SPORTING ANSWERS
The best of both worlds
GUNDOG TRAINING
Q I have a show-bred Labrador bitch that gives a good account of herself as my peg dog but has shortcomings because of the way she is bred. If I mate her to a successful field trial champion will I negate her failings and get the best of both worlds — her good looks and calm temperament — with the added benefits of more drive and working commitment from an accomplished working sire?
A In an ideal world the plan to combine the two ‘types’ of Labrador should work. But while the theory sounds good, in practice things don’t always turn out as you expect.
The Labrador is now distinctly two breeds with two separate gene pools — one based on working bloodlines and the other on producing dogs for the show ring.
To begin, it would be worth getting someone experienced in these matters to take a look at your bitch’s pedigree.
When you bring together two totally separate gene pools, the outcross it produces can be good but it can be not so good. You may, for instance, get hot-headed dogs that are hard to train because they have inherited a lack of working dog ability from the show side — but they may look very nice.
Don’t mate your bitch without first doing plenty of research into potential stud dogs, which isn’t difficult via the internet. Choose a dog that you — and others you have consulted — think will suit your bitch in terms of the way she works and the reputation he has for
