What would you do

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MGIII
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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:17 pm

I am looking for a family pet that I can use as a gun dog. I have found 2 potential dogs that I am considering.

First one is a American Brittany which is the breed I prefer to get. He is 5 years old and had been rattle snake trained, has been started as far as pointing and bird work. Problem is he does not like to range out because he got lost a few years back which is ok because he will be a personal bird dog.
He is being sold for $400

2nd choice is is GSP that is a year old. She hasn't had any training. She comes from good blood lines however was a rescue. She is $50 from a friend that doesn't have time for her.

Things to consider are I have 2 young children (1&4 years old). This is a family pet first and a gun dog second. I don't have any gun dog training experience.


Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Karen » Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:27 pm

If it were me, and I was looking for a family pet and hunting dog, I'd go to option #3.....buy a Brittany pup from a very reputable breeder out of strong hunting/field trial lines, preferably local to you, who can mentor you in training the pup AND join a local Brittany club or NAVDHA chapter for more help training.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Vikingoo168 » Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:34 pm

I have no experience with Brittany's, but do have a 1 year old GSP currently and a 3 year old daughter... The dog knows that she is off limits but I would not leave both of them unsupervised in another room not because he is mean, but because he is large, goofy and excites really easy. From what I can tell this is normal for GSP's and something to consider when small children are in the house. Another thing to consider is that the brittany has had some training and if you don't have a lot of time to devote to training the extra couple hundred bucks would save you some frustration in the long run.

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MGIII
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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Wed Oct 08, 2014 3:05 pm

Karen wrote:If it were me, and I was looking for a family pet and hunting dog, I'd go to option #3.....buy a Brittany pup from a very reputable breeder out of strong hunting/field trial lines, preferably local to you, who can mentor you in training the pup AND join a local Brittany club or NAVDHA chapter for more help training.
The Britt is from a breeder out here in AZ. My wife and I won't spend over $1000 on a pup right now. I am leaving more towards the Britt because it's a Britt from a breeder and because of the training it already has. Believe me I wish I could afford getting a dog from K Nine. I will buy a pup from her at some point later down the road.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Sharon » Wed Oct 08, 2014 5:18 pm

Just my opinion :

You could do so much better than any of those choices for $1000. or less. Excellent post by Karen. Go with option#3 :)

choice 1: 5 years old and "started" , "Started" can mean many things. Almost 1/2 of his hunting life is over also . "Doesn't like to range out" . Have you seen him work? That could mean he doesn't want to go more than 20 yards which won't = many birds.

choice 2: Have you seen the "good blood lines"? A year of training/independence /confidence has been lost as he "didn't have time for her". Not my choice.

Unfortunately , you didn't include your location with your avatar.

viewforum.php?f=120

* I've only had 2 GSPs ,but they were calm and kindly in the house when properly exercised. They are a bigger dog though that can knock a little child over accidently.... but then again so can my 15 pound JRT.

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Re: What would you do

Post by mnaj_springer » Wed Oct 08, 2014 5:54 pm

Karen wrote:If it were me, and I was looking for a family pet and hunting dog, I'd go to option #3.....buy a Brittany pup from a very reputable breeder out of strong hunting/field trial lines, preferably local to you, who can mentor you in training the pup AND join a local Brittany club or NAVDHA chapter for more help training.
+1

And $1000 (give or take a couple hundred) isn't that unreasonable. Especially when that will be the cheapest expense in the dog's lifetime.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:32 pm

Your kids will have lost 5yrs of the Brits life including the formative puppy stage. I agree, option 3 is best. Find a young Brit, avoid this older one and the GSP.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Neil » Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:41 pm

Option 3

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MGIII
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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:10 pm

Haha. Option 3 is my ideal choice. It's gonna take a lot of work to convince my wife that the amount of money is worth it. Now to find someone here in AZ that will have some pups avail for Christmas.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Pepper » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:05 pm

Understand that whatever you choose...this dog with be with you for a long time. Also you know that family comes first and having a dog is a big commitment. So in choosing, it might be better to have your family there and see how dog interacts with you and family. :)

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Re: What would you do

Post by ctcahoe » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:12 pm

Good choice. Like someone else said, buying a pup is only a small part of the total cost of owning a dog. Once you start telling your wife how much you're spending on birds and training sessions every month, she'll forget about the $1000 pup. :-)

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Re: What would you do

Post by ezzy333 » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:19 pm

Remember you can buy a good Brit pup for 4 or 5 hundred if you look around. !000 is too much for someone with a young family or even for any one else.

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:20 pm

ctcahoe wrote:Good choice. Like someone else said, buying a pup is only a small part of the total cost of owning a dog. Once you start telling your wife how much you're spending on birds and training sessions every month, she'll forget about the $1000 pup. :-)

I know. When I first got into fly fishing the initial cost was big. Now she doesn't even want to know how many fly rods and other stuff I have or how much I've spent on them. It all adds up.
I'm already calculating total cost of training stuff, getting it spayed/neutered, snake training, and misc equipment/tools. I guess it all takes time and money.

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MGIII
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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:22 pm

ezzy333 wrote:Remember you can buy a good Brit pup for 4 or 5 hundred if you look around. !000 is too much for someone with a young family or even for any one else.

My wife and I agree that $1000 is too much for a dog right now. I've searched around here for Brit pups for less than $800 and Can't find any.

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Re: What would you do

Post by SubMariner » Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:05 am

MGIII wrote:I am looking for a family pet that I can use as a gun dog. I have found 2 potential dogs that I am considering.

First one is a American Brittany which is the breed I prefer to get. He is 5 years old and had been rattle snake trained, has been started as far as pointing and bird work. Problem is he does not like to range out because he got lost a few years back which is ok because he will be a personal bird dog.
He is being sold for $400

2nd choice is is GSP that is a year old. She hasn't had any training. She comes from good blood lines however was a rescue. She is $50 from a friend that doesn't have time for her.

Things to consider are I have 2 young children (1&4 years old). This is a family pet first and a gun dog second. I don't have any gun dog training experience.


Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
You don't mention whether or not you have owned hunting breed dogs before. The reason I mention this is because people with young children tend to find that they can't handle both little kids AND hunting breeds due to the demand on time & resources. These dogs need LOTS of exercise and someplace to channel their almost-boundless energy.

I can't tell you the number of dogs down here that come through the rescues or are returned to their breeders for the very reason that the "owners" didn't realize what kind of a commitment the dog was going to entail.

My next question is what is your ultimate training goal with your dog? Our GSPs are first & foremost members of our household. So they are obedience trained. But by their nature, they are very good with people & kids.

However, they are also field trained because that is one of our lifestyle choices: we participate in field events & also hunt with them.

That being said, you KNOW I'm going to vote for the GSP. ;)

Bonne chance,

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Re: What would you do

Post by gonehuntin' » Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:12 am

I'm with Karen and Sharon. If you can't afford $1000.00, find one for $500.00. There's plenty of them out there.

viewtopic.php?f=120&t=47003

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MGIII
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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:22 am

[/quote]
You don't mention whether or not you have owned hunting breed dogs before. The reason I mention this is because people with young children tend to find that they can't handle both little kids AND hunting breeds due to the demand on time & resources. These dogs need LOTS of exercise and someplace to channel their almost-boundless energy.

I can't tell you the number of dogs down here that come through the rescues or are returned to their breeders for the very reason that the "owners" didn't realize what kind of a commitment the dog was going to entail.

My next question is what is your ultimate training goal with your dog? Our GSPs are first & foremost members of our household. So they are obedience trained. But by their nature, they are very good with people & kids.

However, they are also field trained because that is one of our lifestyle choices: we participate in field events & also hunt with them.

That being said, you KNOW I'm going to vote for the GSP. ;)

Bonne chance,[/quote]


Yes I have owned hunting breeds before. I've had Labs. I know what to expect when it comes to the energy and attn dogs need. Although I've never trained a dog for hunting I consider myself pretty good with obedience training. In fact I've had friends ask me to train their dogs.

My ultimate training goal is to have a family pet that I can take out bird hunting multiple times a year and have confidence in its hunting and retrieving skill. By no means am I considering field events.

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:24 am

gonehuntin' wrote:I'm with Karen and Sharon. If you can't afford $1000.00, find one for $500.00. There's plenty of them out there.

viewtopic.php?f=120&t=47003

Thank you. How much does shipping a dog generally cost?

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Re: What would you do

Post by gonehuntin' » Thu Oct 09, 2014 5:45 pm

One of my favorite posters is a breeder in AZ and posts on here, Arlette Hennesey. K-9. PM her, tell her your problem, and see what she has. I'd contact her before I do anything else and I'd have total confidence in anything she tells you.



http://www.kninebirddog.com

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:21 pm

gonehuntin' wrote:One of my favorite posters is a breeder in AZ and posts on here, Arlette Hennesey. K-9. PM her, tell her your problem, and see what she has. I'd contact her before I do anything else and I'd have total confidence in anything she tells you.



http://www.kninebirddog.com

Oh I've spoken to her many times. She is so helpful and full of knowledge. In One of my posts above I mentioned how one of my goals is getting a dog from her.

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What would you do

Post by Bluesky2012 » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:30 am

You will be disappointed in dog 1 or 2 most likely. If you're going to do it right, realize a good pup is 800-1000$, 4 months (or more) of training is 500$/ months, vet bills, etc. you're 4000$ in on this dog by 1.5 years old. Either do it right with a good pup, or don't at all in my opinion. Especially when you factor in training costs, you get what you pay for in a dog and I'd be pissed if I put thousands into training a crap dog that coulda been avoided by getting a well bred puppy.

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Re: What would you do

Post by cjhills » Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:38 am

You generally get what you pay for in a puppy.
You probably do not need or even want a field trial pedigree. A good foot hunting, family dog pedigree is the way to go, not that horse back dogs can't be pets, some are great. But some have a little to much go for the average beginner and you will pay extra for something you do not need.
In the three or four hundred dollar puppy you will probably get a puppy whose parents do not have much for health tests, breeder probably does his own tail docking and shots and not much of a guarantee if there is a problem. Might get lucky and get a very good dog, but there is a reason why some puppies are priced higher than others.
As for training with a bit of reading and good videos you can do it yourself. The main training you will need in the first year is no different than any family dog. House breaking, crate training and obedience, walks in the woods and fields and a few pigeons to chase and hopefully point. This is the fun part. You can usually get a nearby bird dog trainer to help you on a hourly basis and again do most of it yourself. Mostly you will need help with the gun introduction.
If this is a well bred bird dog puppy he will probably hunt well enough for you on his natural talent. You will need to enforce a few things, again a good local trainer can help as well as videos and books. You do not need to spend 4 or 5 thousand dollars on training on a family pet who is a occasional bird. It is difficult to ruin a well bred pup. Some people seem to be more into training than anything else.
I to vote for option #3 but do not try to save to much on the purchase price it may cost you in the end. But at this point we are not looking for a National Champion either. Maybe later. You will be missing a lot of the fun if you go with the older dogs plus they will come with baggage that may be hard to deal with. There is a reason they are cheap. It is all fun. Good Luck..................Cj

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Re: What would you do

Post by Karen » Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:50 am

Puppy pricing can be quite geographical. I bought a pup in NJ for $1000, and 3 yrs later bought another from southern IL for $500. My $500 puppy has 27 adult field trial placements, including a placement at Nationals. Both are great dogs, but because of where I bought them, the prices varied GREATLY.

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Re: What would you do

Post by shags » Fri Oct 10, 2014 7:18 am

cjhills wrote:You generally get what you pay for in a puppy.
You probably do not need or even want a field trial pedigree. A good foot hunting, family dog pedigree is the way to go, not that horse back dogs can't be pets, some are great. But some have a little to much go for the average beginner and you will pay extra for something you do not need...

You will be missing a lot of the fun if you go with the older dogs plus they will come with baggage that may be hard to deal with. There is a reason they are cheap. It is all fun. Good Luck..................Cj
Yeah those high strung field trial dogs are impossible in the house :roll: :roll:

Image

OP, any pointing dog pup is going to have boundless energy and the potential to drive you crazy for its first two years or so, especially with the household chaos that comes with little kids. The pup will jump amd nip and kids will shriek and cry; no cookie in little hands will be safe; no toy will be free from puppy teeth marks. You can manage, but expect trouble. The best way to deal with it is to exercise the dog until it's really tired. That takes time and effort.
If you are open to a patient search, you can find an older dog that is being given up for reasons that jave nothing to do with baggage or bad behavior. Most of the gun dog/ firld trial/ sporting forums have dogs looking for new homes. With an older dog you have a great chance of knowing what you're getting. Our family adopted a 5 year old setter and she has been everything the foster family said she was - great with children, quiet and calm, good with other dogs, and hates cats. She came to us needing only some work on recall and some steadying on birds, and she retrieves to hand.

I suggest you think hard about what your wants vs needs are, and how much time and effort you can devote to a dog right now. If you can sort things out you'll make a great choice for your family. Best of luck.

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What would you do

Post by Bluesky2012 » Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:01 am

cjhills wrote:You generally get what you pay for in a puppy.
You probably do not need or even want a field trial pedigree. A good foot hunting, family dog pedigree is the way to go, not that horse back dogs can't be pets, some are great. But some have a little to much go for the average beginner and you will pay extra for something you do not need.
In the three or four hundred dollar puppy you will probably get a puppy whose parents do not have much for health tests, breeder probably does his own tail docking and shots and not much of a guarantee if there is a problem. Might get lucky and get a very good dog, but there is a reason why some puppies are priced higher than others.
As for training with a bit of reading and good videos you can do it yourself. The main training you will need in the first year is no different than any family dog. House breaking, crate training and obedience, walks in the woods and fields and a few pigeons to chase and hopefully point. This is the fun part. You can usually get a nearby bird dog trainer to help you on a hourly basis and again do most of it yourself. Mostly you will need help with the gun introduction.
If this is a well bred bird dog puppy he will probably hunt well enough for you on his natural talent. You will need to enforce a few things, again a good local trainer can help as well as videos and books. You do not need to spend 4 or 5 thousand dollars on training on a family pet who is a occasional bird. It is difficult to ruin a well bred pup. Some people seem to be more into training than anything else.
I to vote for option #3 but do not try to save to much on the purchase price it may cost you in the end. But at this point we are not looking for a National Champion either. Maybe later. You will be missing a lot of the fun if you go with the older dogs plus they will come with baggage that may be hard to deal with. There is a reason they are cheap. It is all fun. Good Luck..................Cj
It he doesn't know what he's doing, between buying a program, birds, launchers, access to land, poppers, food, etc, I'd wager there is marginal difference in training costs yourself vs a 400-500$/ month trainer. I guarantee I spent within 100$ of what a trainer would cost per month when I was starting out, and the results are definitely not as good. It's marginally more (if any more) for a pro to do it right, especially when you factor in it will be done better and probably quicker. Just food for thought.

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Re: What would you do

Post by cjhills » Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:37 am

The Op stated in his post he has done obedience training and wants a dog to hunt with in the fall. He does not need all that equipment and expense. I am quite sure he will be happy with a dog that will hold his points and allow the bird to be flushed and shot. most well bred puppies will do this. If it goes on the flush it probably will not bother him. He will have fun and enjoy the dog. The good part is when you see the dog improving and know you did it. I train my first MH with no pointing dog experience, a small amount of help from a nearby trainer, not a lot of expense and my only equipment was a checkcord and a e-collar. A well bred dog knows how to hunt all he needs is obedience.
Also to shags I did not say trial dogs couldn't be house pets. I said many are. All dogs have to rest sometime, especially if as you say in your post you wear them out first ...............

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Re: What would you do

Post by deke » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:02 am

MGIII wrote:
You don't mention whether or not you have owned hunting breed dogs before. The reason I mention this is because people with young children tend to find that they can't handle both little kids AND hunting breeds due to the demand on time & resources. These dogs need LOTS of exercise and someplace to channel their almost-boundless energy.

I can't tell you the number of dogs down here that come through the rescues or are returned to their breeders for the very reason that the "owners" didn't realize what kind of a commitment the dog was going to entail.

My next question is what is your ultimate training goal with your dog? Our GSPs are first & foremost members of our household. So they are obedience trained. But by their nature, they are very good with people & kids.

However, they are also field trained because that is one of our lifestyle choices: we participate in field events & also hunt with them.

That being said, you KNOW I'm going to vote for the GSP. ;)

Bonne chance,[/quote]


Yes I have owned hunting breeds before. I've had Labs. I know what to expect when it comes to the energy and attn dogs need. Although I've never trained a dog for hunting I consider myself pretty good with obedience training. In fact I've had friends ask me to train their dogs.

My ultimate training goal is to have a family pet that I can take out bird hunting multiple times a year and have confidence in its hunting and retrieving skill. By no means am I considering field events.[/quote]




If you think a lab has a lot of energy, you are going to be in for a big surprise when it comes to GSP's. I consider my black lab on the hyper side of labs, he doesn't hold a candle to any shorthair I have ran across. My buddy has two of them, both under 3 years old, and I have only seen one of the dogs stop running once.

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MGIII
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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:16 am

Thank you guys. I have a lot to think about. I will keep you guys posted on what I decide.

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Re: What would you do

Post by deseeker » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:17 am

Karen wrote:Puppy pricing can be quite geographical. I bought a pup in NJ for $1000, and 3 yrs later bought another from southern IL for $500. My $500 puppy has 27 adult field trial placements, including a placement at Nationals. Both are great dogs, but because of where I bought them, the prices varied GREATLY.
This is very true :!: I'm in Nebraska and I sell my pups for between $500 & $600. This price is very cheap compared to either coast, but it is very high in this part of the country--plain every day purebred britts around here will sell for $300 around here :roll:

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Re: What would you do

Post by CCBIRDDOGMAN » Fri Oct 10, 2014 12:12 pm

Dang pups are expensive up north! I can get great Brittany pups for $500 or less any day of the year. I have a nice litter coming up, maybe I should load em up & bring em north when they are ready. But they are right, option 3 is the way to go.

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Re: What would you do

Post by bgcole » Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:54 am

I had option 2 and option 3 in front of me recently and chose option 2. My wife and I agreed to tell everyone, that we were babysitting the dog for a friend for 2-3 weeks due to them moving... this was to see how the dog did... If he sucked, we had an out without the kids getting upset because they thought it was a temp deal. He turned out great, learned things fast, needs serious work on heel... but was house trained, is a sweet heart. within 3-4 days we knew it was perfect and he's now a minted member of the family.

The only downside is I can't get him to sleep on the floor....

My kids are 6 and 8.

I tried to get a Vizsla when my kids were 1 and 3... It was really really hard. house training a puppy when your kids are in diapers is no picnic especially if your wife is not 110% on board. Then dealing with the 6-9 month old dog when they start getting bigger...
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Re: What would you do

Post by gamekeeper » Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:08 pm

Being a life long dog fancier we have had dozens & dozens of dogs of all ages in our families,two marriages with five children.I am old school and let the kids and dogs work things out.The kids train the dogs/pups by running and tripping over them,stepping on the etc,etc. The dogs train the kids by pulling their pants off,knocking the over ,stealing their toys and food.To me it is healty situation for both.My kids were raised not to be casper milktoast kids and soon dealt with the dogs and humans as needed.That being said I have a 5 month old GWP that is a handful,I keep her in the kennel as I get a big kick out of her rowdiness and don't want to take her spirit away she would be a bit much for the one year old the 5 year old would be a better fit.

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:31 pm

Went and met option 1. Good looking dog. Very sweet and good health. Has a few minor things I need to work on. Breeders were very nice and knowledgable. Leaning towards getting him.

Option 2 I decided was not an option

Option 3 is now an option

Picture of my first option, JonJon is his name.
[attachment=0]ImageUploadedByTapatalk1413851342.500431.jpg[/attachment
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Re: What would you do

Post by Pepper » Mon Oct 20, 2014 8:57 pm

MGIII wrote:Went and met option 1. Good looking dog. Very sweet and good health. Has a few minor things I need to work on. Breeders were very nice and knowledgable. Leaning towards getting him.

Option 2 I decided was not an option

Option 3 is now an option

Picture of my first option, JonJon is his name.
[attachment=0]ImageUploadedByTapatalk1413851342.500431.jpg[/attachment
Nice looking Brittany... Be sure to trim those feathers...Cockle-Burr's heaven. :) If you decide to get him...enjoy the journey. :)

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Re: What would you do

Post by MNTonester » Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:14 am

Jon Jon's a fine looking dog. Hope whatever you decide works out

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Re: What would you do

Post by Karen » Tue Oct 21, 2014 1:32 pm

Reading your choices, I tend to think about longevity, and your kids.

Brittanys live, on average, 12-14 years. We lost our old man at 13 1/2, but he was ill for a good year before that (pretty severe arthritis and kidney disease). As much as we adored him, he wouldn't have been good around small children the last 2 years, and he grew up with kids around a lot.

If you're looking at a 5 yr old dog, you're talking 6 or 7 good years before you start dealing with arthritis and illness. A puppy you get 10-12 years before arthritis & illness.

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MGIII
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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:19 pm

Karen wrote:Reading your choices, I tend to think about longevity, and your kids.

Brittanys live, on average, 12-14 years. We lost our old man at 13 1/2, but he was ill for a good year before that (pretty severe arthritis and kidney disease). As much as we adored him, he wouldn't have been good around small children the last 2 years, and he grew up with kids around a lot.

If you're looking at a 5 yr old dog, you're talking 6 or 7 good years before you start dealing with arthritis and illness. A puppy you get 10-12 years before arthritis & illness.

I agree and have thought about this too. If I go with JonJon who is 5 we will buy a female puppy in 5 years. My kids will be old enough to handle a pup, we will be in a bigger house by then (maybe in CO and not AZ), and I will be more knowledgeable on field training britts.

After thinking about this for a while we have decided to get JonJon. We will be picking him up in a few weeks. We are excited about bringing him into our family. He will teach me more about Brittanys so in a few years I will be able to take on the challenge of training a pup to become a good family pet and hunting partner. Right now i have some work to do to get ready for JonJon so we can ensure he is comfortable with the transition into a new family.

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What would you do

Post by Bluesky2012 » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:49 pm

Judging by your description of him from the first post and the fact that he's 5, I hope you'll reconsider. At that age he's at his prime for hunting, and past training age. Any bad habits, your most likely stuck with. A different young puppy will more than likely serve you much better. Just FYI, if the vast majority of people on here agree with something (which is often rare), it's probably because it's a consistent truth. Everyone on here is saying don't get that dog, probably because knowledge and history suggests that. As well, at 5, if he isn't solid with kids, he won't get better (likely worse with age). A puppy you can mold to your wants and desires. A 5 year old dog, not so much. I could say more but my opinion is clear.

A tip I was told once, no one wants to give away a great dog. 400$ is giving it away....

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:03 pm

Bluesky2012 wrote:Judging by your description of him from the first post and the fact that he's 5, I hope you'll reconsider. At that age he's at his prime for hunting, and past training age. Any bad habits, your most likely stuck with. A different young puppy will more than likely serve you much better. Just FYI, if the vast majority of people on here agree with something (which is often rare), it's probably because it's a consistent truth. Everyone on here is saying don't get that dog, probably because knowledge and history suggests that. As well, at 5, if he isn't solid with kids, he won't get better (likely worse with age). A puppy you can mold to your wants and desires. A 5 year old dog, not so much. I could say more but my opinion is clear.

A tip I was told once, no one wants to give away a great dog. 400$ is giving it away....

Thank you. I have taken everything everyone has said into consideration. Believe me it was a difficult decision until I met him. After talking to other breeders that have met him or know about him they all agree he will make a good family pet and personal hunting partner. My wife and I went and met him and he is a good dog. I have found that you can't teach an old dog new tricks isn't always true. Plus I'm not expecting to turn him into a field champ. With him I'm just looking for a good dog for my kids and a buddy I can take hunting. At this point it's not about the money it's about what's best for us and what's best for the dog. We feel this is what's best for all parties.

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Re: What would you do

Post by shags » Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:33 pm

I think you are making a wise choice. Little puppies can be fun, but not so much with little kids in the house - the combination can lead to chaos, and since you probably won't rehome your kids, rehoming the pup is something that might happen down the road - a bad thing for all involved. Adopting an older dog, you know what you're getting and he's past all the puppy nonsense. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't train an older dog. The first dogs I broke were 7 and 8 years old. Seven years ago we rescued a 5 year old setter and got her going pretty well too. Your plan to get a pup in a few years is good, since your old boy will be ready to retire and the new one will be waiting in the wings.

I would caution you on one point though...make sure the rescue or foster of this dog knows whether the dog jas been around kids, amd how he does with them. And no matter what they tell you, do not allow the kids to be alone with the dog. Little ones that age cannot read the dog and it's unfair to both to expect total tolerance of children poking and pulling and doing what little guys do. Far better to always supervise their interactions so you can teach the kids to respect the dog, and the dog to tolerate the kids. When you can't be around, keep the dog crated or penned off.

Best of luck with your new family member.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Elkhunter » Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:40 pm

There are gazillions of good pups for $500. I have never paid more than that for any of my dogs, I have placed in CH's and shot gob loads of wild birds. They are there ya just need to look.

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What would you do

Post by Bluesky2012 » Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:09 am

Elkhunter wrote:There are gazillions of good pups for $500. I have never paid more than that for any of my dogs, I have placed in CH's and shot gob loads of wild birds. They are there ya just need to look.
This dog is 5, not a puppy. At this age is should hunt and be done with training, so it should be expensive. If someone is selling a "hunting dog" at 5 years old for 500$, there's a reason. They claim it's "not ranging out", but time will tell.

Can you train an old dog? It can be done. But it is more likely to have issues and not develop much. Since the dog already "hunts" but the owner wants to sell it for such a low price, I'd be VERY skeptical.

It's a bold move cotton...

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Re: What would you do

Post by Elkhunter » Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:47 pm

Bluesky2012 wrote:
Elkhunter wrote:There are gazillions of good pups for $500. I have never paid more than that for any of my dogs, I have placed in CH's and shot gob loads of wild birds. They are there ya just need to look.
This dog is 5, not a puppy. At this age is should hunt and be done with training, so it should be expensive. If someone is selling a "hunting dog" at 5 years old for 500$, there's a reason. They claim it's "not ranging out", but time will tell.

Can you train an old dog? It can be done. But it is more likely to have issues and not develop much. Since the dog already "hunts" but the owner wants to sell it for such a low price, I'd be VERY skeptical.

It's a bold move cotton...
Ha I did not read all the posts, just the posts about $1200 puppies. I would be a bit nervous about a $500 five year old dog unless it was from a close buddy.

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Fri Oct 24, 2014 5:17 pm

Ok. I decided not to get JonJon. although he was a good dog, my wife and i want to raise one from a puppy. I put down a deposit for a puppy from Arlette at K nine bird dogs here in AZ.

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What would you do

Post by Bluesky2012 » Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:21 pm

MGIII wrote:Ok. I decided not to get JonJon. although he was a good dog, my wife and i want to raise one from a puppy. I put down a deposit for a puppy from Arlette at K nine bird dogs here in AZ.
Good choice. You'll be rewarded for the extra effort.

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Re: What would you do

Post by Sharon » Fri Oct 24, 2014 9:29 pm

All right !!! Great choice. You'll not be sorry.

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Re: What would you do

Post by kninebirddog » Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:15 pm

MGIII wrote:Ok. I decided not to get JonJon. although he was a good dog, my wife and i want to raise one from a puppy. I put down a deposit for a puppy from Arlette at K nine bird dogs here in AZ.
Looking forward to meeting you and the family and do not forget to come down to get a head start and PS if you can swing it we are hosting a Rick SMith seminar the last weekend in Feb 27-28 and March 1 2015 it is 450.00 bucks but you will come out with even more information over load :mrgreen: and then we can help you over the summer and by next fall hopefully you should have a young dog to start doing some hunting with and other things :wink:

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:23 pm

kninebirddog wrote:
MGIII wrote:Ok. I decided not to get JonJon. although he was a good dog, my wife and i want to raise one from a puppy. I put down a deposit for a puppy from Arlette at K nine bird dogs here in AZ.
Looking forward to meeting you and the family and do not forget to come down to get a head start and PS if you can swing it we are hosting a Rick SMith seminar the last weekend in Feb 27-28 and March 1 2015 it is 450.00 bucks but you will come out with even more information over load :mrgreen: and then we can help you over the summer and by next fall hopefully you should have a young dog to start doing some hunting with and other things :wink:
I plan on stopping by a few times this winter and spring. I am excited to start learning. My wife is scared I'm gonna get sucked in and end up having multiple dogs and start competing down the road. Haha who knows, only time will tell.

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Re: What would you do

Post by kninebirddog » Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:31 pm

Ah yes.....
Make plans in January to come down to Sonoita and see a bunch of brittanys ..The Greater Phoenix Brittany Club is hosting the Western Brittany Futurity this year. Steve and I will be there from about Jan 2 - Jan 13 2015
I will explain all of this as your pup will be nominated for the 2016 or 2017 Brittany Futurity depending on when she is whelped Don't worry it is not a mandated thing to run in

Then also there is NSTRA which is kinda like hunting with a competitive edge to it

But then there is wild bird hunting and of course next to us is a pheasant preserve


PS it has been said Brittany's are like potato chips you can't stop at one :wink: :mrgreen:

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What would you do

Post by MGIII » Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:49 pm

kninebirddog wrote:Ah yes.....
Make plans in January to come down to Sonoita and see a bunch of brittanys ..The Greater Phoenix Brittany Club is hosting the Western Brittany Futurity this year. Steve and I will be there from about Jan 2 - Jan 13 2015
I will explain all of this as your pup will be nominated for the 2016 or 2017 Brittany Futurity depending on when she is whelped Don't worry it is not a mandated thing to run in

Then also there is NSTRA which is kinda like hunting with a competitive edge to it

But then there is wild bird hunting and of course next to us is a pheasant preserve


PS it has been said Brittany's are like potato chips you can't stop at one :wink: :mrgreen:
Yes I have lots to learn. Haha.

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