With all the debate from the other thread, I thought it would be interesting to see where THF members get their hunting dogs.

Where do you buy your hunting dogs multiple choice
	Pet Store
	Backyard Breeder
	High End Kennels
	Walmart Parking Lot
Votes accepted starting: 04/06/09 03:49 PM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

High end kennel here, pedigree over price anyday!

I was looking for a companion and pet first, hunting buddy second. Backyard pup!

Have you really experienced that many health problems from dogs you have purchased. I have never bought from a high end kennel and have never had any major health problems. Granted if I go look at a litter of pups and they or parents are poor looking dogs living in bad conditions I would not purchase. But just because you don't buy from the top kennels doesn't mean you are gonna get a lemon.

Yup, a $65 EIC test would have saved him 3 years of hard work. For those who hope to raise a hunting machine, get a tested dog. But it doesn't matter if you pay $20 or $2000, there is no guarantee it won't fall off a couch and damage the growth plate in its hip, or run into a table corner and lose an eye.

I got my dog from a back yard. I knew the parents.

Could you add an option for HT/FT members who aren't high dollar kennels but whose dogs are tested and have the working titles to show they can hunt? That's where I'm going to get my next dog.

Without trying to provoke any additional negative discussion here, I have to say that all you guys defending your decisions to buy BY dogs and then telling those of us that “do this” all the time or have for MANY years otherwise, you're wrong. You can be right in your own mind with whatever way you choose to justify it, but what these guys are telling you, is fact.

The bottom line for me is that I like (and choose) to train all of my own dogs, so a good solid bloodline and pedigree is paramount in that process. As far as I’m concerned, there is really no argument to that point. It is what it is and year in, year out, you will get more consistent, healthier, higher performing dogs going this route. You can come up with all of the “never had a problem” or “fall off the couch” scenarios that you want, but I know what I know and I have had dogs with problems from questionable breedings and I made my mind up a long time ago to do the research and pay a little extra for the product and I have never regretted it. I liken it to buying a used car, you just never know what you are getting and although you could buy a lemon right off of the showroom floor, you still get a tested product, a warranty and have much more of a chance of getting a good performing product and being able to take care of it the way you want so it will serve you for a long time... with the used car, it’s basically a crap shoot and it could fall apart tomorrow from stuff you don’t even know about.

To me, I want a dog that is a top end, high performing animal (both at home and especially in the field). Besides, a good papered dog will (most of the time) be able to overcome most of my training deficiencies !! You’ll hear guys talk about their $3000 or $4000 dogs, well, mine are worth that much too if I chose to sell them, but I pay a fraction of that on the front end and train them myself. It’s really all relative and yes, you are somewhat correct in saying that buying a BY dog “doesn’t necessarily predispose you to getting a lemon”, but it is also very correct for all of us with plenty of experience doing it, to tell you that you increase your chances of a problem substantially by doing so. I personally like to eliminate as many of the unknowns and variables as possible, especially with something that I will invest a significant amount of my heart into. Nothing worse than seeing something that you've nurtured and loved, suffer from something you can't do anything about. I've seen some BY dogs turn into $4000 dogs that can't hunt pretty quick from a medical standpoint!!

And, just as a footnote since its been mentioned above… I’m also one of those that has never (nor will I ever) breed dogs. I just buy them, train them and hunt them.

I totally agree, I don't think anyone is trying to convince you their "backyard" dog is any better than your high end dog. What it all comes down to is where your priorities lie and what you want out of a dog

I feel bad for these troubled dogs, as a dog lover I couldn't hardly stand to see one of my dogs go down. I just don't think someone should miss out on the experience of dog ownership because of price. Like I have said, I have never had these kind of problems with any dog I have ever owned, and would not even think of breeding my dog if I thought there was a chance of them sending on bad genes. But we can what if every situation, I mean look at some of the top athletes in the world. Super strong, fast, athletic, and then one wrong step and you have a blown knee or worse(career over). You can't prevent everything. The same thing can happen in the dog world. I agree you should if possible prevent what you can, but don't take that away from those who can't afford it. Not telling anyone to buy my dogs, heck she hasn't even had any yet, just saying buy the best you can, and for a whole lot of people it will not be a $600 or higher labrador.

If you really care about your dog and the people in which you will sell your pups to, then get your dog tested. There is no excuse for breeding dogs that have not been tested unless you just flat out don't care about the pups. Most labs will make decent hunting dogs and a great family pet. That is in their breed. Don't take this the wrong way, but your dog (read everyone who owns a dog) is not so special that it should be bred even though it has health issues. Not everyone can afford a pup out of the top pedigrees in the country, but everyone should be able to afford a healthy dog.

Oh, and my BY dog is already spayed. I admit I probably shouldn't have gone that route, but I knew the mother was a solid hunter and also knew the risk I was taking since there had been no tests, but also no history of blindness, hip problems, etc.

So I don't advocate repeating the decision I made, but I knew what the risks were.

Next dog will be from hunt test people and lines that I have seen work myself. And the parents will be tested.

Great post First Chance!

My choice is not there. My V came from a high end backyard breeder, but she did cost about double the figure being tossed around here.

I would buy what I feel will be the best pup for my intended purpose within my budget. The main reason for me to buy the best pup I can afford is first for the best outlook on the dogs future health.
But with that, I would never tell someone to not buy a dog because they can't afford one from a top kennel breeding. If one just wants a companion and hunting dog, it does not have to be elite.

Within budget for me over the years have been hunting dogs with origins that ranged from free dog pound rescues to top kennel breeding costing over a grand. They all did me just fine and were everything I expected them to be. But the key words are "hunting dog" and "what I expected them to be". I needed my lab to retrieve a duck now and then so I would not waste/lose game. With little training it did that. I needed a hound to strike and tree a coon and not run trash. With a little time training and hunting with other hounds they did just that. And I wanted a Brittany to find the rare quail for me on the one or two hunts I could make at the end of deer season or to retrieve the dove that were so hard to find without her. She did that just fine despite the learning curve of my early training mistakes. Not every hunter is a purist. And my current dog, despite having an amazing bloodline impressed me first due to the parents hunting background, health of the parents, and both owner trained. It did not matter to me where the breeding took place or how much a pup cost.

You know, I have tried competition hunting and field trialing before, but found a small percentage of the participants cutthroat and arrogant. Enough so that it made it not fun to me. Most I met that fit that type, did not hunt wild birds/ducks with those dogs. Nothing wrong with that, just a different sport. Only pointing out that we may be comparing apples and oranges and I feel there is a place in the world for both extremes of breeding IMHO.

Thanks for the post Sniper, I guess just like everything else in life, we each make our own choices. I have said my peace on here and will leave it at that.

I have never bought a "high end dog" and unless i end up with a darn good job, i dont plan too. bought my last lab for 200 from a BY breeder when i was about 12 yrs old, she was a great dog, i trained her all the time, and then sent her to a school for one month to get some things done that the "water dog" book couldnt tell me how to do (she was mainly a dove hunting dog). So i was in the hole about 600 dollars excluding my own time and feed. The trainer offered me $2000 for her when i went to pick her up from his house. I told him she wasnt for sale, i bred her once with another black lab of mine, and all four of her pups were sold to some of my friends, 2 were trained to hunt by my friends, all made great hunting dogs and never had a problem w/ anything. Not saying that a high end dog is not the way to go, but a good dog can be bought from a back yard breeder just the same. IDK we will see, if i find a place to live in that i have a backyard for a dog, i will be buying a new pup, so IDK what i will get, but chances are that i wont pay over 300 for him.

The fact of the matter is a sound dog that is intelligent and good looking is a matter of opinion and can be picked up from a walmart parking lot or from you. Whether you think it is trashy or sloppy to breed BY dogs really means nothing to people who prefer price over pedigree. I wouldn't pay for a champion dog because I don't need a champion dog. I need a dog that I can play with and love that can assist me in hunting if I feel like training him that way.

Watkins, keep breeding for those of us who want a companion/hunter that won't put us in debt. (Not that you care what anyone here has to say! )

I know,,,, one last pitch though...

Humor me all you nay sayers and read this link to the OFA web-site..... Please????

http://www.offa.org/hipgeninfo.html

http://www.offa.org/hipguide.html

The first one is what is dysplasia and the second one is a breeders guidelines.....

Angie