Tiller- (Skansen's- Ira in the M
I DO Exist...To- Drive You Batty | 
 | | Barked: Tue Dec 11, '12 11:32am PST |  | |  | | Totally agree with everyone. I am absolutely far from a purist, but I prefer someone who calls a spade and spade. Someone like Toto, who we all "know" here and know what she's about (her Labs were outstanding), who was very much about producing a good pet temperament, but had dogs who were great for weekend warrior type hunters, not wanting a dog bouncing off the walls in a more sedate life in the interim. That's ok. But to say your dogs have good work ability because, well, um....they do!  .....is not what you want to hear. Not very grounded.
But....BUT!....let me caution you this and have been in this forever, so please do listen. A lot of people, in considering a working breed, consider in theory what they want to do. And the list is endless. Schutzhund! SAR! Tracking! Top OB! Herding! Mountain Hiking! Going to the moon and back in three days!  But then get the dog, and what is theory is not in practice, they end up with way more dog than they wanted, and the whole thing blows to high hell. I see it all the time. It is cliche.
Your best bet always is to look at things honestly. You MAY. Start with that. If you have never done whatever the working function is, say you MAY. Not a scrap more than that. If you went hunting with your pa when you were ten and have fond memories but since then haven't been out and now you are 38 and reminiscing, saying it would be a nice relief for you to go hunting and you'd like your next dog able to do that, say you MAY hunt with your dog. Go to the right breeder...breeder number one....and say that you want a really nice pet, and this will be your first Lab (this is in example) and that as you MAY decide going hunting is something to do, you'd like a dog with that ability.
When you enter a breed, do not overstate. EVER. You owe it to the dog to say "yes, I am an amateur." There is nothing wrong with that. And start with a good potential teacher. Not a dog who is more appropriate for a known quantity type person who inevitably will work the dog, has intimate understanding of their drives and character, experience in working development and so on. That's where that dog belongs. Not with you.
I see this dynamic problem all the time, and press that time machine button and I find myself able to relate to it quite easily, as I was that person, too. It's an easy mistake to make. It all ended up ok, but in parts because I was on a sensational dog, he had a total lack of prey drive and one incident where the stars were aligned just right when he ALMOST tore someone's face off. My shoulder was in the way and blocked his bid, but in ensuing times came to know full well he was a very confident biter and had my shoulder NOT been in the way and given that he had a major beeline for someone's face....shudder to think about it. That wasn't him being issue-y or even teenager-y. That was him being very much of his pedigree and a superlative worker with every good balance you could want. And I was in way, WAY over my head. There was a lot I could have done in his raising and development to that moment to have prevented that. But now I am a novice, and this dog I have is some hapless victim, for what he did wasn't "wrong," it was correct and of his potential, but I was way too green to recognize these things until in them.
No learning by doing when it comes to drive-y breeds. Find a good teacher...a moderate puppy and you learn with him and enjoy him. If you want to various working things, you can. And if you like it, THEN, much the wiser, go in for that more highend dog. Hovs are a LOT less forgiving than some other breeds and very different from what you know now. You need a good teacher.
Finally, titles are great, but your breeder should be able to demonstrate to you they have dogs in actual working placements. Titled dogs can be very unbalanced, working dogs can be very, MUST be, balanced. You don't want a titles only "working" breeder. You'd be far better off going to a show puff breeder and avoiding disaster, for sport only pedigrees can be screwy. Within this same frame, the breeder should be able to demonstrate a slew of pet placements as well.
There is a definite fallout of people complaining about splits and not bred for work, for you have those who at the end of the day don't really want that whole package, but the fantasy of it. I am not saying that is you, this is more general info, but it is what I find and just an important part of general "Choosing A Dog" information. With the show type you can get the character but not the work, which in the end is what a lot of people ultimately want. A Pyr who doesn't literally demand to be outside with sheep to look over. He's still ponderous, discerning, stable as a rock, responsible, but he thinks a couch is a mighty fine idea. |  |  | |  |
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to those who can sort a litter properly.
