Picking a Pup

[e49735]

I have recently joined the forum, and have received some great responses to my questions....thanks all
new topic...
in picking a pup at 8 weeks, are there traits evident that indicate potential at this early of an age?
Spaniel mix....Mom springer, dad American Brittany...

thanks for your thoughts and experiences....this will be my last pup(I'm 72) for upland bird hunting...bobwhites, woodcock, pheasant, grouse.
I'm relatively confident in my abilities to help her develop into a great companion hunter...but curious about the predictibility of natural attributes observed at this young age....i.e. prey drive....biddability...retrieve...point of flush, etc.
thanks,
Terry

[e49735]

correction,....pointer or flusher tendencies

[CockerCanuck]

Never had experience with a pointer/flusher cross so not sure I have much to offer. I really like to see natural retrieving desire. The way I train everything starts with retrieving and if the dog does what is expected it gets the retrieve. This has worked well for me with spaniels and retrievers of three breeds. But I know there are very successful pounding dogs out there with little retrieving desire which are obviously trained differently.

[munstyman]

American Brittany - `At 72 this maybe my last dog' Well it might well put you in an early grave or might give you a taste of heaven while your still drawing breath There is that ghost sitting on a log puffing a cigar with a big grin on his face and a twinkle of evil in his eye again.
You will probably find the Brittany more independent than your setter in nature, although what I see of how you work your dogs that side of the pond, you are probably use to that. How much the Springer will change that is any ones guess, but my money would be on the gene line of the Brittany.
Ideally, I think you would be looking to get a wider ranging Spaniel that can get out and `control the birds' at those distances by pointing so you can get close for more shots. But not at the more extensive ranges of the setter. If it works, and you have the enhanced Spaniel retrieving ability to finish the job. You could be onto a winner. On the other hand if you get a hard independent hunting machine that self hunts and flushes everything it finds for itself at those increased distances, well you've got your hole in the ground already dug and measured
There is a lot of `how to pick a pup' out on the web, including various natural ability `testing' ( retrieving articles, curiosity , confidence, feather pointing etc ) But if you've had a lot of dogs, sitting and just watching them interact with litter mates and out in the run, and then going with your gut. will give you just as much insight into your future hunting companion as any pre-arranged test ime
If you trust the breeder, they will have a more balanced idea of the `character' of all the pups as they've seen them develope over time, which might be different on the day of viewing. If your honest about what you are looking for, and what your abilities are as a trainer, they should match you up with a short list at least if not the best contender.
I would reiterate what i said in the other thread about the sit/stop, it starts as soon as you get the pup home, and as an emphasis with those Brittany genes, it is not about making it sit but getting the pup to want to do it. HPR breeds tend to be team players not subordinates.

[e49735]

so here are the girls....12 year old setter and 3 year old Terrier (recently learned she is Dandie Dinmont, totally or mostly)

I really don't want to disrupt the family dynamic at this point , and want to maximize time with setter in her next couple seasons...
I tease my wife that the terrier could be a great hunter, if I spent time training her better (very smart)...but terrier gets more excited on fur, I have witnessed thus far

[Cass]

Most likely you'll end up with a flushing spaniel that likes to push boundaries. Sounds like my kinda dog lol. It's a crap shoot at 8 weeks... pick the cutest one.

[e49735]

I have decided to wait.
It's been a back and forth, decision making process....but I will assess my setter this season (october-february), and see how she/I hold up.