Why Are The Old Breeds Of Gundogs Still Not Used?

[stroller 341]

Mochastorm raised an interesting point in the golden retriever post which got me thinking, Why are the older breeds of gundogs used so little if at all these days?

 

Show breeders have ruined them?

 

The springer/cocker spaniels and labs are much better?

 

I don't have any answers but I would be interested in your comments?

 

 

[pegleg33 134]

It doesn't help that there's not really a huge working strain availible

[amentalcat 3]

I was told by an elderly chap years ago, that it was because the older breeds take longer to mature, and that was echoed by some of the people that I have spoken to that have breeds like Curlys, Goldens, and even Flatcoats. I suppose that some people don't have the time/money/knowledge to take on a puppy that might still be immature at 2-3 years old, they want a dog that they can bring on quickly.

 

Its a sad situation, maybe a sign of the times very sad, but there are still pockets of people about that use the older breeds if you look for them.

 

Ali

[stroller 341]

I have seen a couple of clumbers who worked well and a flatcoat that was very useful, and an occasional golden retriever. I would love to see a big curly coat work and my favourite the sussex spaniel out on a shoot.

[Dan Newcombe 58]

Its a catch 22.

 

They can (not always) take longer to mature:

 

Because of this less people use them, which means less are bred, which means people charge silly money for them, which means less are bought, which means less people use them, which means less are seen .......... and so on!

 

Eventually you end up with a very small gene pool of useful dogs and it takes a huge amount of work to get them back (look at the cockers though, it can be done)

 

When I got a retriever I really wanted a golden, went looking and they were like hens teeth and when you found a litter half promising they cost the earth.

 

Why pay silly money for a golden retriever / flatcoat / clumber pup of fairly average breeding when you can get a top bred lab for much less and more likely have a functional gundog at the end of it? (realistically how many champion to champion minority breeds are out there, not minority stakes, open stakes). You may go to a shoot and see a good example but put it next to a good lab, springer, cocker etc and how good is it really?

 

Now if there were some good, proven working goldies around for lab money I would buy one tomorrow but when people get carried away with prices only a certain type of people can afford to/ will buy them and they aren't the people who get the dogs out for genuine hard work a few times a week (not saying that there aren't goldies and flatcoats that do this, there just aren't many!)

 

Summary, they cost too much and are hard work to get hold of.