Registered: Sep 2018
Location: Nc
Posts: 29

Any advice or feelings on how to pick the best pup from a litter just from looks or actions from experiences

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1551

and take the one that picks you.

I did it the first time I went to Red Blakesley's, she turned out to be a good one. My Dad did it in the yard of Ed and Bobby Kuester's Limber Lost Kennel and his also turned out to be more then he dreamed.

If you think about it, how will you ever know if it was "the best one?" I mean unless you hunt everyone of them together EVERY TURNOUT, you will never know. Tracks are different, days are different and with whats being bred today I'm not sure you can measure them anymore. I always wonder if the TOC winner could win the best out of 5 hunts against the others, Or was it just their lucky night??

And remember, it doesn't have to be the best, it just has to please you.

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Registered: Sep 2018
Location: Nc
Posts: 29

That’s the stuff I wanted to hear. The old saying every dog has his day is definitely true in every aspect of life. A man just hates to not pick that one pup that would really stand out lol

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
Posts: 1927

Many say close your eyes and pick the pup…in my mind the meaning behind these words are this…you don’t know what pup will be the best…it is a gamble so just grab one and hope for the best…

Once upon a time I had developed a line of dogs that were pretty good on average…every pup I chose turned out to be a keeper…

I now have a different set of dogs and my success rate has fallen off quite a bit…

Off subject but relatable…I never liked working for someone who would say, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, because that spoke volumes of the person with that mentality and this person could become a hindrance to me…

I like raising my own litter of pups so I can see how they think and act…even when doing that I’ve gotten rid of all the pups I kept by time they were a year old…usually keeping 3 pups from a litter so not a good ratio to have had…

Picking a pup…
When looking to buy an 8 week old pup…I like to watch the whole litter to see which pup does what especially observing their demeanor…a pup that wonders off alone to investigate their surroundings is a positive point…I also watch their overall demeanor…I pick for the pup with that “above it all attitude”…if I see that there is no doubt…that’s the one I want…

When reading some of the really great dogs…they have that above it all attitude and tend to be laid back…and their mentality is kind of like I know I can get the job done and don’t need any help doing it…but you can come along for the ride if you like…laid back until the tailgate drops…

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Training dogs is not so much about quantity, it's more about timing, and the right situations...After that it's up to the dog....A hunting dog is born...

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