Are gundogs worth big dollar?

fozzer · Post by **fozzer** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 6:56 am

Why should you think about spending big money when you just want another well trained hunting dog ?

can you get great dog for less money, one that is not a pedigree or is the buyer just taking a gamble?

snowman · Post by **snowman** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:21 am

From the research I have done your paying for the history. My personal opinion is its a gamble one way or the other. A dog with a good pedigre has a better chance of being a good dog. Now I have also had dogs that were muts but turned out to be great retrievers. I had a malimute that I would take out hunting over any of the labs I had. He would retrieve out of the watter and never chase a bird at flight. Im sure this didnt help much but I would rather pay the money for a dog with good history than take my chances with an unproven dog.

Casey J.

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:00 am

You would be taking a chance on just any dog but if you shop around you will find something good in the price range you want. I know you can get NFC sired dogs for 600 dollars so that is pretty good I think. Small price to pay for what you get out of it.

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:38 am

You're not just paying for Pedigree.
You're also paying for a Breeders reputation and lifelong commitment to the pup, the Health Screening they've done on the parents to insure healthy pups; the time, effort, travel and training they've put into their dogs to prove them in any number of venues under the Judgement of a 3rd party that says they are good dogs and a host of other things.

You can always find bargains if you shop around long enough, but the question becomes; What are you getting for the bargain?

fozzer · Post by **fozzer** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:45 am

Great info, thank you all very much

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:04 am

AHGSP wrote:You can always find bargains if you shop around long enough, but the question becomes; What are you getting for the bargain?

I am talking about NFC sired dogs, shop around for good dogs for less money not lesser dogs for lesser money.

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:23 am

ohiogsp wrote:
AHGSP wrote:You can always find bargains if you shop around long enough, but the question becomes; What are you getting for the bargain?
I am talking about NFC sired dogs, shop around for good dogs for less money not lesser dogs for lesser money.

I didn't mean for it to sound as though I was inferring anything to your post. $600. for NFC Sired dogs is a good deal IMHO. $600. is also in the realm of many good pups from good breedings. I was trying to suggest more that; Is a bargain really a bargain?

Don · Post by **Don** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:30 am

What do you call "big money"?

fozzer · Post by **fozzer** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:19 pm

I was thinking about £400 - £500

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:32 pm

A pound is about $1.96 at the current exchange rate; call it 1 pound = 2 dollars. So, 400-500 pounds is about 800-1,000 dollars.

FWIW, Greg J.

snowman · Post by **snowman** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:51 pm

I live in England and if you just double the pounds that is what it equals in dollars (1 pound = $2). This will get you in the ball park. If you are looking for a GSP over here in England try epupz.co.uk. They have some for a decent price now but if you want a pup your going to pay abot 400 pounds and higher. I have been told to be carefull of looking for dogs that are raised for show and just about everything I have seen over here are listed for show, working, and pet. I havent found any yet that are listed for primarily working.

Hope this helps
Casey J.

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:09 pm

The price of good gun dog pups is way too low. By comparison, shih tzu's, shar pei's and the like run in the neighborhood of $2500 or more for a pup. It does not cost any more to breed these dogs, and they provide nothing of value except more dogs. Our gun dogs, on the other hand, work for us. If they come well bred, they will provide that work at a very high level, will be highly trainable and very good companions to boot. Pup prices for well bred GSP's, Pointers, Brits, Setters, should by all rights be north of $1500.

fozzer · Post by **fozzer** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:29 pm

WOW,
Cheers lads, great response, cheers!
if you have a gundog story to share please follow the link below

Don · Post by **Don** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:30 pm

Wagonmaster wrote:The price of good gun dog pups is way too low. By comparison, shih tzu's, shar pei's and the like run in the neighborhood of $2500 or more for a pup. It does not cost any more to breed these dogs, and they provide nothing of value except more dogs. Our gun dogs, on the other hand, work for us. If they come well bred, they will provide that work at a very high level, will be highly trainable and very good companions to boot. Pup prices for well bred GSP's, Pointers, Brits, Setters, should by all rights be north of $1500.

I believe that if bird dog pups were $1500 and up, you'd see the puppy mills pouring them out for $500. Then we'd be back to complaining about the puppy mills and backyard breeders. I have never seen a pup that I'd concider paying that kind of money for even if I could afford it.

A breeder can guarentee a pup will be well bred. They cannot guarentee a high level of work, trainability nor that it will make a good companion. Those thing's are out of the control of the breeder once the pup leaves.

DSemple · Post by **DSemple** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:32 pm

Let see for any dog I buy I'm going to spend over 12 years:

$20 a month in food --------------------------------------$2,880
$100 a year average at the Vet -------------------------$1,200
1 hour of my time training a week @ $5.00 ------------$3,120
10 days a year in the field hunting @$25.00 -----------$3,000
$100 dollar a year in misc. dog expences --------------$1,200

Total ------------------------------------------------------$11,400

I'm just a hunter in my 50's who has always had a dog or two.
For my money (and more importantly my time), I'll spend the extra 4% to start with a great prospect.

The Field trialers and the Hunt Test people are doing a great job that we all can all benifit from.

Go watch a trial, it's unbelievable how good their dogs are and what they get out of them.

....Don

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:28 pm

Funny you mention the big $$$ yappy dogs Ted. I had a friend ask me this eve, when my pup prices were going up. I asked what he meant and he told me his girlfriends sister just bought a Staffordshire Terrier for $2,500.00

snowman · Post by **snowman** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:27 am

My wife paied $400 for one and $500 for another Jack russel. I just went with it and are training them for rabbit and fox hunting. I expect to pay just as much for one GSP as I paied for 2 little guys.

markj · Post by **markj** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:54 am

Hey Ted, didnt you buy 2 pups from ridge-point? If so how are they doing now?

Cost of pups varies a lot from breeder to breeder. not everyone can afford a 400.00 dog or even a 200.00 dog. I try to place a dog with a hunter, what he pays is not as important as what happens to that pup. I put a lot of time and love into each pup, I dont want to see any of them abused nor neglected. I am not even a breeder, just a hunter with a few very good dogs. I have given pups to folks just cause I knew that pup would thrive in that scenario.

I love going out with a person that got a pup from me and seeing the field work knowing I had a small hand in that pups getting here.

2500 for a staffy? Why? must have had something they wanted in the dog.

I saw a Chinese gent pay 2.5 mil for a colt just cause of its parents.....

thats 2.5 million dollars.

for a pony

never set foot on a track......

markj · Post by **markj** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:39 am

Sorry ted, I do have you mixed up. A guy bought two sire was Cadens Ruger Weltmiester dam was Casey vom Beavercreeks. He took two for ft stuff. I was wondering how they turned out.

Don · Post by **Don** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:48 am

DSemple wrote:Let see for any dog I buy I'm going to spend over 12 years:

$20 a month in food --------------------------------------$2,880
$100 a year average at the Vet -------------------------$1,200
1 hour of my time training a week @ $5.00 ------------$3,120
10 days a year in the field hunting @$25.00 -----------$3,000
$100 dollar a year in misc. dog expences --------------$1,200

Total ------------------------------------------------------$11,400

I'm just a hunter in my 50's who has always had a dog or two.
For my money (and more importantly my time), I'll spend the extra 4% to start with a great prospect.

The Field trialers and the Hunt Test people are doing a great job that we all can all benifit from.

Go watch a trial, it's unbelievable how good their dogs are and what they get out of them.

....Don

Sorry but your figures look awfully inflated to me. Bird hunting is recreation, why are you putting down a cost for that and training when if you didn't do it you would do something else? I've had big vet bills but they are not the rule, $100 per year? Misc expenses. Like collars and bowls? My guess is rawhide bones ect. excuse me, we're still talking about recteation, you only use the dog in the field 10 days a year! With the figures you wrote down, the average guy can't afford the dog, much less hunt it! Most guy's I know get 25+ days hunting per year and train a lot more than 1 hr per week. What's the extra 4%? 4% of what? If your talking about even $1000 for a pup, which I would never pay, an extra 4% brings it to $1040. If your talking 4% of the $11,400 then you set aside $456 for the pup!

Karen · Post by **Karen** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:44 pm

I adopted a dog from rescue. He was a very sweet dog, was quite obviously hunted over, and was epileptic and had skin allergies, obviously a result of poor breeding for probably several generations.

That one poorly bred "cheap" dog cost me more than the 4 well bred "expensive" dogs I have now in vet bills and special diets.

He was OLD at 8 yrs old and died of splenic cancer.

You quite frequently get exactly what you pay for.

And Don, I pay $90 a year for shots for each of my dogs (Bordatella, a 5 way and Lyme), and every 3rd year they get a rabies shot, so my vet bills absolutely average $100/yr. I find DSemple's estimate over 12 years low in the vet area and misc area.

If you all only knew what it costs to horseback field trial (I know many of you do), but I made the mistake of adding it up about 18 months ago. I was well over $25K between the dog, horse, training for both, horse trailer, used truck to haul the trailer around with, tack, horse board, etc.

I won't add it up again (I can't bring myself to do it) but I will say that $1200 for a well bred pup sired by a national champion is a bargain!

Don · Post by **Don** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:44 pm

Karen wrote:And Don, I pay $90 a year for shots for each of my dogs (Bordatella, a 5 way and Lyme), and every 3rd year they get a rabies shot, so my vet bills absolutely average $100/yr. I find DSemple's estimate over 12 years low in the vet area and misc area.

If you all only knew what it costs to horseback field trial (I know many of you do), but I made the mistake of adding it up about 18 months ago. I was well over $25K between the dog, horse, training for both, horse trailer, used truck to haul the trailer around with, tack, horse board, etc.

I won't add it up again (I can't bring myself to do it) but I will say that $1200 for a well bred pup sired by a national champion is a bargain!

Karen,

I have no idea what Bordatella is. If My dogs needed it I'm sure my vet would have said something. I also don't have to worry about lyme, we don't have it here. 5 way's I give myself, they're $4.50 at the co-op. Never had them fail me.

You are obviously in an income bracket where $1200 is pocket change. Tell me now, how much did you pay for the pup's you have? How successful have they been? How many pup's have you sold for $1200? Ya wanna have dinner? I could use a sugar momma!

Karen · Post by **Karen** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:59 pm

Don, I'm not a breeder (yet) but I wouldn't hesitate to spend $1200 for a well bred pup from proven lines.

I paid $1000 for Blaze, Tessa was given to me (with strings that I found acceptable), and Chloe was $500, although I would have happily paid $1200 for her. She had the pedigree I was looking for and her sire and dam are actively and successfully campaigned. She was purchased from a field trialer in SW IL, not the Northeast, where prices are much higher.

I have all young dogs (Chloe is 10 months old, Tessa is 2 1/2 and Blaze is 3) so with luck, Blaze and Tessa will start proving themselves in the field this coming season if my arm is healed and I'm able to get them out. Last season was lost because of my accident.

Both Blaze and Tessa have been successful in the show ring. Tessa has specialty wins, national show wins, and went Best in Eastern Futurity in March. She's also a heck of a hunter and should be lots of fun in the field. I'm hoping to put DC's on both of them.

Chloe's father is a DC but it's still too soon to tell if she'll be show-worthy. She's not exactly growing evenly

Bordatella is the kennel cough vaccine and is a requirement of all boarding kennels by the state.

Don · Post by **Don** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:03 pm

Kennel cough I have heard of. There are definatelly down sides to boarding kennels, best protect against them.

Which dog is that in your Avatar? Nice looking dog.

Karen · Post by **Karen** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:12 pm

That's Blaze. He was 14 months old there and in the middle of being broke (the reason his tail is flat).

Here is Blaze now:

Well, that was him last winter. He's much thinner now and is just growing his coat back from being shaved over the summer. Not exactly in show shape at the moment, but definitely in field shape.

WiskeyJaR · Post by **WiskeyJaR** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:35 pm

Nice looking dog for sure...picture on table dog looks younger then in avitar?

Karen · Post by **Karen** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:37 pm

It's the hair! I keep him shaved except when I'm going to show him...then I let his coat grow back in (takes 6 months so I have to plan WAY in advance

)

Anyway, I don't think $1000 or $1200 is outrageous for a pup when their breeders have taken on the time and expense of proving their parents in the field and show ring, at least not for the northeast.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:36 pm

Well over a 12 year span being an average ..that truely doesn't seem far off price wise some year hardly anything vet wise then a year costing more then others...

Let see for any dog I buy I'm going to spend over 12 years:

$20 a month in food --------------------------------------$2,880
$100 a year average at the Vet -------------------------$1,200
1 hour of my time training a week @ $5.00 ------------$3,120
10 days a year in the field hunting @$25.00 -----------$3,000
$100 dollar a year in misc. dog expences --------------$1,200

Total ------------------------------------------------------$11,400

if you turn the hour of time 10 days in the field ....that probably is less then what most do if you include bird costs etc...

Vizsla Vince · Post by **Vizsla Vince** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:43 pm

Don wrote:You are obviously in an income bracket where $1200 is pocket change. Tell me now, how much did you pay for the pup's you have? How successful have they been? How many pup's have you sold for $1200? Ya wanna have dinner? I could use a sugar momma!

That is exactly what I paid for my pup, & no, it wasn't pocket change...it was alot for a blue collar guy like me! But I would do it again in a heartbeat!! My dog came from a breeder who has been breeding & promoting Vizslas for about 30 years (I think, I could be off by 5 yrs or so). He stands behind his dogs, wants to see them hunt & compete, & even bought a farm so that "his" dogs could have a place to develop their skills & hunt. When I say "his" dogs, I mean every dog he sells, not just his kennel. And, no, breeding dogs did NOT pay for the farm! He breeds Vizslas because he loves the breed & wants every dog he breeds to live up to his potential. For that, I will figure out a way to pay $1200- $1500 for a dog.

When I decided to get into this sport, I figured I could get a "bargain" dog, get discouraged because the dog I bought was a loser. & be stuck with a lousy dog & a bad taste in my mouth for the whole sport, or I could figure out a way to start well & therefore increase my chances of finishing well. So far, two years into this crazy gig, I am not at all sorry for what I spent.I don't begrudge those who can get alot out of a little when it comes to training, but this is my very first dog & I'm training him myself... I wanted every advantage I could possibly afford for myself.

In my business, we have a saying... "The quality of your work will stand out much longer than the memory of the pricetag."

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:07 pm

markj wrote:Sorry ted, I do have you mixed up. A guy bought two sire was Cadens Ruger Weltmiester dam was Casey vom Beavercreeks. He took two for ft stuff. I was wondering how they turned out.

Mark, I think it was "Volraider" that bought those two pups. Last I heard they were doing fine.

This was a thread back when they were still young. http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewto ... highlight=

DKA · Post by **DKA** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:28 am

For those that are old enough to remember Pres. Jimmy Carter and his brother Billy Carter. I use this example to say, they both came from the same parents, but from far ends of the spectrum. A breeder cannot say exactly what a pup will be when grown. Study the breeder and see what percentage of pups make it. The ones with the higher percentage can demand more money for their pups. Some dogs cannot and will not ever produce even close to what they are. If you are planning on buying a high dollar pup, make sure that it is a high dollar pup.

BrettBryan · Post by **BrettBryan** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:45 am

$1000 is alot of money to me. However, $1000 is pocket change when you compare the cost of a pup to the cost you will spend on that pup in his/her lifetime. Some on here say it doesn't cost much to keep a dog. I disagree. If you take your dog hunting much, you are spending money to get there/back, food, hotel rooms. If you field trial your bird dog, you have entry fees, hotel rooms, food, gas, training costs even if you train them yourself and more. These costs add up. They add up to alot more than paying $1000 for a pup out of "proven" parents and good bloodlines. If you compete with a dog, you know what I mean. If you hunt a dog, you know what I mean. You can spend more than $1000 per year on just field trialing with one dog. If you hunt, you probably spend more than $1000 hunting and keeping a dog. Think about all the related cost to owning, training, and using a bird dog.

Now, saying that, I don't like to think about the money I spend on my bird dogs. I loved them when I was a kid and I still love them now. It's my hobby. It's what I enjoy.

Is a $1000 alot to me? Yes. Will I pay it for a pup that I think is bred right or should have the qualities I'm looking for in a bird dog? Yes! Without a doubt! Saying that, I don't own a bunch of dogs. I own 3 right now.
I'm not saying you have to pay $1000 for a pup to have a nice dog in the future. What I'm saying is, if you do your research and what you like will cost you $500 or $800 for a pup, it's money well spent. If you have seen the sire and dam hunt/trial. If you have seen the grandsire/granddam hunt/trial. If it's a repeat breeding and you have seen pups out of the first breeding. I realize, in breeding, there are no guarantees what will be produced. However, I do know you can't make chicken salad out of chickensh - -. That's just my .02 on the matter of spending money on a gun dog.

Don · Post by **Don** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:57 am

I would like to help out those that are willing to spend $1000+ on an 8 week old pup. I did some looking around and I find that Hytest Setters will sell you a 11-12 mo old started dog for $1000, your choice. They keep ALL the puppies they breed for up to 12 mos for evaluation.

Roberston Kennels Has a 10 mo old son of Tommy B for sale for $1000. Also two more 9 mo old male's, same price. Not sure how good they will be as they are $700 at 8 wks. 7 or 8 months starting for only $300? Smell's fishy unless, like me, you do believe in breeding.

If I were to spend that kind of money on a dog, there is where I'd look, or for someone doing the same with the breed of your choice. I guess that the bottom line is that a pup is worth whatever you are willing to pay. I met an outdoor writter in Alaska that had a year old Labrador pup he'd paid $5000 for. Was it worth it? He sure thought so. Son of the then current Nat Ch. Unfortunately all it knew how to do was eat!

I can't get over the relation between the hunting days and trialing, hunt test's ect. Those argument's don't add value to a pup, they simply justify the cost your willing to pay. For the most part, the price of pup's has less to do with value and more to do with what the market will bear.

snowman · Post by **snowman** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:49 am

I am currently in the market for a GSP and I am by no means a rich guy. I am an NCO in the USAF and contrary to popular belief we don’t get paid a whole lot. I have done my time in the desert and overseas saving for over 4 years because I knew that missing the hunt would get to me and I want to splurge when I get back to the states to do some hunting. I am looking to spend somewhere around $4000 on everything. That is the best quality dog possible with the best trainers possible plus travel for the dog and the little things to spoil the pup when I get her. My wife thinks I’m crazy and some other people may think I’m crazy to but this is what I want. And at the end of the day of this isn’t enough money to get the best I will hold off until I can afford the best. But thats just my 2 cents.

Casey J.

Gordon Guy · Post by **Gordon Guy** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:15 pm

I haven't read this whole thread but I would like to add something

I occasionally raise a litter of puppies and when trying to decide at what price I should advertize them at. I took into consideration the type of folks I wanted to be able to afford them, who I wanted to market too. There aren't many Gordon's around so I thought that if I lowered the price to something more affordable that people (blue collar, joe hunter type) would snatch them up. Silly me! I started advertizing at $350.00, which is quite low for Gordons. I received no calls. I went up to $400 and still received no calls I sold 1 at $450. I kept raising the price and I sold the rest at $700.00, which is where the bench mark is for some other breeders in the area. All I have to say is that people are strange sometimes. I can't explain it!

big steve46 · Post by **big steve46** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:02 pm

BAH HUMBUG! I would never pay more than $400 for a pup. There are plenty of excellent Setters and E. Pointers for that. There no doubt are many others who feel the same way but don't have the testicular fortitude to admit it. I understand other people's reasoning and more power to them, but I guess I'm just an old fuddy-duddy.

BigBoyTank · Post by **BigBoyTank** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:12 pm

I guess I differ from big steve because I would even give a 400 dollar dog add a second look ......right or wrong I cant say but I would assume the dog or breeder to be of a lower quality than that of a fair market value price

Karen · Post by **Karen** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:16 pm

These prices have a whole lot to do with where you live. In the NE, you'd be hard pressed to buy a well bred Brittany for under $800 and most are a bit more than that.

I found a very well bred one in SW IL for $500. Didn't really save me anything as I spent $300 flying to St. Louis and back to get her but her price tag was half what I expected.

markj · Post by **markj** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:43 pm

Mark, I think it was "Volraider" that bought those two pups.

You are correct sir, sorry for the mixup, you have some nice dog there

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:46 pm

I thought Volraider had gone "all DK, all the way". Guess not.

Best regards, Greg J.

BigBoyTank · Post by **BigBoyTank** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:02 pm

Karen I suppose your right....location does play a big role in cost...I'm in Ma and were in the 800 dollar range for the few breeds/breeders we have around here....this comes witht he territory....there is no such thing as sticker shock when you live in mass

markj · Post by **markj** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:30 pm

Greg Jennings wrote:I thought Volraider had gone "all DK, all the way". Guess not.

Best regards, Greg J.

Maybe he has, I have a male from the same litter his is from, just wondering how they did.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:50 pm

I guess I am just another of the old guys who have a real problem spending a lot on a non-proven item such as a pup. I do agree it is a free market so the price will be what that market will bear. And when you see the prices of puppies in a petshop or what they charge you to take a rescue dog that makes it seem a little more reasonable.

All of that said, a pup is worth what you are willing to pay. I went NE to get one of my present dogs and spent 350 for him at 12 weeks. He was the breeding I wanted so he came home with me. But then I had to pay 500 for the female out of Michigan, again to get the breeding. I guess I would have problems spending much more than that.

The sad thing is we have priced the pups out of reach for many of the people who really should have one. The young family with two or three children in school who are the age they shoud be learning about hunting and caring for a good puppy are instead looking for something out of the pound that they can afford. And along with that we have lost a couple more potential hunters. Of course some do find a backyard breeder who will sell his pups cheaper and buy from there. This is the same backyard breeder that gets so many of us upset but he is just filling a need we created.

One other comment, I don't see that how much you spend on training, trialing, or hunting enters in to the justifing the high price of a pup. Those are all expenses that you have chosen to spend to fulfill your desires and are not necessary expenses just because you have a puppy.

Ezzy

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:43 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
The sad thing is we have priced the pups out of reach for many of the people who really should have one. The young family with two or three children in school who are the age they shoud be learning about hunting and caring for a good puppy are instead looking for something out of the pound that they can afford. And along with that we have lost a couple more potential hunters. Of course some do find a backyard breeder who will sell his pups cheaper and buy from there. This is the same backyard breeder that gets so many of us upset but he is just filling a need we created.

One other comment, I don't see that how much you spend on training, trialing, or hunting enters in to the justifing the high price of a pup. Those are all expenses that you have chosen to spend to fulfill your desires and are not necessary expenses just because you have a puppy.

Ezzy

I don't know Ezzy. I think many a good Breeder has placed a pup in such a home for next to nothing..... because it would be a GREAT home. Not everyone, but many would.

As for the Trialing expenses; I have to completely disagree with absolute respect. The buyer today has been "educated" to "chase papers"...... by the BB's/Forums, whether we wish to admit it or not. Why? It's the nature of the internet and the markets it has opened up all over the globe. If folks can't come see the dogs in person, they DEMAND papers. Doesn't matter if Ol' so and so is fully Health Screened and hunted every day till his pads are raw, if it ain't on paper, they ain't buying.

volraider · Post by **volraider** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:56 pm

hey guys I'm still around and I still have my pups. The male is still slow coming around but the female really seems nice. We ran some derby stuff and got a ribbon to show for it. What I really like about the female is the way she hunts the grouse woods. I tested both in NAVHDA and the female was a 110 Prize I and the male was a 97 prize II. Both dogs were docked because they ran to big for the judges and they see that as lack of cooperation. The female is green broke and the male is getting there.

As for puppy prices I find the breedings I want then I pay accordingly. With the Ridge-point breeding Justin went outside the box and priced them accordingly. I was looking for a nice field trial and NAVHDA cross hoping to get a NAVHDA type dog with field trial range and I came really close and maybe got it only the future will tell.

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:03 pm

That's good to hear Brian. Are you going to pursue more trialing in the future or try going for a UT.

BigBoyTank · Post by **BigBoyTank** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:24 am

I believe added cost plays a big role in what you are willing to pay for a pup....I am a member of 2 private hunt clubs and a sportsmens club....annual cost for dues is around 2,800.00 dollars....This is my hobby I love to hunt with my dogS I dont trial....I am willing to pay more for a pup that comes from a good breeder and a good line because my pup and I are gonna spend alot of time hunting together (also as an indoor pet)....I understand paying more doesnt guarantee me a good dog....but I believe in giving myself as well as my dog every chance to succeed

markj · Post by **markj** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:56 am

Hey there volraider, have you hunted either on wild birds? Mine is very birdy now, has many a pheas shot over him not one got away from him either

Not doing any testing or games tho, just a good solid hunting dog.

lvrgsp · Post by **lvrgsp** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:18 pm

Hey Casey I did a tour in England as well, and a tour in a big sandbox across the pond, drop me an e-mail if I can help. Always willing to help out a fellow brother of the USAF..
I was at Lakenheath, and did some TDY's to some other spots over there, Oh how I miss a good snakebite............Ha ha

Chip

fozzer · Post by **fozzer** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:00 pm

Brett,

Thanks very much for your article

Gun Dog Forum

Are gundogs worth big dollar?

Are gundogs worth big dollar?

For my money they are worth it.

Re: For my money they are worth it.

gun dog prices