Purchasing a field trial / hunt test Pup.

[captainjack]

Let's try to approach this from a positive perspective to give advice to a new member who hopefully has not yet purchased a pup.
Let's just try a snowball technique - each member adds one item to the list until we have totally looked at all aspects. The object of the exercise is not to criticize or argue, but just to snowball ideas.
I will start......

1. I look at new field trial champions to see their sire / dam as I am looking for producers.

Now it's your turn.

[Retrievers ONLINE]

I look at what "bitch" lines the top producing 3-4 sires of the past 5 years have had those super litters with. Then I look for the same genetics.

Assumption 1. I like the sire and have seen him perform.
Assumption 2. I know of "few" health issues in both lines.

[just chessies]

I look for the FT. champion male or dam that produced the male or female that is now a champion and so on back in the pedigree.

[ducksoup]

1) I look for what the bitch has produced.
2) I look for health clearances.
3) I look for certain bloodlines/names in pedigree that I like.

[blackstorm]

In looking at a pedigree I look at who did the training of the parents, I generally like for sires and dams to be at least partially amateur trained. I then look for performance of the Sire and Dam and I like to see what venue they have run in and who handled them, again I prefer to see results with amateur handlers.
Glynn

[luvmylabs]

If possible, I like to talk to the owner/trainer of a pup from a previous litter. This is especially true if it is a repeat litter. The pups may not always carry the same traits a second time, but it is just another tool to use.

Anne

[2labs]

I look to see if I have the TIME to train and the parents ,how they perform etc

[Huntmaster]

Would strongly depend on income and purpose of the new member. But pedigree for serious FT purposes. Or lots of questions for breeder, and meet the sire & Dam if wanting a good hunting dog. By meeting the sire & dam you should get a good idea what the pup will be like! Ask for reference's!

[ducksoup]

Would strongly depend on income and purpose of the new member. But pedigree for serious FT purposes. Or lots of questions for breeder, and meet the sire & Dam if wanting a good hunting dog. By meeting the sire & dam you should get a good idea what the pup will be like! Ask for reference's!

I think you want the best bred pup no matter what you're planning for -- whether FTs or HTs or just a gun dog -- the best bred pup you can get is ideal -- certainly agree that seeing parents is important -- but grandparents could be equally important -- when I bought Maxx I bought here in Ontario so I could see the litter in development -- but I went with the best pedigree I could afford -- and I got what I wished for -- a hard going well bred handsome BLM -- the whole litter seems to be doing well -- certainly great results in Bancroft Junior (1st, 2nd, 4th, and CM) -- but I saw Maxx's half brother run (out of brother to grandsire of stud) and he convinced me of what this bloodline could be -- linebreeding too as common great grandparents was a factor -- if I ever breed Maxx to keep a pup for myself I would want a breeding with Lean Mac, Sky Watch Radar, Harley, and Lottie on the dam's side -- it would quite possibly create a dog similar in character -- certainly likely a high flier but by then I'll be better equipped to train/handle such a fire breather -- and I believe this kind of dog while not for everybody has a bigger upside than downside for any retriever game (for me any way -- and that's a change of opinion since last summer as I am now learning how to deal with Maxx and that type of dog -- and I like it)

[3 black dogs]

we look at the consistency of the sire and dam over the last few years in thier performance We want a dog that is at least a 70-80 % finish rate.

Chris

[MAD MALLARD]

I looked for a stong pedegree on both sides, I also went with a repeat breeding so that I had some examples to look at in the first breeding as far as placements go. Than I had some contacts made with individuals that have seen the dogs and thier pups and asked for an opinion on the health of the dogs. And still it is all in the name of luck....everything looks great on paper for my new pup, but you never know you cross your fingers and hope that if you are comfortable with how everythings look on paper that it will all pan out. My biggest advice would be if you are new to the game try to stick to a repeat breeding so that you have examples of what you might be in for.