Breeding Better Dogs 101...

Hog Dog Mike...

what can you say about the legendary Elhew line of English pointers and the original man behind them, Bob Wehle? I have been rather fascinated with his abilities as a promoter and breeder of some of his legendary dogs of yesteryear...I know he had the money to hunt and import dogs and to breed the ultimate English Pointers from what I have read and heard...I do know they were hard hunting and some of the most beautiful pointers I ever saw...I remember seeing 8 week old puppy pictures of some of these pups pointing bird wings...natural pointing and birdie instincts...

you having quite a bit of field trial experience so if you don't mind I would like to hear your thoughts on what so many doogers were saying back in the 1970's and 1980's about the field trials ruining the hunting dogs...this was coming from the hunters that did not field trial...I reckon the bottom line is that the field trialers were breeding to win and not worry so much about anything else...

What I remember is the coon hunters were saying the hounds are passing up good tracks to find a smoking hot track...also saying the dogs were ranging too far and hunting for themselves...

The retiever folks were saying that the field trial dogs were high strung and hard headed...had to keep a tight rein on them and will tear up the back yard if left unsupervised...did not double as pets like a hunting lab etc...etc...

The bird dog hunters were saying the field trials were ruining the dogs...especially the English pointers...they hunt for themselves it was said and you could not walk hunt behind them etc...etc...

It seems that about that time the German Short Hair became more popular because they were bred to have a strong hunting instinct yet were closer ranging dogs...hunting with or for the hunter...

These are some of the things I read and heard back in those days that folks were writing and saying...I don't hear much about it anymore...

so...with your vast experience as a field trialer and dog man, what are your thoughts on what I have written? I think it would be interesting and educational especially for the younger readers...thanks...