More excellent posts fellas, well said on both counts.
The guy who coldly goes through em and only wants the best?
The guy who really tries to bring out the best in each dog?
More excellent posts fellas, well said on both counts.
A number of years ago I saw a dog make several deeply game scratches back to a dog that clearly outclassed him. There were only two souls in that building that thought he still had a chance. The dog just knew he would win on the next trip over. And the other was an older gentleman who saw something down the road. I made the comment to get him up but I did not have the gumption to buy him mid-stream and force the pick up. That dog was brought back out and won two. I saw him on the second one and he was ten times the dog the second time I seen him. The differences were one he was done two pounds heavier and with a different owner. I believe he would have avenged his earlier loss if given the chance. With that said,
for the most part a dog is the product of his environment, sometimes that is a positive but sometimes he is a victim of his circumstance...to no fault of his own. One of the things I believe firmly is that if every dog, an absolute 100%, was held til they were 28-30 months old before even their first bump the percentages across the board would increase, regardless of line, regardless of owner. These dogs are amazing. They overcome so much and if they were allowed to fully mature they would overcome so much more (owners shortcomings).
The wisdom/willingness to wait on a dog is I think what separates the two in the original poll. The hard culler is not going to wait. The man that wants the best will wait. EWO
Originally Posted by EWO
Another outstanding post. This is exactly what I prescribe in my chapters on Schooling and Game-Testing. I may well post these articles tomorrow, but you said exactly the gist of them: maturity and patience are everything.
A dogman expecting all his dogs to be 100% dead game before they're fully-mature is as clueless as a farmer expecting his crops to "taste their best" before they're fully-ripened. The time it takes to fully-mature must simply be understood and allowed-for.
What 90% of most dogmen don't realize is, dogs may achieve "sexual" maturity at 12-16 months ... but they do not achieve full, social maturity until they're 2.5 - 4 years old. That is a biological fact that will not be ignored by the intelligent dogman. This kind of deep understanding of dogs is what allowed dogs like Dibo and Chinaman to shine in their later years ... when they would have been culled by most of today's idiot-dogmen ... who would never realize what they lost due to impatience. The number of potentially-good dogs wasted due to not being allowed to mature is inconceivable.
Jack
I'm not calling anyone out! Just stating Wat I have seen with more then one person on your board! if you think that you have learned everything in these hounds then Wats the since ? I wanna ask you this if you have your own breedings off your stock are you harder on them or would you be harder on a prospect that someone farmed out to you to see how it turns out? If you are a good dog man or woman then should you not know Wat a good one looks like when to and when not to cull and or breed! as someone has already stated if your not trying to better the breed of any hound then it's not right in my eye's as you have said your self jack if you don't have Some reads then your not being the best that you can be! Just knowing when to pick up and put your pride to the side could make all the difference! this is by far one of the best post on this site! You putting this site together with the amount information on here let us know you have a real love for not just bulldogs but for the k9 species overall!
1000% with that deep understanding!Most people of these days think a fast lane is one that start acting hot at a young age! Learned that the hard way! A hot acting pup is just that! And after that life lesson Nothing is pushed to do it cause of how hot they act but are allowed to fully mature! world of difference! End up with more good ones just by give them that time to grow into dogs!
Okay, cool, thanks for clarifying.
I put this post up because too many people act like owing dogs is a tough man contest ... whoever can be the coldest, cull the most dogs, and brag about "how hard it is to make it" on their yard means they're some sort of elite dogman. But the exact opposite is true.
That is like some farmer claiming that the fewer crops that make it to ripening, and to market, means he's the "best farmer." In point of fact, anyone with results like this is the WORST farmer.
The best farmers = those who have the HIGHEST yearly crop yields, not the lowest
The best farmers = those who do EVERYTHING they can to produce the most, and the best, quality crops every year
And farmers with success like this can only do so by doing everything they can first, before they ever see a ripened piece of fruit or vegetable.
But so many people in these dogs cannot see that all we are is "dog farmers" ... and we have to follow the same principles.
Our dogs need the most optimal genetics, the best fuels, consistent parasite control, and part of what they need is also care and attention to reach their uttermost potential.
So I am glad a lot of experienced people came here to share their stories in this regard, because there is no big "rush" to see what these dogs can do. I have a 2 year old right now, and my (now considerable) experience shows me that she is just a puppy. I can see it in her stance, the way she carries herself, her "view of the world," etc. She is starting to perk-up toward other critters now ... and would probably fire-up if I bumped her ... but she is still a puppy. She is still transforming into a fully-mature animal, socially (and even physically). I can just see that. I couldn't imagine doing anything really rough on her yet, even though she might stand up to it. To me, if I were still active, I would just barely be starting her school now.
Sure, I have started dogs off a lot younger, and each dog is an individual, and some dogs start earlier than others. But it still is best practice to wait before doing anything serious with them. Too many people expect the world out of puppies, and young dogs, while not expecting a thing out of themselves first.
It is refreshing to read the stories and accounts of those who do pay attention
Jack
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Nice posts.
I also think culling dogs on a young age doesn't mean you'll keep the better dogs. (plenty people cull even before 1 year old) All you did was "separating" the early starters from the rest.
Im still regretting 1 i culled a year ago because i didn't allow him to fully mature. What if.
Though besides patience, space plays a big roll as well. I don't think i have to explain.
So my biggest respect would go out to someone with a really small yard, who would get the best out of each dog from pup to grown up.
PS: the stupidest thing i ever heard is something called "natural culling" I don't think i have to explain that either.
Does not matter if you are talking dogs, business, marriage or raising children, you name it. The man who does the most with what he has is the better dogman, businessman, husbandMAN.....MAN PERIOD!
That about sums it up, NQ, well said.
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