The 2 greatest tools for breeding are selection, and culling that's the only way to develop or enhance inherent traits. Far and above what you feed them, if you tickle their feet as baby puppies, let them find weeneys, do mock hunts or whatever. Give them a place to sleep, something to eat, select BALANCED dogs to breed, provide them transportation to the job at an APPROPRIATE age and opportunity to do their job, HONESTLY assess their skills, CULL "not trade, give away, or sell" those that do not have the skills to do the job with consistency by THEMSELVES.
When I think or read about breeding dogs I always think of coyotes, with the exception of the rare dog or wolf cross they are always bred within the breed and very likely related family, they are ruthlessly culled by mother nature, removed from the gene pool if found lacking, and they breed extremely strong and consistent for their job. I only wish I could breed dogs as consistently as nature does coyotes because I am a very poor trainer in fact the only thing I ever teach one is what not to do, they have to be born with the instincts of what to do, if I was able to teach one to do something with any efficiency I would not expect the dog to be able to reproduce that trait.
I have had the good fortune to have known and been affiliated with a couple or three top breeders of much notoriety in a couple of different breeds and the thing they all had in common were-seeing the truth about their dog, never begged one to function or made excuses for it, didn't wait long on the decision and would without hesitation dispose of one that wasn't making the cut. Those guys raised dogs that a high percentage of pups made good dogs that started reasonably early, in fact the biggest problem with that kind of pup is keeping them from doing something rather than getting them to do something.
A very famous breeder once told me bear dogs were the easiest working dogs to breed, I asked what do you mean, his response was that those with more guts than brains the bears kill, those that quit or don't finish races I kill that only leaves me the good ones to breed. That really simplified things in my mind and rings very true much like the coyotes hahaha.
old man...10-4 on everything you said including the coyote...the coyote is in my plan to be my next controversial thread...I strongly believe that the reason for so many culls is not having the ability to see the real truth...
