of the rib sides was totally caved in... he told me what great pups he throws, and already has over 40 pups to his name
I imagine if he advertised his dog online or similar he tells everyone how great it is ... so how do you know what the dogs of old were really like? Unless you saw them yourself?
I'm not going to sidetrack this thread by trying to answer your questions, but i suggest you read my post again. You'd start with "knowing what you want", then you'd spend some time doing the relevant "research". Then you'd see if results matched what you wanted. And I said the results were what "we" wanted. My response was more about whether it is viable to go back to "dogs of old" - I was sharing my experiences, and in my view I would suggest it is - providing you're not doing it blindly.
EssGrouse wrote: ↑Fri Dec 11, 2015 10:54 pm
Hey up,
Yes that's right I had my Male at the time and he was much better, he has had 2 seconds in the 2 trials he has finished so happy I stuck with him.
The bitch was also docked shorter than I liked too. Small trivial things but an accumulation of things added up to me moving her on.
Bringing back an old thread lol!
What was the breeding lines of the dog you had that was much better?
Has anyone had any luck bringing back the old hard lines or do they still remain a fantasy?
Lloyd the male was Helmsway over Cheweky so more current lines so to speak although both have been around years they were clearly 2 different types of dog.
The bitch was heavy badgeroucrt, being sired by the last Badgerocurt dog at the time and her mother was also by a Badgercourt dog. She was very plain, stiff and a bit of a wooden top and my god was she ugly.
Springfield Pointers wrote: ↑Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:37 pm
There is some value in going back to old sires and blood if you can find the straws - and you are clear about what you want to accomplish. We went back to old stock on pointers with great results and the pups produced gave us exactly what we wanted. Luckily we had access to people who shared our quest for the dogs we wanted and we had committed people driving the research who were able to get right into the nuts and bolts of it all, with unparalleled insight. The results spoke for themselves. I am yet to see better dogs being bred for what we wanted. Anywhere.
I think the hard part is finding straws from any old springers, I know of a couple who have straws that are not on the market but they would never sell to Joe Public as they want to bring them back themselves, and rightly so its their stock.
Although people say the modern day springer is a better all round dog and more manageable I think given half the chance of a straw from FTCh Badgercourt Moss or Druid, youd have a line like no other.
The 1 set of straws that I would have loved to used but sadly in a freak accident these have now been lost.
