| | | | | |  |  | | George Hickox |
The Best Bang for Your Buckby George Hickox
The decision has been made. The household executive board has met, and the motion has passed to allocate money to a priority capital investment; a new gun dog. However, before you rush out to spend your dollars for a new hunting partner, take time to consider the pros and cons of buying a puppy versus an older dog.
Based on the level of training and performance of a particular dog, I place it into one of four categories: puppy, introduced, started or finished. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type of dog before deciding which is right for you.
The first step in coming to a conclusion is to consider a few questions: Do you have access to good training grounds? Do you have a reliable source of training birds, such as pigeons, quail, chukar or pheasants? (Remember, no birds means no bird dog.) Do you have the time necessary to train a gundog? Do you have the knowledge to train or will you need help? Keep these variables in mind while evaluating your dog options.
The Puppy
A new puppy brings joy to a household. The kids jump up and down with unbridled enthusiasm and your face is fixed with a Cheshire Cat grin as the pup dedicates itself to fraying your shoelaces. Everyone loves a puppy, most of the time. The down side may be that your better half quickly tires of puppysitting while you're at the office showing photos of your new hunting buddy to your old hunting buddies.
Also know that training a puppy is time-consuming. If you want a quality upland dog, it's mandatory that your pup be exposed to birds early on. For retrievers, the retrieving instinct must be ignited early, too. If you wait till the pup's a year old before you begin training, it will never reach its full potential. Training requires time, time and more time... on a consistent basis.
All puppies are not created equal. One pup in a litter could be the best for you, another could be the worst for you, or maybe none would be a good choice. I've never found a way to recognize the best pup at seven or eight weeks of age. I can tell much more about a seven-month-old prospect than I can about a seven-week-old hopeful. So can you.
No matter how strong the pedigrees of the parents are, not every pup has the correct mix of genes to be an ideal hunting companion. A solid pedigree means the probability for success is greater, but not every pup is a winner. Ultimately, it's still a gamble.
Likewise, it's difficult to foresee health problems in a puppy, particularly that insidious crippler hip dysplasia. It's unethical for any breeder to sell pups from parents that can't be certified as either "good" or "excellent"; however, even reputable breeders who certify the hips of their breeding stock can have pups that suffer from dysplasia. Because several genes are involved in coding for this disorder, it can skip generations. Consequently, unaffected parents are not a sure safety sign. And although some breeds are more prone to hip dysplasia than others, make no mistake: All breeds of dogs carry the disorder. A breeder can take every possible precaution and still end up with a pup that becomes dysplastic. A reputable breeder will replace a pup or a dog, for that matter - with any serious hereditary or congenital problems, but make sure there are no strings attached to your breeder's warranty, such as that a puppy must be given vitamin C or Doctor's Magic Elixir No.8. Although in most cases you can have your pup replaced, this will likely be an unsatisfactory solution; not only will you and your family already have fallen in love with the pup, but you'll have lost time and money.
There's no question the initial expense of a puppy will leave more money in your pocket than the cost of purchasing a finished dog, but a puppy is much more expensive than its price tag indicates. You pay for birds, dog food and trips to the veterinarian's office. With introduced, started and finished dogs, these costs are included in the price along with the trainer's time.
Other than the rib tickling pleasure a healthy puppy delivers, people often buy young dogs so they can "bond" with them. At the risk of getting hate mail and having poster carrying activists picket my front yard, I must tell you that "bonding" is the wrong word in dog talk. Bonding is a '90s word, and it carries with it anthropomorphic connotations. In other words, it inaccurately projects human emotions on a dog. The correct word is "socialization."
A pup must be properly socialized in order to develop into a gundog. Many professional trainers have campaigned clients' dogs to National High Point or National Championship status. These professionals generally took their charges well after the dog's six-month birthday. If bonding was the key to success, these dogs would never have risen to such levels of excellence. Think in terms of socialization and proper exposure, not bonding.
Introduced Dogs
This brings the discussion around to introduced dogs. I must admit I feel the introduced dog is one heck of a strong contender in the best purchase category. An introduced dog is usually between six and 12 months old, and its personality, style and birdiness are apparent. The dog's raw potential is clearly visible. Although a dog cannot be certified dysplasia-free by OF A (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) until two years of age, an X-ray will give you a preliminary hip and joint report. Also, the dog's eyes can be checked for retinal dysplasia. Purchasing an introduced dog greatly reduces the chances you'll have to deal with this heart-breaking news down the road. An introduced dog has been exposed to birds, hunting and the gun. The dog has been checked out by a vet, and its personality is obvious. Now you can formally train a youngster that has a high probability of becoming the dog you want.
There are breeders who specialize in selling introduced, started and finished dogs. A field trial reject may fill your needs, but quite often these dogs were trained for tasks other than what the upland hunter desires. Sometimes there is more to the story than "the dog doesn't run big enough for field trials." Caveat emptor. If the price of the dog sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Far too often the gundog market is viewed by nose-in-the-air dog suppliers as a dumping ground for problem dogs. You want the dog that possesses all the qualities of a National Champion but hunts for your particular style. Don't think a problem dog will work out for you. Don't accept someone's leftover inventory or close-out special.
My clients who order introduced, started or finished dogs usually have specified well in advance what type of dog they want. Even at the introduced level, a dog is developed differently if it is slated for Texas quail than if its future is in close-working grouse hunts. Seek a professional who specializes in developing custom-tailored dogs. You'll have a much better chance of getting what you want.
Started Dogs
A started dog offers all the advantages of the introduced dog but with a few more bells and whistles. In the pointing breeds, a started dog should hold point for longer than an introduced dog. Depending on the price and age of the dog, the prospect may hold point long enough for the gunner to walk in to flush the bird. However, don't expect the started dog to hold point while you go have lunch. This would be in the domain of the finished dog.
Dictated by the degree of training and the corresponding price, a started flusher/retriever will also vary in ability. A started flushing and retrieving dog should search for game, flush the game and retrieve shot game. The started dog will not sit down on the flush or the shot, sit down on command when tracking moving game, or handle to blind retrieves. A started dog might still meet all your requirements as a gundog. You may never expect it to do more than put up game and bring it back. So what if the dog hunts out of range sometimes or you have to be wearing track shoes to keep up with it? So do a lot of other hunters out there having fun.
Finished Dogs
A finished dog is the answer if you don't have time to train, don't have consistent access to birds, don't have proper training grounds or don't have the training knowledge to bring the dog to the desired level. Purchasing a finished dog simply requires the right balance in your checking account. Just as a Purdey costs more than a no-name shotgun, the difference in price between two finished dogs will be determined by style and performance.
There are a few things to look for when assessing the quality of a finished pointing dog. The dog should hold point. Period. In addition, the dog should honor its bracemate by backing, should be steady to flush and shot, should retrieve to hand, and should handle well to voice and whistle. The "Whoa" command should be absolutely solid. In other words, the dog should be a complete bragging-rights gundog. A fully finished dog should have handled wild birds. (My finished dogs are often used when I guide for grouse, woodcock, pheasants and quail.) A fully finished dog will usually be 2 1/2 or older.
A finished upland flusher or retriever should hunt in range, run the proper wind pattern, sit down upon flushing a bird and wait for its name to be called to retrieve, sit down on the shot, and be able to be stopped on running birds, allowing the gunner to keep up without having a coronary.
Dogs used for waterfowling need to have good manners in both the boat and blind. Dogs must be absolutely line steady, wait for the command to retrieve before leaving, and must perform blind retrieves under the direction of the handler.
I encourage you to look at your entire situation realistically, not through rose-colored glasses. If you weigh your lifestyle and your expectations along with the depth of your pocketbook, you'll find the dog that gives you the best bang for your buck.
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