Pedigree ?s

[ChrisW74]

pedigree.jpg

So guys I am new to all this gun dog stuff and the pedigree too. I've had several papered dogs over the years but never really cared about all that info the pedigree. Now that I have a dog for hunting can anyone give me some insight on the pedigree of my dog. I have figured out the FC is Field Champion and that NC is National Champion so any help with rest of them would be nice and also any help with the term Man dog? Just curios about Hanks breeding is all. Thanks

[shags]

Prefixes FC Field Champion AFC Amateur Field Champion, CH bench ( show) champion, NFC National Field Champion (this trial is only open to a particular breed, like only GSPs, or Brittanies, etc) NAFC would be the amateur version of that
Suffixes JH Junior Hunter, SH Senior Hunter, MH Master Hunter ( goes from most basic ro most advanced work), UD Utility Dog ( obedience degree)

Sorry, that's all I can remember from your pedigree

AKC has about 800 million different titles these days, including various degrees of accomplishment within titles. You might be able to find them on their website AKC.org

If you see CH on an FDSB registered dog on its FDSB pedigree, that means it won a championship field trial, and a number in front of the CH signifies how many it won, as in 4X CH. The more, the better.

[ChrisW74]

Thanks Shags. Would anyone be familiar with any of the dogs in the Pedigree? And what is a MAN dog? What kennel are they out of?

[Featherfinder]

I'm not familiar with any of the dogs on that ped but that is not necessarily an indicator. I know a few prominent GSP lines but not near as many as others on this site. Admittedly, I'm not a GSP aficionado.
Chris, what I don't see are the right kind of titles/acronyms up front.
For me personally, JH says, "Run!!!" It is a certificate that is often used to dupe hunters into thinking it is a valid test of a dog's natural field ability - typically borne of show-based breeding.
Moving forward to your next acquisition, might I urge you to become better versed on what a pedigree indicates or involve someone that knows.
This dog could be awesome but a mistake could be a 15+ years mistake and $$$$$$!! You want to do ALL you can to avoid this. A ped helps.
This ped doesn't mean your dog can't find kibble in the kitchen. It just doesn't tell you what his potential is as a working bird dog.
Now, I may have missed something but as I said, there are many here-in that can shed more light than I.
There are some good indicators but they are SO far back in that pedigree that it's hardly utile.
You stated, "Now that I have a dog for hunting...." Did you see the sire/dam in action/hunting, perhaps?

[ChrisW74]

Thanks FF for some more insight. When I started looking I wasn't really as interested in the pedigree as I have become now. I mainly just want a dog that will hunt well so the titles didn't necessarily mean that much to me. But now I am learning maybe I should have looked at that more than I did initially. I do know that Hank has tons of desire for birds it's all he wants to do thus why I took him to John Prince of Prince's Quality Gun Dogs for training as I have now experience training dogs so I didn't want to mess him up. I did get to watch the Sire and Dam work some but I am inexperienced when it comes to hunting over dogs. But I am trying to learn more and I had some guidance on what to look for from several friends and co-workers who are experienced in these things.

[Featherfinder]

Well Chris, you have learned something already regarding the value of a pedigree. That should not be overlooked. That ped is intended to give you support in your decision before moving forward.
That said - this being your first dog - you already blew the selection of my first dog right out of the tubs!! We are NOT going there!!!
I didn't do as well as you have even at this early stage. So, sadly I speak from experience.
You are obviously a quick study. You recognize your strengths and areas needing work. This is reflected in your choice of getting decent gun dog training. Along with that, you have a right to a certain level of performance from your finished dog. Along with the performance, you will get guidance as to how to handle your dog so as to protect/nurture your investment.
When I started out as a trainer XX years ago, I worked with just about anything that had 4 legs and a pulse. They made me who I am, as a trainer. The reason I share this is because not ALL dogs without a complimentary ped are trash. This too, I know from experience.
I look forward to exciting reports as your dog blossoms into a partner that accompanies your bird hunting outings while etching delightful memories!!
All the best!

[averageguy]

The real issue is not all dogs with titles are great and all dogs without titles are not poor or even average. Many an excellent bird dog has never been in a hunt test or a trial. Knowing as much as possible about the Sire and Dam goes a long ways towards getting a puppy that has good odds to suit you.

[Meller]

The real issue is not all dogs with titles are great and all dogs without titles are not poor or even average. Many an excellent bird dog has never been in a hunt test or a trial. Knowing as much as possible about the Sire and Dam goes a long ways towards getting a puppy that has good odds to suit you.

+1

[ChrisW74]

Thanks gentlemen, I know the Sire and Dam aren't champions but they are good hunting dogs and that's the main thing for me. I can say this with out a doubt Hank has a ton of desire for birds and John says he is coming along nicely so we will see as he progresses through training how he turns out.

[Featherfinder]

Superb! I'm confident that both you and your dog will grow together into our beloved sport.
I am SO passionate about bird dogs and bird hunting that I can get almost fanatical. I mean well.