I agree with Barlow as usual...
and a great hunting dog that looks good is a great pleasure to hunt and feed...I am one who believes in doing our very best in picking the best...I will observe the pups daily and I will note every detail on each pup such as nose, grit, range, aloofness, going off exploring on its own etc...etc...
I don't like crazy hyper dogs...the very best tend to be laid back until it is time to play or hunt...seems they are observant of their surroundings...it seems that these pups are above it all...the rest of the pups are rough housing doing what average pups do...my hopes are to pick the great hunting dog and not the average hunting dog...I have been wrong before...especially when not knowing much about the line of dogs...but breeding several generations of good dogs then the chances of getting what we want to up...I like the dogs I have now but they will not reproduce a high percentage of good dogs just because it is not a set bloodline as yet...
when the pups are 2 weeks old I throw one of my old sweaty T-shirts in the box but only after I trim their nails...I want them to know who I am and I am always around 24-7...In use hunger in my favor to train pups...I always let them out to run before feeding time and call them in to their pen when feeding along with hand signals so they are learning voice and hand commands...
before I turn them out I give them pieces of raw beef liver thru the fence and by the second day they are crazy over it...after a few days I let them sniff some liver and won't give them any...I will scatter it in the yard upwind from them and I will see which are winding...open gate and hiss them to find along with a hand signal...I will see who takes to it "NATURALLY" and who finds the most...usually never changes...do this twice a week for a while...I also used to lay a liver track down just to see who led the pack around...that does not change with age as well...and I sure like a 6 month old pup that takes a beating from a hog and gets right back in his face...
I believe in picking natural ability...that requires very little training...mostly showing them what is acceptable to hunt is about it...
for many years I have been looking at the world champion hunting dog pictures in the dog magazines just looking for anything that sets them apart...it seems they have a natural regal look about them...I see lots of confidence...that above it all look about them...you can follow if you like or I will go at it alone...it don't matter...I look for that "look" in a pup as well...
Will I make the right choice? Maybe and maybe not but it sure is fun trying...
