I look for a long list of things every time I search for a stud dog.
1. I look for dogs that live in the house. Having the dog live in the home gives the breeder a chance to learn so much more about the dog than hunting and testing alone. The puppies I send to hunters will likely spend most of their time in the home and often with other dogs and children.
2. I like to see dogs that have been trained by their owner. A breeder needs to see how hard it is to train and test their dog to evaluate the dog for breeding. Perfect test scores alone don't tell you everything you need to know about a dog. I believe you learn more training for the test than at the test. The breeder will have a hard time advising you if he has not trained and tested a dog.
3. Dogs that hunt a lot. The tests are important but not a substitute for hunting.
4. High drive in the field and water. This is one of the most important things. My dogs plow through thorns and break ice. I like dogs that hunt fast and hard without a sense of self preservation.
5. Conformation is important to me; I don`t want to lose it.
6. The most important thing is that the dog is from a litter registered with the DKV. This will mean that it comes from a family of dogs that have all run a gauntlet of tests that prove temperament, hunting ability, and health. Breeders that choose this system are putting quality before profit and convenience. Dogs that do not meet the requirements cannot be bred, and a breeder can be suspended or banned by the board.
