# Finding your new field puppy



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Let's say you are looking for a serious field dog, one who will be worked hard and will be more than a casual hunter, maybe even a trial dog. How do you locate interesting litters?


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I would contact a breeder in my area who's produced successful FT dogs and ask their plans or suggestions. If nothing comes from that, I would check out local FT to find a dog I like and ask if/when he's being bred.


----------



## Edward Lee Nelson (Jan 2, 2017)

Social media: You have enough friends on your FBook page or friends of friends all across the Country that have great reputations that will know when a good litter comes around. Use it to your advantage! Its more than a 10 yr. investment!


----------



## Sweese (Sep 25, 2013)

Call a pro or two in each area of the country or if you prefer keep it to your region only. Ask the pros what dogs they like that are out there running in hunt tests and/or field trials. From there, you may need to reach out to these folks and find out what breedings are coming up for their dogs. Some of the best breedings are coming from non-kennels, are not advertised and are sold out before puppies ever hit the ground.


----------



## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Since I don't see many goldens run and definitely don't see goldens train I only hear about goldens from social media and word of mouth. 
There are so many performance groups on FB that are always posting test and trial results from the weekend. When I see a golden pop up on the feed it piques my interest and Ill go to Retriever Results and look at the performance record and pedigrees of those goldens. If I like what I see then I would go looking for litters by those dogs or similar pedigrees to those dogs. Or Ill go check out the breeders that bred those dogs. 

If I wanted a hunt test dog I would be looking at pass/fail ratios for the dog. This is because I wouldn't be able to see the dog in person. Im not really impressed with dogs that took 25 tries to get a MH title. It seems there are a lot more goldens in hunt so it wouldn't be that hard to find another dog with a more successful record. Field pickings seems a bit more limited. Derby would be something I would be very interested at looking at and then the rest. I really like to see that a dog can prove some good marking and a certain level of maturity at a young age. Its important to me in a golden retriever. 

If I just wanted a hunting companion getting a pup I wouldn't put as much effort into the search. Hunt titles might be important to me but really if the parents are sound and avid hunters I would think that would be good enough.


----------



## Edward Lee Nelson (Jan 2, 2017)

Great advice MOP, seems like I spend my Sunday nights and Monday am at work looking up Golden placements on social media and EE then looking up the pedigrees etc on Retriever Results!


----------



## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

ha ha ha Yep that is me too! I enjoy looking at the Monday standings and I love to look at the statistics on RR...that site has a wealth of information and it also lets you pull up honorifics for the littermates of dogs. I can go off on so many tangents on that site!


----------



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

How I found Buffy:

I searched for Mioaks kennels because I had a dog, Dasher, that was sired by Mioak's Main Event. Dasher was one terrific gun dog and I wanted a dog out of those lines. After a little difficulty I was able to locate Mickey Strandbergh. I spent an hour on the phone with her discussing Dasher and what I was looking for in a dog. She had just finished placing pups from her current litter. We went over a couple of litter listings and came upon a litter---Jay x Flirt. We talked about several dogs in that pedigree. She told me she had judged several dogs in the pedigree and told me to immediately call the breeder to get a pup. And so I did---traveling to Thomasville NC. And I got to see Flirt run some marks.

Sooo...my personal guidelines. Locate a litter by asking around and looking at litter listings. Check pedigree. Get to see the parents work or talk to someone who has seen the parents work. Then contact the breeder.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Great thread, nothing more fun than a puppy search and even though I won't (hopefully) be looking for a puppy again for a long time, it's fun to think on it. My word of mouth would definitely be carefully filtered through experienced people who understand the qualities that I value in a Golden and who understand my own experience level (or lack thereof). I have kids at home and want to train AKC obedience etc. in addition to field work and since I'm still learning a lot I need a forgiving dog who is happy doing it all. 

Kind of off track, but I was at an obedience class last night with Ellie and working on hand signals with her, I had been using food as a reward and started using the bumper as a reward/reinforcement for teaching in the ring for the first time (it is reserved for retrieving and I occasionally allow her to carry it as a reward since it's so high value to her) Her teeth were chattering she was so excited after just some simple drilling - she's very food motivated, but I've never seen her teeth chatter over any kind of food. A reminder of how valuable her instincts are to me and how important her field work foundation is in other sports. We really can't lose these instincts in this breed, it matters so much.


----------



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

nolefan


I have also used a bumper in obedience class. Great for getting attention and then as a reward. Don't know if I could get away with using a dead pheasant in class.


----------



## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

ArchersMom said:


> I would contact a breeder in my area who's produced successful FT dogs and ask their plans or suggestions. If nothing comes from that, I would check out local FT to find a dog I like and ask if/when he's being bred.


If I am wanting to truly be "serious," as stated in the original post, I certainly would not limit myself to contacting breeders in my area, but instead it would be a nation-wide search. I would also have the understanding that I may be waiting for quite some time for the right breeding to happen.


----------



## Edward Lee Nelson (Jan 2, 2017)

FT Goldens, I would do that now  but about 14 years ago I woke one morning and said I want something different! I want a FT Golden and I looked in the Field Trial News and bought me one sight unseen. I was extremely pleased!


----------



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

FTGoldens said:


> If I am wanting to truly be "serious," as stated in the original post, I certainly would not limit myself to contacting breeders in my area, but instead it would be a nation-wide search. I would also have the understanding that I may be waiting for quite some time for the right breeding to happen.


While searching, I had also contacted breeders in Oregon, willing to make the trip for a pup.


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

FTGoldens said:


> If I am wanting to truly be "serious," as stated in the original post, I certainly would not limit myself to contacting breeders in my area, but instead it would be a nation-wide search. I would also have the understanding that I may be waiting for quite some time for the right breeding to happen.


I consider "my area" everything west of Texas, including Canada. I've traveled as far as Wisconsin before, but I don't typically network with people that are further than 1,000 miles. Id have to find those litters on social media or hear about them from breeders that I know more locally.


----------



## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

ArchersMom said:


> I consider "my area" everything west of Texas, including Canada.


Too funny!!!


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

gdgli said:


> Let's say you are looking for a serious field dog, one who will be worked hard and will be more than a casual hunter, maybe even a trial dog. How do you locate interesting litters?


If I'm looking for a Trial dog, I probably won't entertain those dogs from Hunt Test or Performance pedigrees. The number of straight up Field Trial litters each year is pretty small. I would be talking to the owners of competitive dogs to see what their breeding plans are for the year. If you wait until you see litter announcements you're probably too late for a top competition prospect.


----------



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Swampcollie said:


> If I'm looking for a Trial dog, I probably won't entertain those dogs from Hunt Test or Performance pedigrees. The number of straight up Field Trial litters each year is pretty small. I would be talking to the owners of competitive dogs to see what their breeding plans are for the year. If you wait until you see litter announcements you're probably too late for a top competition prospect.


I look for very specific qualities in a dog. At hunt tests I make notes on the Goldens I see. Same at trials. Because I am frequently shooting at trials, I also get to see the dogs' work up close. 

When speaking to a breeder I tell the breeder EXACTLY what I am looking for and I really do not want to compromise. The qualities that are a must: a bold dog, high energy, and I prefer smaller rather than bigger.


----------



## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Swampcollie said:


> If I'm looking for a Trial dog, I probably won't entertain those dogs from Hunt Test or Performance pedigrees. The number of straight up Field Trial litters each year is pretty small. I would be talking to the owners of competitive dogs to see what their breeding plans are for the year. If you wait until you see litter announcements you're probably too late for a top competition prospect.


I agree. I’m in Alaska, we have had a few decent trial litters over the years. But none when I was looking. So I will go anywhere for the right pup. My last pup was from a phone text from someone that knew I was looking. I looked at the pedigree right away, made a phone call, and mailed a check the same day.

I was looking for a trial pup because I figured I could do anything with one from a good trial breeding. And I wasn’t wrong.


----------



## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

It is a bit easier once you're "in" but if you are an outsider looking for a trial pup its harder. Breeders with super litters don't always want to give a nice pedigreed pup to a newbie. I got lucky. I didn't know anything about anything and George knew me and told me about his litter. Little did I know what kind of lines I was getting....Now I have a much better idea about nice goldens that I want a pup from...


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

hollyk said:


> Too funny!!!


It's true! Anything under 1,000 miles is just a day trip


----------

