Fenlander dogs

[T.eddie]

Every breed has to start somewhere, good luck @Fenmaned sounds like your taking the right steps to ensure things have the best chance

 

[Fenmaned]

Good luck to him, he’s obviously passionate about this line of dogs. If he waits to call them a name, why not.

Thank you kind sir

 

[Fenmaned]

Every breed has to start somewhere, good luck @Fenmaned sounds like your taking the right steps to ensure things have the best chance

Much appreciated

 

[Fenmaned]

Thanks for the reply, I’m taking the dogs physical appearance and working first.
The physical appearance of the dog is highly subjective, but that’s quite a specification, lose the bob tail requirement and a lot more alternatives open up.
However with the difficulty in getting pups docked nowadays it’s definitely a solution.
Your dogs quartering close like a good springer isn’t necessary, or at least it shouldn’t be necessary.
The whole purpose of a pointer is to cover a wide area to locate game and once located, to hold point until otherwise instructed. So letting them out a bit shouldn’t be a problem.
This was an absolute revelation when I shifted from springers to my first pointer, you dont need or want a pointing dog close most of the time, if you do want it close call it in. The dog should adjust.
My main criticism of what you are doing would centre on the lack of official recognition which excludes your dogs from competition and independent assessment.
Without a history of success in competition against other HPR’s, or at least having your dogs compete and being formally assessed against each other, I have no standard by which to judge your dogs.
That, and the fact that I can’t compete with one even if it turns out to be beautifully trained and a brilliant hunter, is why I wouldn’t have one or recommend one over an established breed.
YMMV.

Stay safe.

The bobtail gene is already well in play with the Brittany blood. The wire male in the photo is a second gen with both. You breed long to short tail and half the litter should be bob tailed, so they could just as well be left long or docked if preferred. You can breed long to long but not short to short. Once they have worked a couple of seasons I let them work further away but Fen birds are usually quite skittish so it's a balance. It was a revelation for me too when I first started working the first cross. Maybe in the not so far future when they are a little more to type they can be tested.

 

[converse320]

I've got a Fenlander dog, and he's the best dog we've had. He's sociable, easily trained and great as both a family dog and worker. I'd have another.

 

[countrryboy]

Thank you for your understanding response. I breed for myself, not for KC recognition. Any dog that by 18mth doesn't have my preferred strong working drive, style and instinct doesn't get bred from and is pet homed. A tall, heavy built English Springer size, 23in at shoulder, bobtailed(Brittany) short wirehaired (Korthols/GWP) has been the angle from the begining for working sugar beet, arable, dykes, drains, woods. Should quarter like a good springer 20-30 yards out, point, hold till I send them in or flush myself, retrieve to hand

Can u not just train an existing breed to do that?

Ur not doing anything a lot of other di syndicate/ rough shooters dont do using the current dogs

A brittany or even a bracco would handle that no problem.
Hell even just train an ESS to indicate instead of flush.
Many of the top spaniel trailer boys now train their dogs to indicate before flushing.
With a bit of work u could extend how long it indicates for, althou i dare say would take a bit of work
My 1st lab used to sort of 'set' birds before he flushed and i trained him to quarter, not as well as a spaniel mind.
I think in america they have pointing strains/lines of labs.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

what are they like in the water?

 

[Jon P]

what are they like in the water?

Wet

 

[Yosemite Sam]