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Small rant (just me )


hodge911
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Its a year gone may that I lost jess suddenly and my mind is starting to think about maybe a new member to the household ... I have had a basic look around and can't believe the prices people are asking for pups these days . I had jess 12+ years and paid £150 for her (gsp x english springer ) at the prices people are asking it's going to be quite a while longer before I can afford to get a new shooting companion / best friend .... 

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10 minutes ago, hodge911 said:

Its a year gone may that I lost jess suddenly and my mind is starting to think about maybe a new member to the household ... I have had a basic look around and can't believe the prices people are asking for pups these days . I had jess 12+ years and paid £150 for her (gsp x english springer ) at the prices people are asking it's going to be quite a while longer before I can afford to get a new shooting companion / best friend .... 

Snap

Same position, phoned breeder of last dog, paid £700, 10 years ago, now £2k,!

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17 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Must agree, some of the prices I have seen for pups is getting a bit ridiculous.  Keep looking and hope you find a new companion. I know I miss not having one.

on edit....    NONE of the dogs I have had in the last 50yrs have been from FT Cham this and that.  I have just gone and looked at the dog and bitch and made my own decision and believe me I have had some superb working animals and companions. If you don't believe me I can give you a list of names to confirm that.  I've had FT this and that come on to my shoots to beat and pick up and told them to go home. All they wanted to do was use my shoot as a training ground.  Had a friend with a rough haired long legged Jack Russel which could hun like a spaniel and retrieve as well as any Lab. 

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My pup is coming from OFTW (best new comer at the Chanpionship) x FTW/OFTAW - my mate prices the litter at £750/800. All pups gone before they were born. 
 

Another lad I know has just bred his FTW bitch to INT FTCH holly drive Bert - pups £750. Again all gone before they were born. 

Im not sure you can get breeding much better than them lines on both sets of litters. Yet both lads have asked for normal money. 
 

 

The people asking for £2,500 for a dog you will notice that they are “just shooting dogs”. I’m sure they’ll tell you how brilliant the dogs are at working ... I’ve never met anyone who’s told me their dogs rubbish. 


I know trial breeding isn’t the be all and end all, but I wouldn’t trust most people to give a proper honest account of their dogs working ability unless I knew them real well... and how come trial lads are breeding top stuff and charging significant less than these chancers who many of them do little more than take their dog for a walk in the country and claim it to be a top working dog? 🤔

 

 

17 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

on edit....    NONE of the dogs I have had in the last 50yrs have been from FT Cham this and that.  I have just gone and looked at the dog and bitch and made my own decision and believe me I have had some superb working animals and companions. If you don't believe me I can give you a list of names to confirm that.  I've had FT this and that come on to my shoots to beat and pick up and told them to go home. All they wanted to do was use my shoot as a training ground.  Had a friend with a rough haired long legged Jack Russel which could hun like a spaniel and retrieve as well as any Lab. 


It’s a funny game field trials. 
 

These days the vast majority of gundog work is beating or similar. It’s hardly representative of a trial is it. 
 

Rough shooting is what a trial should represent, the dog that will do it all. 
 

On these big pheasant shoots with thousands of birds put down I bet they could fill the bags without a dog in the beating line. Most people working on these shoots don’t want a dog that’s flying as there’s so much scent and game it’ll just go mental. 
 

My mate many years ago took his spaniel beating on a big estate. He said most the dogs spent the majority of the day on a lead walking beside their owners as they walked through woods with hundreds of birds just running about in front of them. 
 

Not my cup of tea personally. 

A good spaniel, a side by side shotgun, and some ground with a bit of game on it and away for a hour or a couple hours, returning home with 3-4 birds for the pot. Ideal. If you get a mixed bag your in heaven! 

 

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people asking for £2,500 for a dog you will notice that they are “just shooting dogs”. I’m sure they’ll tell you how brilliant the dogs are at working ... I’ve never met anyone who’s told me their dogs rubbish. 

Half the problem is after spending all that money they believe their dog is brilliant, and they won't admit it that the dog is rubbish. I often raise a smile seeing and hearing the shouting and hollowing at a runaway dog but no one apologies.

Your right a couple of hours with a good spaniel and a shot or two is very satisfying.

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Well a rant alright and justified. There are a lot of opportunists been cashing in on lockdown. I have just bought a ten week old lab from a top trialler, fully health tested, trial winning father and champion grandfathers on both sides. Price way less that four figures. It can be done because responsible honest dog people know the real value and won’t risk their reputation. You just need to find them.

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Jess was my first dog in years had terriers when fox hunting was allowed properly.... so 12+ yrs ago i was in a small syndicate with a few mates . One of the other members had a bitch G.W.P and a dog English springer that he used to work on the shoot and when the GWP came in heat it was the spaniel that got her .

She had 9 pups and I bought jess from that litter ..... well I visited the lad and when he let the litter out of the run they scattered to the 4 corners of the garden apart from 1 that made a B line for me and stuck like glue all the time I was there so when I left she was with me and thats where she was,for the next 12 yrs .

She was the easiest dog I've ever had to train and was an absolute amazing worker .

Hunted and quartered like a spaniel then went on point once she knew something was in the rough .

She ploughed threw thick & brambles like they were candyfloss  on command 

(Right that's enough about her as I've got dust in my eyes ..... well that's my excuse)..

All that for £150 ....... if only there was another litter of that cross I'd be over the moon ...

I know I'll probably ever get another dog like her but it would be a starting point I suppose .... 

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2 hours ago, B725 said:

people asking for £2,500 for a dog you will notice that they are “just shooting dogs”. I’m sure they’ll tell you how brilliant the dogs are at working ... I’ve never met anyone who’s told me their dogs rubbish. 

Half the problem is after spending all that money they believe their dog is brilliant, and they won't admit it that the dog is rubbish. I often raise a smile seeing and hearing the shouting and hollowing at a runaway dog but no one apologies.

Your right a couple of hours with a good spaniel and a shot or two is very satisfying.


People always ask me what mine is like, I tell them he’s **** 😂 they look absolutely shocked. I must be the only person who’s told them it! 
 

He’s well bred but has his ups and downs. On his day I think he can really shine but he’s just as bad as any other (and worse than a lot) on a bad day believe me! 

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Since lockdown pup prices have gone through the roof, a friend of mine has been looking and told me the pup prices being asked so I had a look. Even accidental mongrels are costing a huge amount. Are there fewer pups out there due to lockdown? Hodge 911, some rescue centres do rehome dogs to shooting homes, is it worth a look there? Battersea rehome dogs to shooting homes.

Cheers

Aled

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Sadly there may be a glut of 6- 12 month old dogs needing rehomed in the future.

It is absolutely crazy, when u read that other thread about puppy prices too

 

If ur not that bothered about breeding or health tests ( personally don't see them as a must if u know the dog and breeder and it genuinely works) surprising wot u can pick up.

I've came back from days picking up before with an extra dog.

 

I just picked up a pointer for way less than price off pup, some nice breeding n it, needs a lot off work but at an age u can get on with it

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On 18/06/2020 at 21:04, Lloyd90 said:


People always ask me what mine is like, I tell them he’s **** 😂 they look absolutely shocked. I must be the only person who’s told them it! 
 

He’s well bred but has his ups and downs. On his day I think he can really shine but he’s just as bad as any other (and worse than a lot) on a bad day believe me! 

best way i think ,if you have a decent dog don't go telling the world as some scrote will relocate it for you soon as your backs turned.

when you see good spaniels doin a Fenton makes me feel a bit better when you have a hiccup with your own :)

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7 minutes ago, Remimax said:

best way i think ,if you have a decent dog don't go telling the world as some scrote will relocate it for you soon as your backs turned.

when you see good spaniels doin a Fenton makes me feel a bit better when you have a hiccup with your own


I don’t have to worry about it, if they nicked him they’d soon bring him back 🤣🤣😬

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If ur not that bothered about breeding or health tests 

after having jess for 12+yrs and the way she worked for me and let the grandkids pull her round the sitting room and use her as a pillow 

breeding / bloodlines for me don't come into it 

On 19/06/2020 at 13:57, scotslad said:

not that bothered about breeding or health tests ( personally don't see them as a must if u know the dog and breeder and it genuinely works) surprising wot u can pick up

after having jess for 12+yrs and the way she worked for me and let the grandkids pull her round the sitting room and use her as a pillow 

breeding / bloodlines for me don't come into

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4 hours ago, hodge911 said:

If ur not that bothered about breeding or health tests 

after having jess for 12+yrs and the way she worked for me and let the grandkids pull her round the sitting room and use her as a pillow 

breeding / bloodlines for me don't come into it 

after having jess for 12+yrs and the way she worked for me and let the grandkids pull her round the sitting room and use her as a pillow 

breeding / bloodlines for me don't come into

Aye only if u know the breeder and his lines that he's had for a few gens.

 

I wouldn't touch an un tested pup from a random stranger.

 

My old lab had his last visit to vets couple of weeks ago, 15 yr old  was a couple of seasons he done nigh n 100 days beating and picking up.

Cracking lab he was

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38 minutes ago, scotslad said:

Aye only if u know the breeder and his lines that he's had for a few gens.

 

I wouldn't touch an un tested pup from a random stranger.

 

My old lab had his last visit to vets couple of weeks ago, 15 yr old  was a couple of seasons he done nigh n 100 days beating and picking up.

Cracking lab he was

... and it doesn't get any easier scotslad, been there to many times. Sad to hear but bet he enjoyed his fifteen years.

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2 hours ago, scotslad said:

Aye only if u know the breeder and his lines that he's had for a few gens.

 

I wouldn't touch an un tested pup from a random stranger.


Does knowing the breeder mean they don’t need to be health tested? 🤔 I’m not quite sure what you mean sorry mate... 

I do think it’s a bit weird atm... some people have become so fixated on health tests they seem to think that’s the number one factor and all they care about when breeding or looking at pups ... no thought into the dog being a fantastic worker. 
 

 

Personally think the dog needs to be an absolutely cracking worker foremost, and be healthy (passed tests) ... needs to be both for me but working ability is the main priority... of the dogs not a top worker no point even getting the health tests done. 
 

 

 

Knowing the breeder also I think helps if you can trust them. As I keep repeating (sorry) ... ask someone what their dog works like (especially if they want to breed or sell their pups) and they’ll tell you how fantastic it is ... often even if it ain’t! 

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I disagree sorry. 
 

When I decided to buy my first gundog I went to see a litter on Anglesey. 
I’d not long got married and the time was right to get a dog. 
 

The mistake was taking the mrs and kids with me - first litter we viewed and brought a pup home. 
The dam was a pet (hip and elbow scored) and the father I was told was from working stock but never seen (also hip and elbow tested). 
I paid £350 for him. 

I put everything into training him and paid for a few 1 to 1 sessions. 
He will retrieve anything from anywhere, will swim a strong tide and will hit cover like a springer. 
Lovely temperament and the perfect shooting dog - yes he has his faults and was never going to be a trailing dog. 
I’d take a good shooting mans dog over a trailing dog anyway. 
He has sired 7 litters and most are loving pets, several are Gundogs and my proudest is a hydrocarbons detection dog for the Wolverhampton fire service 😎

 

A flashy pedigree is nice but you get out of a dog what you put into training 👍🏻

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11 minutes ago, WelshAndy said:

I disagree sorry. 
 

When I decided to buy my first gundog I went to see a litter on Anglesey. 
I’d not long got married and the time was right to get a dog. 
 

The mistake was taking the mrs and kids with me - first litter we viewed and brought a pup home. 
The dam was a pet (hip and elbow scored) and the father I was told was from working stock but never seen (also hip and elbow tested). 
I paid £350 for him. 

I put everything into training him and paid for a few 1 to 1 sessions. 
He will retrieve anything from anywhere, will swim a strong tide and will hit cover like a springer. 
Lovely temperament and the perfect shooting dog - yes he has his faults and was never going to be a trailing dog. 
I’d take a good shooting mans dog over a trailing dog anyway. 
He has sired 7 litters and most are loving pets, several are Gundogs and my proudest is a hydrocarbons detection dog for the Wolverhampton fire service 😎

 

A flashy pedigree is nice but you get out of a dog what you put into training 👍🏻


I think it’s about tipping the odds, that’s just my personal view. 
 

You can breed for good quality / excellent pedigrees, then you have to rear the pups right with the right stimulation, socialisation and get the best start, then finally it’s down to the bloke who has the pup and what he puts into it. 
 

You can get a dog up-to good standard without all 3 of those but imagine having a dog with all 3 ... it’s just gives you better odds. You could still end up with a rubbish dog... as you say the breeding isn’t the be all and end all ... but you surely have better odds than getting a pup who’s parents aren’t worked and you’ve no idea what skills or attributes they even have 🤷‍♂️
 

You sound like you had a good lab Andy, fair play to you... but honestly you see people every week with dogs on these gundogs groups that have a lot of issues. Many of them will be from poor training or handler error, but some will be down to breeding etc. 
 

If breeding made no difference to the animals base quality then no one would bother breeding likes, you wouldn’t have top bred race horses, cows, dogs, cats, birds of prey, or anything else like that. 
 

Fact is that you do. Even the advice on here is make sure you get a pup from working parents. Only issue is one mans definition of work isn’t another’s. 
 

 

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