Fatal Flaws in Working Dogs

Its a metaphor but you get my point. But whens the last time you owned a Ferrari to know? Lol...just curious

 

Just because a dog looks like it has good conformation doesn't mean the dog is gonna be strong durable or be able to push. There are all kinds of people who look strong but are softer than medicated cotton when its time to get dirty. I played bball in college and a guy on my team who played my position benched 325 and looked like the hulk but when we actually got on the court I tossed him around like a rag doll. You can't go merely by the look and assume this dog is bring what I need. Like I said when its a performance sport pretty is as pretty does. My teammate looked the part but no coach would've taken him over me...

 

Good debate dream...and the rest of you that commented. Kept it classy and respectful. I can dig it! All my post have been deleted but its cool. I feel when there's a debate from parties all having valid points we are getting somewhere. We can all compare notes and learn from eachother. I'm not to proud nor do I claim to know it all. I hope some things I said made sense and can help someones program as it has helped my own. I will take the knowledge shared with me from other and apply to mine and may we all have success.

 

I still think this post right here makes the most sense. You can't breed the total package without sacrificing something therefore something will always be lacking if you are striving to produce game dogs with perfect conformation all you have to do is look at what has happened to every working breed that was touched by show breeders sure they strive to breed near perfectly structured dogs but at what cost? If you think about what gameness means to these dogs what ben there is saying is absolutely true. A game dog can overcome anything if his heart and mind is right. Kimo I don't have a problem with breeding for sound structure as long as it's not the only thing you are heavily focusing on and you don't start nit picking away trying to create the prettiest box dog because again if you start trying to breed for the total package you are going to be sacrificing something else wether you know it or not because every dog has faults to some extent. There is a difference in true fatal flaws vs structural faults that may not be pleasing to the eye but doesn't interfere with the dogs ability to perform it's task. Structure is important but only to a certain extent if the dog doesn't have the right heart and mind to make it in the box it won't matter about his structure in the end JMO.

 

I agree Sadie...I take a hit on percentage sometimes to produce the perfect package. But...I do get those all around perfect dogs. More often than most as I been striving for years to accomplish this so most major faults have been repressed or bred out. Game and temperament is my foundation and I take that over looks any day. Then.. I try to add what's physically missing from the dog or correct the issue. I am aware no dog is flawless...but like I said.. major faults do not present themselves often in my program. Very rarely. And I'm able to maintain the most important trait...game and temperament. Thank you for your reply Sadie. Classy as usual :-) You always have very good information that myself and others can apply to our programs.

 

Jeez you people with your hypotheticals, LOL.

 

Hypothetically speaking of course lol ...

 

Kimo I have no problem with breeding for balance and consistency to me = balance. I am not so concerned with perfect as I am balance and consistency in whatever it is I believe is most important if that makes sense.

 

Yes....it does make sense. That's what I mean by correcting physical flaws. If your working with something under the hood....all I'm trying to do is polish the body up real nice so to speak.

 

Dont know.. There were alot more posts here last time I checked

 

With the climate of how things are today, references in certain context can put you and everybody else involved in a situation. If it got deleted it was probably in your best interest. You live and you learn though.

 

I think you need to Work the breed to uncover the fatal flaws and I don't mean run the mill and flirtpole. A flaw can be as simple as a lack of endurance while working which puts the dog in a position to get hurt during said work. Many people define the breed differently and their ideas of whats a perfect dog vary as much as the colors of wild flowers that grow in a meadow but there should always be the common denominator of Gameness and Structural Correctness within any breeding program. I like that there are alot of variables in the breed, there is no one "Look" that should be followed, breed to the old time standards, narrow down your genepool for consistancy within your own yard and select only the best and most proven dogs to carry on the traits.

NGK

 

Would you consider a dog with weak teeth
as a flaw/functional error as well as dogs with
narrow teeth...

 

Yes I would consider it a flaw, usually weak teeth means weak bones which translates into less durable dogs.

NGK

 

Losing....... thats pretty fatal on your bank balance! Breeding dogs that dont win is also a thankless task. When your yard is stale its time to pack it in. There are kennels that produce winners because they dont favour a line. If they have alot of a family its because its yielding results. Beware of folks that breed dogs off a long dead Known dog they are kennel blind. Working dogs must be in the fastlane.

Most of all the FATAL flaw in working dogs are the OWNERS.

YIS

 

untested dogs are a false economy..... Dogmen have used unmatched stock but it was game tested hard. Which can be more demanding than fastlane competition.

Try breeding several dogs off that type of stock and put them up in the fastlane. You may get lucky and come home with the bacon but consistency would prove otherwise.

 

Is a dog with spread toes hindered any verses a dog with tight knit toes? And visa versa?