Thread: I must be getting old and cynical

Sad thing is, at $2000 a pup a large litter becomes a lucrative proposition.

Yep even though the litter may be presold a few times over, it's far better to cull them back to 3 or 4 to avoid the tall poppy syndrome.
A few extra pups can mean a few extra hunters don't have to wait another 12 mths.
Supply and demand works both ways, a large litter of less popular breeds can also mean pups left unsold and they can chew through any excess margin pretty quick...no matter what the asking price is.

funny thing was when we were looking at pointers one breeder was giving us the 3rd degree (as she should) and asked what dogs we had had in the past? Siberian Huskies we said, how long for was the next question, 14 years we said from puppies to the end we said. Her last statement was "OK you will be fine, you want one or 2??"

WTF Huskies aren't that bad to own??

In keeping with jim's old age and going a bit cynical, Husky x golden retriever= golberian on trademe 1500.
Used to be free to good home or worse.

That used to be called an accident, not a golberian... whelped under the back step and given away quietly

Originally Posted by Pointer

That used to be called an accident, not a golberian... whelped under the back step and given away quietly

My wife often jokes that her inadvertent attention in the breeding kennel she worked in created the worlds first "Brussel" terrier.

It was a catastrophe at the time but now would be worth a fortune as a designer dog

Originally Posted by Ducdog

Same here, any surplus from a litter ( should the be any) is put back into the dogs , yes I charge $1700 for a pup and I have a HUGE waiting list, I have a dog coming in from the UK late next year ( should he be good enough ) and semen coming in from Sweden within the next 2 months, none of which is cheap.
As for the health testing for labradors, this can only be a good thing, and I do question people who don't want to health test, isn't it better to know of any issues rather than breed blindly.

Far more useful to analyse how breeders created those issues. Learn from that and don;t do it again rather than institute a bogus testing regime that keeps Vets driving Audi's. HD for instance, tested for years. no change in the incidence, no change in which dogs produce it, but the bullshit "We test" hoodwinks the public to keep the money flowing to the vets and breeders. How about someone work their dogs hard and use their skill and judgement as stock people to breed? Then you'll get the type of dogs again gracing our fields that Jim Clarke, Leon, and more produced and in the case of Gaskin and Whitehead, continue to produce. You don't test for what is not there. So when I see someone "testing" I get real nervous about what they themselves believe is there. Show dogs, of course, MUST be tested, even with tests that can;t tell you anything.... why? Because their handlers haven't done a damn thing except look at paper to evaluate their dogs. If they spent time on the hill, and I don't mean a few duck shooting sessions each winter, I mean work the bloody dog. People asked me "What testing has Brick had"? My answer "Every fucking hill from here to Hawkes Bay! If there was anything unsound we'd have seen it. The only people that need to test dogs in a vet clinic are the ones who need to look very hard at themselves... because it means they are breeding and selling dogs they haven;t tested properly for themselves on the hill. That's a clue to these dogs not being working dogs right there!

As you may tell from my tone... I lament the decline in old fashioned dog people who evaluate dogs where dogs should be evaluated... under extreme and harsh conditions in the field, where no dog with a weakness can hide it., compared to today's metro-sexual "I can sell the whole litter if I say they hunt" bullshit photos of a dog sitting ne3xt to a deer or duck and "tested" is just so much bullshit it should be on "Fair Go"!

Today's rant over.

(and to think I didn't say "Don;t piss on my boots and tell me its raining once.)

Originally Posted by Pointer

Sad thing is, at $2000 a pup a large litter becomes a lucrative proposition.

There's nothing sad about it Jim... it's great and providing that isn't the driving factor is not relevant. The only real issue we have in NZ is that the majority of buyers do not know the difference between good and bad and base most of their decisions on what they told by breeders and breeders will often give the appearance of producing better animals than they actually are by droning on about their testing regime and what they feed their puppies, failing to mention they haven't personally worked a gundog to any great standard, or "my husband takes him shooting" There should be no issue to pay a fair price from proven genetics, from a proven handler who can tell you about the intricacies of personally working half the line, their flaws and positives and the decisions they made by working the dogs. Just had a look at "Chip's" pedigree. In the first few generations are 7 dogs I have owned, trained, handled or watch their owners train, handle and trial them. The breeding decisions made in the field, not on pieces of paper. Importing a dog is not a reason to charge a high price until the dog has shown it produces something worth paying a high price for, otherwise it's just another immigrant getting rich of dumb Kiwis!

Some dogs are worth a high price but just being an import or by an import is not a good enough reason. This is part of the con... charge a lot cause you spent a lot... No regard to quality. The risk in importing a dog should be based on having brought it in the owner/trainer now has the pressure to train it well and prove it is a cut above the best and get their money back. If they're wrong, they won't, but right now the con is to charge a premium for any imported blood and make your money whether you've produced anything of use or better than the norm.

Respectfully I haven't responded to you because I don't know where to begin. I disagree with absolutely every point you made in your first post, and don't know how to put it all down in writing!

Seems we are on different pages.

That's OK, were all adults here. We agree on most things, about time we found something not to agree on will write a novel tonight. It's not easy on a phone

Just grab a bottle of single malt and come over for a spirited discussion!

Not a bad plan when I get back. I won't bring that terrible beer this time

Originally Posted by Pointer

Not a bad plan when I get back. I won't bring that terrible beer this time

It was free (for me) cold and had alcohol, what was not to like?

Originally Posted by Ruff

It was free (for me) cold and had alcohol, what was not to like?

Sounds like what I say when someone asks what beer I drink, brown cold and fizzy!