cjhills wrote:You are still relying on some body elses opinion to tell you how good your dog or anything else in a judge event is. if you have a dog you really like would you not breed her base only on the fact that she couldn't get her FC for something like maybe a low tail. Or couldn't get a AFC because she never got a first place but had plenty of points
Telling me I don't know a good dog if I haven't been to a trial kind of equates with telling me I don't know a good looking woman unless i've been to a beauty pageant. Cj
No not really. You should know full well what kind of dog you have before you step to the line. If you don'tyou should not be contemplating breeding anything.
What you are doing at the trial, or test is seeking public confirmation and documented proof of what you must already know is in there.
This willingess to "put it out there" for others to see and pass judgement on is not without risk. Some dogs that do spectacualrly when hunting alone shut down or just plain stink up the place when forced to run in a brace. Some dogs that are spectacular in training, come apart at the seams when placed in a competitive situation with a bunch of strangers, horses, a 4 wheeler or two and a lot of whooping and hollering. Dogs are also not machines...they sometimes just have a bad day.
However, when you do step to the line and place yourself and your dog under the scrutiny of strangers who are only interested in what the dog has to show them... you thumb your nose at those risks and say: "I'm here to show you what I brung and it is something special... now check THIS out." That does take a certain measure of Chutzpah.
Once again there is the value of the success in a test or trial. The dog that is spectacular on training day...AND also has what it takes to repeat that in a foreign environment, in front of strangers, on lousy flying planted birds., etc, etc., is certainly a dog that is more mentally "centered" and able to cope with a variety of distractions and still perform at a high level. That is breeding stock.
And of course, since you have documented proof in the form of a SH, MH, AFC,FC or Ch or whatever, you are not the only person in the world who thinks your dog is the greatest thing since sliced bread. A bunch of total strangers who have looked at a whole lot of bird dogs...have agreed with you AND they put it in writing.
RayG