Selling a car (pup) to your friends?

[Hepe]

How do you all deal with the worries about breeding pups? I don't talk about the practical side of it, rearing them etc but the responsibility of breeding great pups. I reluctantly decided to breed from the Heavenly, something i probably wouldn't have done without a lot of encouragement and pups asked for beforehand. Still, it feels like selling an old car to a friend. What if things go shite, what if the pups don't meet the expectations? How do you deal with the pressure? What i ask is, how do you think when you plan to breed to cope with the pressure of expectations? From my side I'm happy if they get decent and healthy but we all want every pup being brilliant. All pups will go to people i know with previous experience so our expectations are high!

So basically, how do you justify breeding and how do you deal with life, that not everything turns out as expected?

Helene

[Hepe]

Thinking about it, how the heck did you dare selling to some odd person in Sweden writing a lot about her dogs, both good and bad? You are BRAVE people!

[Miesque]

Don't breed if you aren't comfortable with the fact some will be duds! I breed thoroughbreds.....some can't run faster than a riding school nag, some are world beaters - that's the law of averages I'm afraid!

[Naj]

Deal with it as you do everything else in life - just take it in your stride. I presume you've bred responsibly & seek good homes for your pups & that's as much as you can do. You can't be responsible for the expectations or aptitude of buyers. I agree with Miesque, if you're going to lose sleep over it then don't breed. But you're breeding gundogs, not racehorses, and every one will make a proficient gundog in the right hands, if not a trials dog.

Naj

[Judy]

I have bought from friends, the ones that live very close and are close friends may not get an entirely honest opinion of their pup... Its called diplomacy, being a good mate, being economical with the truth, whatever. TBH they'll see the pup working and be able to form their own opinion!

The long distance friends whom I have made through buying pups stay in touch and I give an honest opinion if asked. Of course some breeders don't give a shite once they have your money. I don't buy from them again nor recommend them to anyone.

A good breeder is a good breeder and will want to know how the pups are plus offer support if needed throughout the pup's life. Chin up, you can do it!

[scot-ish]

What if things go shite, what if the pups don't meet the expectations?

Helene

sorry, can't help with the question, but great to see you have took to the Scottish language

[Nickheref]

e: Hollydrive Kurt

Quote

Postby Dawnrazor » Fri Jan 01, 2016 8:05 pm

Damien wrote:
That's disappointing


Not really, they can't all be world beaters. I've had pups out of a championship winner to a champion on a couple of occasions and they've shite!! Kurt is a smart dog but the eye thing has put a lot of people off using him, that and he's back in ireland, still, it'll be interesting to see the pups that are coming through.

Hepe, Dawnrazor's comment above copied from another thread tells you all, anyone with any real experience of training dogs will tell you that all matings are an experiment, some work some don't. I am sure many of us relate to his views, like him the worst dog I have ever handled or tried to was by a championship winner out of an FTCH, just because a pup has a red pedigree does not guarantee it will be brilliant. If your friends have not got enough experience and expect you to guarantee that a pup will be great (GR8 for Trekmoor now he is going techy ) then they are a bit naive. All you can do is improve your chances of breeding something brilliant by picking the parents carefully, even then there may well be differences in the litter. The best thing you can say to a potential buyer is that you are keeping some of the litter for yourself as no one I know would deliberately breed rubbish knowing they are going to train them.

I am one of three brothers, same breeding (at least neither of my parents ever admitted that we weren't ) , same upbringing (training in this context) and we are all very different.

[Hepe]

Thank you all for brilliant responses, i think i love you all today! Reading your comments helps a lot, i really need to do a reality check, especially today! All on the puppy list has seen Heavenly on several occasions, most on many occasions both training and working and i think all but one has seen the sire too now. I had a bit of panic attack today, she's one month early so time to stop fretting and get on with it. Proof as seen below. Now we hope for a big litter of healthy fat little dumplings!

[Hepe]

Oops, that pic turned grossly big, sorry.

[Hepe]

What if things go shite, what if the pups don't meet the expectations?

Helene

sorry, can't help with the question, but great to see you have took to the Scottish language

You ruined my English on this forum, yep that's all your fault!!

Helene