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Both the mom and the dad were extremely friendly, which is to be expected from this breed. Dad wanted to play fetch with his kong as long as your arm could last. Coming from someone with a dog who snubs her nose at fetch, this melts my heart. After the game was over he was content to just get loves or play lap dog if you happened to sit on the ground. I like hearing that he can turn the game off when you are finished and not beg to play all night long. The mom is the kind of dog who leans in real close for pets and then lays at your feet to be near you.
Madeline was satisfied with the socialization effort Breeder #2 would be making. This I think says a lot since Madeline has quite of bit of experience as a trainer and being a mom herself she knows how important it is that the pups get around children and have a positive experience. She's not looking for a performance dog like I am, but does want to dabble in some sports, so I am still concerned about the exposure I want for an agility dog. I don't think this breed is as likely to have the issues my terrier has, but it doesn't hurt to provide a good start. I just have to decide how much I feel that start is important if Breeder #2 cannot provide the things I would like the litter to be exposed to. If she's willing and able than it evens the score a bit more.
Oh, decisions, decisions!!!
I was leaning towards Litter #1 and thought I has pretty much made up my mind last night based on the proximity of the litter and that hunting titles on the dam and sire. What is more important? Having the puppies at arm's reach so I can visit a couple of times a week and provide supplemental socialization and exposure and the parents are proven in the field? Or a litter whose lines boast longevity, which is an issue for this bred, and whose breeder does everything she can to keep her dogs healthy?
I really like Breeder #2's practices, which are hard to find in a breeder (raw feeding being the main one). The main thing holding me back is the lack of titles on her bitch. Her female is not titled in anything yet. She has 8 point in the show ring (one 3 pt major) but due to the breeder's own health issues is not in the field or agility ring. The dad is an expert hunter (trained mostly using positive methods), but I am still waiting on the final report to see if he has any hunting titles. Most of the FCRs bred have titles at both ends and that's important to a lot of people in this breed. They want their dogs proven in the ring and in the field. And I understand that. But is that enough for me to pass up such a great litter when everything else falls into line so perfectly?
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| Dad to Litter #2 posing for the camera |
4 comments:
IMO, titles are great and show the dog is great all-around. But titles aren't the be-all of a great dog. Kane is from a BYB but I know that if I really got him out there and pushed his training a lot harder than I have, he'd be phenomenal at sports. And for Breeder #2's dogs, it's not necessarily that they've been proven lacking by having no titles, but that they haven't really been able to get out there to get those titles due to the Breeder's health issues. I don't think you can fault them for that.
Ooohhh, tough call. I would place more importance on genetics than early socialization, so when things are so close, I would try hard to compare the temperaments of the parents of the two litters. Maybe try assigning number values on a sliding scale to things like startle response, ability to settle after playing/other exciting event, interest in toys, socialibility to strangers, dog-dog social skills, etc.
It really is tough!!! I could have it worse...I could have no potential good litters, so I feel lucky to have these two great breeders to choose from.
From what I have seen from Breeder #1's dogs and have heard about Breeder #2's dogs, I think temperament wise they are very close.
The startle response will be hard to judge in these dogs because #1's are gun dogs and #2 bangs metal pie pans together to signal meal times! lol. Her temperament tester got jokingly annoyed since she would need to think of a way to startle them.
Both set of dogs settled down very quickly. Much more quickly than I would have thought, but I love that aspect!
One bitch get the slightest bit snarky when a male gets all up in her face, but other than that the two sets of dogs are both really amazing.
Health-wise (genetically speaking) Breeder #2 I think might have an advantage and then that could be amplified by her feeding and vax practices.
Another way to test startle response would be to touch or grab them when they're engrossed in something else, or toss something by them when they're looking in another direction.
I think you said that you e-mailed #2 asking if she would do some specific early exposure/socialization for you, right? If she is willing to give the pups a few extra exposures that are in line with what you're looking for for an agility prospect, then I would lean toward #2's healthier lines.
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