Culling... all types, but mainly with pups and younger dogs.

For me it's a bit hard to explain or put into words. From the day they drop, I watch puppies like a hawk. Just certain things they do or ways they act will get my attention. For me to really give a pup an honest shot, I have to like the dog. If a pup irritates the heck out of me, his / her chances are already slim. Irritation can come in the form of barking too much for no reason, inability to figure out how to do simple tasks (such as figuring out how to jump up on the platforms in the kennels), being grouchy towards the other pups, or grouchy towards the dog in the next kennel.

Conformation is also very important to me. I hear people say often that they don't care about anything but how the dogs hunts, and they would hunt a ______ if it would do the job. I like to think I set the bar a little higher in that I not only want the best working dog I can breed, but I also want one that looks the part and is built well. If breeding better dogs is a person's passion, you simply cannot refuse to settle and just accept anything. Every dog I raise is done so with the thought of being a future breeding prospect. If there's anything along the way (physically or mentally) that would prevent that dog from possibly becomming such, his spot is filled and the next prospect is being evaluated.