Congratulations to Robin DuPree and Ron Huck and their boy Addison Oaks Super Sport (Chevy) on completing his SH title at 2.5 years of age. They are even thinking about competing in Masters next month! Chevy's mother, Linamia's Miss Congeniality SH is a litter mate to my Jake, who is now 4 for 4 in Masters in 2010. Chevy's sire is Ch Caer Bren Superhero MH and grandsire is Ch Waterbound Locke On Laddy MH.

WOW....congrats to everyone!!!

Tis the Season ;)

Congratulations!!!!

Have fun this fall!

Thanks for the recognition Peggy,

Chevy will actually run his first master test next weekend at the Michigan Flyways hunt test. It would be great to end the season with one Master pass under his "belt".

I should add that aside from good breeding on Peggy's side and with her guidance, we owe a lot of Chevy and momma Rosie's success to to a great trainer and handler, Guy Reith of Hunters Creek Club in Metamora MI.

Guy always tells us that "Pretty is as Pretty Does" and we're here to prove that "Pretty Can Do". Chevy is just starting to come together but he did win his class at the Detroit Kennel Club show within a few days of his second birthday.

That is quite an accomplishment! Curious though, how large a roll you feel genetics plays in hunting ability. As opposed to the roll of training, I mean. Do you find that dogs with titled parents and grandparents are more "naturals" than dogs who don't come from those lines?

I do think that dogs with advanced titles are a better bet for progeny with potential for advanced field work, but so few of our show labs get to "strut their stuff" in the field that there are undoubtedly plenty of dogs that have the ability and no opportunity to demonstrate it. Jake and Rosy's litter has another girl with good field ability, plus a dog with agility class wins. But the female I kept is a lackluster retriever who sometimes refuses to go. So even within the same litter you can have some great retrievers and workers and a dedicated couch potato. I have a friend who gave away a daughter of a national field trial champion because she would not retrieve.

If you want a dog that can go beyond Junior, start them young. I put a JH on an eight year old back in 1989 soon after the hunt tests started, so that can be done. But to go on to the advanced work, you really should develop the retrieving drive when they are young.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Peggy. I guess it's all about playing the odds, finding the talent and polishing it. My girl has been a retrieving fool from early on (only show lines) and very birdy, so I feel a little guilty for not fulfilling her potential. Not so easy here in the big city, knowing zilch about hunts though. She does love her tennis balls and Frisbee.

Wahoo Chevy, Robin, Peggy and trainer! : ) Best of everything and I hope he does it next weekend for his first MH pass!

Absolutely there's inherited behaviors vs trained behaviors. Examples of inherited; retrieving desire, delivery to hand w/out it being taught, soft mouth vs hard mouth, swimming/love of water, calm nature vs hyperactive nature, tractability, using their nose, their eyes. Trained; steadiness, obedience, lining, etc.

I've no doubt we've many out there that have good instincts but don't get the chance to prove it.

It is so fun to work w/ a dog who loves its birds, is quick study and hard charging coming and going.

I'm no trainer by a long shot but something that I hear alluded to every so often with the "show bred" lines is the need for a "special touch" on the part of the trainer.

Guy has told us more than once he doesn't train with a time table in mind for when the dog should be at certain milestones in it's training. Some of the trainers that typically work with the hard charging field lines might not have the patience to bring a show bred dog along at it's own pace. Guy has the perception to let the dog tell him what it's ready for and can tolerate in terms of pressure. Without that we might not be where we are today with both Rosie and Chevy which is why I attribute a lot of their success to his well seasoned training skills and ability to "read the dog"

That's because a correct tempered labrador is a tractable confident dog(biddable). These truly tractable ones deliver to hand naturally also. You see this easily when they are 8wks old and you are doing your little tests you do when picking that right puppy for your hunter on your list or one you want to do field work with. He is a calm dog at your feet. He fires up when outside and getting ready to work in the field. A natural birdy labrador w/ correct temperament doesn't need to be FF or e-collar conditioned for JH level and he should easily go 4 for 4 or 5.

Show breds are called softer.. So be it, we are tractable! Some can be too soft and it's hard to work them in any capacity for they lack confidence. But they can still do it, just will take them longer and the right trainer.

Fortunately, it is easier to find a trainer willing to deal with show dogs that it was 20 years ago due to a combination of factors. More show bred dogs are running in hunt tests now and more people with a background in conformation are training. Also, due to the influence of trainers like Mike Lardy, even the field trial trainers are becoming more humane. But yes, a trainer willing to work with the temperaments of show dogs and to resist the temptation to rush them, is a real blessing for those of us who don't have the time, facilities, or skill, to do it ourselves. Larry Sonntag has been wonderful for Jake, who is a very willing dog, with great retention, but slow on the initial learning curve and easily confused by some of the things he has had to deal with in MH training.