Picking a Puppy

Posted on March 9, 2004 by J. Tackett 

We all want a dog with intelligence, drive, and trainability. But, what makes this whole puppy thing tough are the different levels of these assets that a retriever can posses. These assets can be manipulated through environment a little, but your pretty much going to end up with what god has put on the newspaper in the whelping box! Retrievers and handlers don?t always make a matched pair. For those of you who hunt, or run competitive events you know of what I speak.

A high powered retriever with lots and lots of desire coupled with a meek, mild, and inexperienced handler is like mixing oil and water. On the other end of the totem pole is the laid back, smooth retriever with a energetic, driven, savvy handler; the two are very rarely going to be on the same page. A competitively bred retriever needs work, he is a blue collar fellow, and he?s dying for a hammer, and apron. When he doesn?t get the work he needs, he will begin to create his own work by chewing the house down to the foundation, or barking until the neighbors have you removed.

Now, look at it from the opposite angle. I have a close friend, who has a very nice retriever, and he really loves to train. But his dog really does not perform well when he is asked to train more than 2-3 days a week. He really becomes run-down, and the training becomes pretty fruitless. His answer was another dog. He still competes, and hunts with his older dog, but to get his training fix, he made the right decision and purchased a pup with a little more gitty up day in, and day out.

Because of these reasons picking the right puppy for YOU, is arguably the most important part of having a successful retriever. AKC and UKC have done miraculous jobs of keeping good records, titles and pedigrees. In turn you have a smorgasbord of canine accomplishment to choose from. With the correct amount of research, you can just about order a retriever. Not unlike Burger King!!

Consider this??.......

Try to throw yourself, and your future pup into one of these categories:

A. Super Competitive
B. Competitive Hunter
C. Hunter
D. Hunter Companion

Before I go any farther let me say that one dog can fill A-D. But, for explanations sake I think this is a very simple way to break down pedigrees, titles, and lifestyle as it relates to picking a puppy. There are thousands of different lifestyles for hunters, and competitive handlers. Some rarely hunt, but campaign their retrievers 25 weekends a year, and train no less than 5 days a week. Some hunt everyday of the season, and never run their retriever in a single event, and almost never train. There is everything in between as well.

I have used AKC, and UKC titles in this writing purely because they are more commonly recognized in pedigrees. NAHRA, and NFRA both have outstanding programs, and their titles should be considered as strongly.

I think to really have a successful, and happy retriever/owner you must first try, and associate your lifestyle with one of the categories. Here is how I would break down the lifestyles, and associate them with the categories above.

A=Super Competitive
This is aimed at the gal/guy that has his eyes on a Field Champion (FC), or Amateur Field Champion (AFC) in the future. This is a very serious commitment. If one plans on getting here on his own he must have resources. I?m not just referring to money, and it will take plenty of that. He must have knowledge, and time. Very rarely is an FC-AFC title earned without some involvement from a professional trainer. It?s been accomplished, but it is definitely not the norm. Very few of these people are serious golfers, anglers, or hunters. Most of them are serious dog people, and that?s about it. They eat, sleep, and breathe retrievers! Which really ain?t all that bad a gig! If you are going this route, look for the titles listed above. There should be plenty on that chosen pedigree. A good rule of them is the more letters you see the better!

B=Competitive Hunter
This owner can get here a couple different ways. I think the majority of these people start out as pushing for a really great hunting dog. But somewhere along the way they really fall in love with the training. This usually means that hunting becomes a second tier sport for their retriever. Oh? sure they still hunt seriously, but their real passion is the training, and dog work involved while hunting. The titles above are great place to look but the real meat for this handler is the Grand Hunting Retriever Champion (GRHRCH), or Master Hunter (MH) titles. It is not uncommon to get to this goal on your own, but more times than not a very skilled and experienced friend and/or a pro is needed. Many times these dogs become extraordinary and go on to claim FC or AFC titles.

C=Hunter
This is a serious hunter. But she/he also loves to fish, deer hunt, and could be a pretty solid duffer. He is looking for a ?meat dog? as many like to say. Most of the time these dogs are kinda-sorta self taught using what God, Mom, and Dad gave them. Throw in a couple books, a video, and a care package from SportDOG, add a dash of retriever club and you can build your own Senior hunter (SH). These dogs are pretty low maintenance. They just want to pick ?em up. Often times these dogs are my real favorites! Most of the time they have great personalities, usually speak on command, fetch a cold beer from the fridge, and entertain everyone at the lodge regularly. They are big, rough, and tough, and usually make great photographs in the ice, and snow. This pup should be fairly easy to handle, and lots of fun. This is a great way to go for your first dog. If this is your poison, look for a Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) titles or a Senior Hunter (SH) title in the pedigree.

D=Companion Hunter
You know ol' Scooter very well. He could even be barking next door as you read this. Yea, he hunts 3, or 4 times a year, and really loves his tennis ball. He can be seen running through the neighborhood, checking on the local girls regularly, and looks great in a bandana. He even might have a ribbon, or two on the wall, and more than likely gets a bumper, or two in the fall. You have shooed him out of the flowers, and even screamed at his owner for his using your front yard as a public restroom. He?s a great wrestler, and has pinned every kid in the neighborhood, and has made a pretty good horse from time to time.

His Dad owns a few calls, and an old Mossberg pump, and thinks Ol? Roy was the finest bird dog who ever lived, after all his picture is on the best dog food bag money can buy. This fellow loves ice cream, and leather boots. But, his owner wouldn?t take $$$$$$ for him, and that?s what makes him great! If you?re looking this way check that pedigree for a Hunting Retriever (HR), or Junior Hunter (JH) titles.

This is very basic synopsis of one way to look at puppies. Regardless of what comes out of your decision, you?re going to have a blast!

Thanks for the time.

Justin & Yella