margun Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Hi all - new to the dog forum, imagining I'll be on here a lot over the coming months as I'm looking for my first gundog. To introduce my situation, I'm looking for a dog to train to a standard which won't embarrass me on the shooting field. The dog will be expected to be an all-rounder, picking up on the shoot, wildfowling and pigeon shooting. I'm not after a field trial champion, just a nice dog which will be as good just as much as a pet as well as a shooting companion. To be honest, this dog will be a pet 340 days of the year anyway. Having looked around, at everything from top line pedigrees to home bred pups, I've found a home-bred litter which I'm interested in, but have some reservations. The dam is chocolate - not KC registered and kept as a pet (so obviously the puppies won't be KC reg). Sire is black, KC reg etc and an excellent working dog who I know and have seen work several times. He has also sired other local litters which have produced some great gundogs. All the puppies are black. My concerns are about the dam being chocolate (controversial topic ) and (more importantly) the fact she is not a gundog herself. I've asked the owner if he knows anything of her history and he doesn't. She is however a brilliant little bitch, fantastic temperament, keen to retrieve and hunt and very obediant and well looked after by her owner. She seems to have potential and be biddable enough, I'd be happy to have a go at training her! So my question is - should I walk away from these puppies on the basis that the dam is not a proven working dog? Bearing in mind she has all the traits I'd want from a pet (which is what the dog will be most of the time) and the father of these pups is a class act? I'm looking for a bitch by the way. Your opinions gratefully recieved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Myself I wouldnt but thats me... I getting a Lab pup Bitch in the next 5 weeks, Dam is a FTW (possibly will be a FTCH this season and the Sire is a FTCH. It is all still down to the training and at the end of the day its just a lab pup, but although i want mine for my wildfowling i am also thinking about tests in the future etc, hence why i have been searching for the pedigree, but my pup is costing me £650.. no doubt you can get cheaper but i have what i wanted There is nothing to say that your pup could not make a great shooting dog, but if i was not worried about the pedigree then i would ensure that both parents were actually good working dogs which both demostrated something to me to make me interested in having a pup Hope this helps Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Its a very hard one for what you want I'm sure a pup would be fine, spaniel watch a little bit my brother has a really well bred lab she is very hot to say the least but too much so for me. Everything is done at full speed and she is a stressy thing would drive me up the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted June 13, 2010 Report Share Posted June 13, 2010 Given everything you`ve said above it might be worth a gamble in the same way that the purchase of any puppy is. A few things to bear in mind. As you rightly say, if the dam is unregistered you will not be able to register your puppy. This may or may not mean much to you as there are plenty of non Kennel Club registered dogs working impeccably in the field. Personally, and only since the KC has a strangle hold on this aspect of breeding and not that I think it`s right, the lack of the dams registration and the fact that the owner of the registered dog allowed it to sire a litter of un-registerable puppies to a non working female, would mean that I would`nt consider paying any more than £150 for the pup. At that sort of price, or less, it might be worth a punt. And it would be a pure gamble since you have no way of verifying anything you`ve been told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 I agree with Spaniel, if no pedigree I would want a pup from parents I had seen working. The chocolate colour is not an issue if the dam were a proven worker. Plenty of lab pups around that will do what you want without taking a chance IMO. Best of luck whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklab Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I would not touch a lab that has not been hip scored or eye tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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