After a few months of loafing and enjoying the lazy days of summer the dogs tend to lose some muscle and get pudgy like their owner. With the fall pheasant hunting season only 2 months away it is time for our daily runs to get back on track. With temperatures reaching into the high 90’s during the day we usually go for our run first thing in the morning when it is still cool out. The dogs are a little soft so it will take a couple weeks to get back in shape and running hard.
Yesterday we picked up this white and liver brittany dog named Buster. He is a nice sized 4-year-old male out of Dave Walkers brittany kennels. Buster’s sire is FC Ricoche-T or “Rico” and his dam is Sweet Dreams who is a Beans Blaze bred female by DC Chick’s Blaze’N Sawtooth Sam JH. We are excited to add Buster to our brittany kennels and look forward to shooting a lot of pheasants for him this fall at the pheasant hunting preserve.
Dog Training Journal
American Brittany, Breeding, Dog Breeds, Gun Dog Training, Health and Nutrition
This is an American Brittany puppy I am looking at out of Texas. The litter was planned and whelped by Laura Wilder and David Downing of Blue Ridge Kennels. I was looking for a strong male dog with the liver coloring. The other thing I was looking for was a puppy that had dual champions on both sides. To me it was important to have a dog with the conformation and looks as well as the bird hunting and pointing instincts. Now I don’t plan to field trial this year but I can appreciate the skills that are required to win in both field trials and dog shows.
Speaking with Dave today he said that the Dam (CH T’Kalis Feel The Wind) just received her last field trial points needed to earn her the DC title. The Sire of the litter (DC TC’s Match Boks Racer) earned his DC title at just 3 years old. The only drawback with an older puppy is that you miss out on some of the crucial socialization period when they are 8-12 weeks old. I like the breeding and am leaning toward getting a puppy from the next litter. The only problem is figuring out how to get a puppy from Texas to Utah, might have to take a little road trip.
On the subject of naming a new puppy I decided to go with a WWII theme for the dog, specifically about airplanes from that era. I am hoping to stick with this theme for any future males in my dog kennel. His official AKC registered name will be “Annabella’s B-17 Flying Fortress” and his call name will be “Bomber”. You can check out his complete pedigree here.
Choosing a Puppy
American Brittany, Breeding, Dog Breeds, Puppy Names
For the past 2 years I have been trying to make up my mind whether I prefer the Brittany or the German Shorthaired Pointer. When I was shopping I decided to buy both breeds and to train them and work with them side-by-side and see what differences I noticed along the way. First, I must say that I have enjoyed the experience immensely. In the end I knew I would have to make a hard decision because both dogs are highly qualified hunters and companions. I always intended to have a litter of pups down the road and felt like I only had the time, energy and resources to focus on one pointing breed at a time.
I have decided to stick with the Brittany dogs and currently have my german shorthair up for sale. Both are excellent pheasant hunting dogs and have been working at a pheasant preserve these past two seasons. One of the biggest things I have noticed is that the Brittanies seem to be more interested in people and human contact. As much as I tried to bond with my shorthair she just felt stand-offish and distant. Both dogs were raised in the kennel and the shorthair seems to suffer the most from this. If you can keep your dog in the house as a family companion, that is always the best situation for bonding and socializing.
I’m not proclaiming that Brittany dogs are better hunters, more friendly or even better looking. I just enjoy being around the Brittanies more. I hope to own a few other breeds througout my life and see if there are any real differences when you compare one breed to another. Largely, I think it is more about the individual dogs personality and traits that are inherited. Working as a hunting guide this year I have had the opportunity to hunt behind several nice breeds like Vizlas, Weimeraners, English Setters, Labs, English Pointers, French Brittanies, Chessies and in the end I am simply drawn to the American Brittany.
Choosing a Puppy
American Brittany, Dog Breeds, German Shorthaired Pointer, Gun Dog Training
Today we launched our new website called DogBreederSearch.com. It is largely based on the same framework and code as our very successul gun dog breeder directory. We received quite a few requests from those raising hunting dogs that also happened to raise other popular dog breeds for pets. We purchased the domain name more than a year ago and finally got around to launching the new site this week. We have already got quite a few new dog kennels added to the site through our free kennel listings. We hope to get the word out on this new site as the pet industry seems to be very strong, especially heading into the holiday season. Please take a minute and look at all the dogs and puppies for sale.
Random Thoughts
Dog Breeds, Hunting Dog Websites, Puppies For Sale
When choosing a puppy from a litter it seems there is always a real go-getter in the litter. The pup that is always first to the feed dish, first to explore the backyard, first to run up to new people and the first to chase a carded pigeon. Sometimes the most outgoing puppy is a female but more often it seems the spitfire is a male pup. The question is – will the pup stay aggresive and outgoing. Usually a bold puppy will stay that way and will continue to have a burning desire to go and do. Some people look for this quality in a new puppy with the mindset that the most aggresive dog will be the best hunter or bird finder as an adult.
Then there is the wallflower. This is the puppy that stays back and watches things develop around them. Perhaps this is a smarter puppy that learns from its litter mates mistakes. The shy or reserved puppy is often a very affectionate puppy. She is often the one that crawls onto your lap for a nap while the others are chasing balls and each others tails. Will the timid puppy be less likely to get out and point birds? Or, does this puppy just require a compatible owner to bring out the best?
While both puppies have good qualities and may turn out to be great bird hunting dogs, I tend to stay in the middle of the road. I tend to avoid the hyper-agressive puppy that is bouncing off the walls and bullying the other puppies into submission. By the same token, I also avoid the reserved or timid puppy that hangs back from the group or stays too close to Momma. To me the perfect puppy is the one who is not the most aggressive and not the most shy. The perfect puppy to me is the one that is happy and friendly but not overly so. The key is in the parentage. If the parents are the kind of dogs that you would be proud to own, then there is a great chance that the pups will be the same.
Choosing a Puppy
Dog Breeds, Puppies For Sale, Puppy Names
Yesterday I had my two nieces over for the day and they just love animals. We went to my neighbors house and brought home one of his 6 week old german shorthaired pointer puppies for the girls to play with. First, I had to set down some ground rules to make sure it was a positive experience for both Taylor and Morgan and the puppy. The main rule is that the kids don’t pick up the puppy. This can often end in disaster if a frightened child drops a puppy on a hard surface. Instead, I have them sit on the ground and then they are welcome to hold and pet the puppies. We were careful not to chase the puppy or be mean in any way. After 20-30 minutes of this the puppy had explored the cool grass, licked all the kids and was ready for a nap. In just the short amount of time I could see the puppies confidence grow as he learned that the kids were friendly and fun. It wasn’t long before the neighbor kids came around and the poor puppy was held and petted by 10 different children ranging in age from 1 to 9 years old. When raising a litter of pups, nothing can be more helpful than positive, safe interaction with lot’s of children. A variety of people and situations will help build a bold and confident young hunting dog.
Choosing a Puppy
Dog Breeds, Puppies For Sale, Puppy Names, Socialization
