Welcome Guest!
Older pup
- Thread starter ucfireman
- Start date
NE GA Pappy
Mr. Pappy
not at all... if she has been around people, got a good attitude, and ain't skeered of guns.
You haven't lost a lot of training time with her, and she will catch up real quick.
You haven't lost a lot of training time with her, and she will catch up real quick.
Jack Ryan
Senior Member
Nope. In fact my first pick would be a guides old retirees who is already wised up and knows it all.
Second pick I'd take a 2 or 3 year old dog well PAST the chew every thing up and pee on the floor stage. Trained or not.
Second pick I'd take a 2 or 3 year old dog well PAST the chew every thing up and pee on the floor stage. Trained or not.
flatsmaster
Senior Member
Age is not a problem ... I made lots of mistakes with mine till she was a year old ... got a good program and stuck to it and she qualified for Master Nationals this yr ... hopefully the parents have a hunting pedigree and even better if hips and elbows certified and some health clearances ... also how and where u hunt ... a dogs desire to retrieve will be tested as the terrain, water, different elements and temps become more extreme !!! it's a journey not a destiination ... frustrating and very rewarding !!! Good luck
Can a vet really tell on a pup if there will be hip problems later?or is it just a guess and saying the pup looks correct now?
I just find it hard to believe that a vet can tell that a dog wont have hip issues later when they are young.
This dog would be coming from a family type dog but likes to play and fetch now. She is about 8 months and to my untrained eyes looks healthy. The parents appear in good health and don't show issues to my eyes. Male blocky head and female not so blocky.
So I would assume a mix of american and english styles. She is pretty thick coat and tail.
I know its a gamble with any dog but? I would love it the same if it was a pet but really want a sporting dog.
I just find it hard to believe that a vet can tell that a dog wont have hip issues later when they are young.
This dog would be coming from a family type dog but likes to play and fetch now. She is about 8 months and to my untrained eyes looks healthy. The parents appear in good health and don't show issues to my eyes. Male blocky head and female not so blocky.
So I would assume a mix of american and english styles. She is pretty thick coat and tail.
I know its a gamble with any dog but? I would love it the same if it was a pet but really want a sporting dog.
TurkeyH90
Senior Member
It's is a gamble. I've known folks that made serviceable dogs out of backyard bred litters but at a fairly early age they had hip problems. They had a lot of time invested in a dog that could not hunt anymore. Became a fairly decent expense keeping the dog comfortable. And no it's not 100 on the clearances. Also EIC can become a problem if the dog has it.
NE GA Pappy
Mr. Pappy
a gene test will tell you. They usually take about 3 weeks to get back from the testing lab. Maybe you could work a deal where the people would take the dog back if it tested positive?
flatsmaster
Senior Member
Labs can have some problems like all breeds so whatever precautions one can take the better ... If stud and dam hips and elbows have been x rayed and sent to be evaluated by OFA ... orthopedic foundation for animals ... they give a rating ... if both dogs are good to excellent you are less likely to have that issue before a senior dog ... plenty of people roll the dice ... any lab will make a great pet ... and most will happily fetch a ball or stick all day ... not all will swim thru icey water thru willows to chase down a cripple ... you'll be a proud dad on its first retrieve and all the time and effort will be well worth it
flatsmaster
Senior Member
Collapse syndrome is a test most any vet can do ... maybe $35-$40 ...cheap insurance for a pup you want to make a extreme athlete... dog can't be infected or problems ... if it's clear then great and if a carrier the dog has 1 good gene and 1 diluted gene and is perfectly fine ... if that dog was to breed it would need to breed to a EIC clear dog or some pups would have problems ... it's not as over powering as it seems ...hopefully a 10-12 year investment of time and love ... good luck
