Gundog Training Forum

Alice wrote:

EssGrouse wrote:It seems the Kc need to update their records.

Irish FTChs never show up as FTChs on MyKC.

Every day is a school day, cheers Alice

EssGrouse wrote:

Alice wrote:

EssGrouse wrote:It seems the Kc need to update their records.

Irish FTChs never show up as FTChs on MyKC.

Every day is a school day, cheers Alice

no probs I always do a bit of judicious googling on a dog I think 'hang on, I'm sure that was a FTCh' when it's not listed on there... 9 times out of 10 it was an Irish FTCh (the 10th time I'm just wrong... )

vicky payne wrote:

scot-ish wrote:

vicky payne wrote:For me it doesn't!

vicky payne wrote:Thanks for those, good to know there is some choice out there. A few I wouldn't use for one reason or another but some to look out for too. Not that I'm looking for an outside stud just yet! Ru's first litter will almost certainly be with my black and white dog....it's just good to know there will be options out there a generation or two beyond. I particularly like the look of Will Clulees' boys and the Edgegrove dogs.....now, if they could just do a health test or two

so maybe you are also looking for a champion dog to use, even though you said that factor doesn't matter not ?

#controversy

Not a controversy at all. I will probably breed my bitch to one of my dogs as I know them inside out. If there is a resulting bitch that I keep and is good enough I will need to go outside my tiny pool of dogs. If I can't know the dog personally I have to go on trial results but I'm not 'breed to a ftch' obsessed like some people. It may be that there is a local dog who takes my eye, it may be a trialler, it may not. I am just seeing what is out there as I believe good breeding is like a chess game...you must be planning your future moves. I have seen in other breeds (showdogs) everyone use a popular sire to up their chance of a showring win then find they have nothing to breed their superstar to as everyone else had the same idea...I was a bit worried the gundog world may be doing the same!

I think my bit of a rant on the First Time Breeder Thread should perhaps have been on this thread, it seems Vicky and I share exactly the same philosophy on breeding, it makes some of my shooting friends laugh that I am always thinking about the next dog but I think they are a bit shortsighted. My dog trainer friends do exactly the same as me, always watching any dog they have the chance to see work with interest and making a note of the breeding. As Vicky says, the person who knows a dog best is the handler, they judge it all day everyday and assess every bit of work it does.
Long ago in my early twenties I was keen to trial, my mentor had the same view as Vicky, he asked why I wanted to trial and my response was I wanted to know if my dogs were any good. He then asked me which my best dog was, I told him without hesitation, he pointed out that one of my other dogs was a much more stylish, flashier hunter but my reply was that my favourite was an out and out gamefinder and much better on runners.
My mentor smiled and replied that no amount of judges would convince me otherwise.
Their working life and in bitches breeding chances are so short you need to have a plan. It is half the fun.