Rufnit Kennels Braque du Bourbonnais - Pick A the Litter - J.D. Wills
Pick
A the Litter
By
J.D. Wills
As we stood watching the puppies play in their kennel, the man turned to
me and asked. “So, which one is the best pup?”
“To
tell you the truth these are all real nice pups.” I replied
"Yes I
can see that, but which one is the best?”
“I
guess that would depend on what you,re looking for.”
“Well,
I want a dog that will be a wonderful family pet as well as being a
great hunter. I want what I paid for. I want the Pick A The Litter.”
“Isn’t
that what everyone wants?” I joked.
“I’m
sure it is, but I got it, right? I mean I paid for it, didn’t I?”
I
nodded. “You bet. You put the first deposit down on a pup out of this
litter, so that gives you first pick. And I reckon that one will be Pick
A The Litter.”
“Well
which one is it?”
“That’s
up to you.”
“Me?
You’re the expert. I want your opinion. But, I have to tell you I like
the darker ones best”
“So you
want the best dark puppy then. Do you want a male or a female?”
“Which
one is better? But, I still want the best puppy. I want the Pick A The
Litter.” He insisted.
“Well I
have one of each I hunt with. Dottie is the best all around dog I have
ever owned, but Ren is a little harder hunter. Dottie still finds her
share of birds it just takes her a little longer is all. Ren hunts
harder and digs in deeper, but as a pet he is not the best.”
“So
what do I do?”
“Well
we can put them all in a box, and you reach in and grab yourself one.
You will have just as good a chance of getting the best one that way as
with any other way I know of.”
He
looked at me in disbelief. “What do you mean?”
“Let me
tell you something I have learned in over 20 years of raising and
training bird dogs. There is no such a thing as a Pick A The Litter. Not
in the sense you mean it anyway.” He frowned as I continued. “How can
you or I or anyone look at these or any 8 week old puppies and say one
will be better than another. It can’t be done, it’s impossible.”
“Why
not? You’re a breeder and trainer, aren’t you an expert?” He demanded.
“I
can’t because it’s not just the puppy that makes the dog that it will
grow into. It’s the millions of things that puppy will experience
between now and the time it’s grown that will make it into the dog it
finally becomes.”
“What
do you mean?”
“I mean
that what will make a puppy into a great dog are the things you as an
owner and I as a trainer do with it as it matures, the things we show it
and teach it. Those are some of the things that will finally decide if
the pup you pick will be a good one or not. It will be decided by the
millions of things that we influence and control and millions more we
don’t. And many of them will be things we as humans don’t even
understand. So how can I or anyone look at these little 8 week old pups
and say one or the other will be the best.”
“At 8
weeks old a puppy is like a 2 year old child. I think a dog matures at
the rate of about 1 month per year for the first 2 years. So at 6 months
a pup is like a 6 year old child and just like that’s when we send the
kids to school it time to send the pup to school too. But remember just
like the child the pup is going to grade school. So after a couple of
months of training don’t expect your pup to have his PHD (that stands
for Pheasant Hunting Degree). Think more like grade school or junior
high. Then after a season of hunting send the pup back for the rest of
his schooling. Then think High School graduate.”
“What
about the PHD?” He asked with a laugh.
“You’ll
give it a PHD in the fields and hedge rows at the college of the life.
By hunting it and letting it learn from experience. By rewarding the
good and ignoring the bad. Let the pup learn from mistakes what not to
do again. They hate to be ignored.”
“How
long will all that take?”
“Well
figure it will take two years for the puppy to really grow up and become
the dog it will finally be and another two to earn that PHD.”
“Why so
long?” He asked in surprise.
“How
long did it take you to become the man you are?”
He
thought a minute and then nodded in understanding. “But what about now,
how can I tell which one is the best?”
“Heck
if I know.” I said with a shrug “And what do you mean by the best? The
best what? The best pet? The best hunter? The best looking? Just what is
the best? I’m sure it means something different to everyone. You said
you like a dark dog. Well, I like the light ones. I can see them better
in the field. I like dogs that range out, but most people don’t. I like
bold aggressive puppies, maybe that’s not what you want. See what I mean
the best is a hard thing to pin down even if there were a way to tell.”
“Oh I can tell you general things I have observed about these pups.
Like right now I like that light colored aggressive female over there
pulling on that other pups ear. But, yesterday I liked that big dark
male that’s staring at us. And that little dark male sleeping in the
corner seems a bit shy but he surely is good looking. Then see the one
with the big saddle across her back? Three days ago I was sure she would
be the one I would pick, but today she doesn’t impress me. But all that
can change overnight.” “Remember this is like looking at a bunch of 2
year old kids. Think of it this way. Do you think Einstein’s parents
looked at him when he was 2 and said, ‘Albert is going grow up and be
the smartest man in the world.’ Or Michael Jordan parents said when Mike
was a toddler, ‘Yep Mike is gonna be the greatest basketball player that
ever lived.’ Of course, they didn’t?” “But then take a look at Tiger
Woods. When he was about 2 his dad decided he was going to make Tiger
into a great golfer and he did. But, how many dads before and after Earl
Woods said that very thing and were very wrong. Lots and lots I bet. So
was it Tiger’s natural ability and not his Dad's influence that made him
what he is? I doubt it. Without lots of natural ability Earl’s plan
would have failed.” “And does that mean Tiger’s Dad made him what he is
or Tiger would have been a great golfer no matter what? I am confidant
both had a lot to do with it. Just like you will have a lot to do with
making the pup you choose into the dog it will become. But always
remember the foundation must be there first. That natural ability. ”
“That's why breeding tells. The most important thing you can do as a
potential dog owner is to go to a reputable professional breeder using
AKC (American Kennel Club) or FDSB (Field Dog Stud Book) registered, OFA
(Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) certified dogs. Look at his
operation and his dogs, see whether they look clean and healthy. Ask
about shots and deworming. At 8 weeks puppies should have had two shots
and be parasite free. Also be sure the tails are docked and dew claws
removed, when that’s appropriate. You may pay a little more, but good
things are rarely cheap and cheap things are rarely good.” “My
philosophy is this. If I sell you a bad puppy you will tell everyone you
know or meet what I did. If I sell you a great puppy, you may tell a few
people. So it is foolish of me to sell bad dogs. All it can do is hurt
me.” “Then if you’re buying a hunting dog make sure you buy a puppy out
of proven stock. Hunting dogs that hunt. Now that’s not to say field
trial dogs do not produce good hunting dogs cause they do. In fact, I
think they produce some of the best. A honest to God field trial dog
comes along once in a great while. But that kind of desire and heart in
a blood line is what makes great dogs.”
“Well I
don’t want a field trail dog, I hear they run too big.” He said with a
serious note.
I
laughed. “That’s just not true. A dog should be able to adjust his range
to fit the conditions, the terrain and the needs of his hunting partner.
My dogs Dottie and Ren are both field trial dogs. Ren even runs in All
Age stakes.”
“But
don’t field trail dogs run way out in front?”
“In
some instances yes they do. But the thing that drives them to do that is
a burning desire to find a bird and that’s not something you can give a
dog. It either has it, or it doesn’t. Think of it like building a house,
you can always make that 20 foot 2 X 4 into a 10 foot one, but there is
no way on earth to make a 10 foot 2 X 4 into a 20 foot one. A good
trainer can teach a dog to do anything, but you can never teach it
desire. That’s something it’s born with it either has or it doesn’t.”
“Keep in mind a dog that hunts at your feet isn’t helping you one bit.
You’ll
kick up that bird on your own. A flushing dog needs to stay under the
gun. But, a pointing dog should range a bit. Now that’s not to say it
needs to be half a mile in front of you going away. But, it doesn’t mean
under the gun either. A pointing dog should hunt logical cover where a
bird should be found. Tree lines, fence lines, hedge rows, ditches and
draws.” “You’ll find it awful handy to send your pointing dog down a
tree line, fence line or ditch while you wait and see what happens. If
there’s a bird there the dog will point it, wait for you to flush it and
make the shot. If not the dog will save you many many steps allowing you
to hunt more ground and find more birds.”
“That
all makes sense but how do I pick a puppy?”
“Well
used to be when I was gonna keep a pup I would come out every day and
set and watch the pups when they didn’t know I was around and try to
find the one I liked the best. The one that showed the most independence
and curiosity. The one that seemed the boldest. But, I found myself
liking a different pup almost everyday. Only choosing finally when I was
out of time and had to pick one so I could sell the rest.” “Right now
If I were you I would decide on the things I wanted the most like color,
sex and temperament. Then put those together and pick one out of those
pups.”
“That
makes sense. Is that how you do it?”
“No.” I
chuckled. Now when I am going to keep a puppy I always keep the last one
in the litter. The one no one wanted, the left over pup. And you know
what? I get a grand puppy every single time.”
We
looked at each other and began to laugh. A little while later he left
with his new puppy.
How did
he pick it? Well, we put all the females in a box, and he closed his
eyes reached in and grabbed one.
Which
one did he get? He got that little light ticked, bold female I liked.
Was she the Pick A The Litter? You bet she was. Well she was that day
anyway. But I was out there a little while ago and now I kinda like that
little dark male that was sleeping in the corner. I think he may just
turn out to be The Pick A The Litter.
Previously Published: Outdoor Notebook September 1998; Field Trial
Magazine Fall 1998.
Permission to post/reprint on this site graciously granted by J.D. Wills
- ArrowHeadKennels
