Here is the original question:
I understand hounds, to some extent, are evaluated and judged at hound trials along with the working segment of the event. Should birddogs be evaluated and/or awarded titled based on their conformation? I don't mean the dogs you see handled around a ring at Westminster, but honest to goodness working dogs that get out and hunt regularly, have scars all over and are all muscled up. Should we have an official evaluation of birddogs' form? Even if not competitively, should there be some kind of grading system set up to rate dogs' conformation?
here is the OP'ers clarification:
Stoneface wrote:
When I asked if dogs should be judged/titled based on conformation, shows like the AKC and Westminster shows you see on TV is the last thing I meant. What I'm refering to is the dogs being evaluated more for form, pracitcal form. Chest, straightness of limbs, tail set, bite, to make sure there isn't a second head growing out of the dog's neck. At the very least, things of utility that all birddogs need to have in order perform their job optimally.
wagonmaster replied:
To answer the original question, in a word - no. In two words - not ever.
The most important characteristic of a bird dog is nose, and right along with that the characteristic dog people call "birdiness" or "bird sense." A dog with a good nose that gets excited about finding birds early in life, will always be a useful bird dog regardless of age, conformation, or anything else.
Right behind nose and bird sense comes heart. A dog can look anyway it wants, but the dog that wins field trials or finds birds for you in the field when others do not, simply has more heart - the will to do and to take joy in doing regardless of conditions or discomfort or pretty much anything else.
You have not stated why "not ever".
Would having correct conformation effect the performance of the above mentioned characteristics?
or just slow a dog down enough to lose a field trial?
Trying to establish what's important, b/c a dog with all the above characteristics can still have correct conformation.