The reason for poor examples of the breeds you state and many others has nothing to do with the methods described and everything to do with greedy breeders breeding for form over function.In answer to the OP I would get a Lab. Make sure its from hip scored parents. I like the old fashion larger type lab and not the snipey face, scrawny arsed, things that pass for labs today.
I see no problem with the way DN produces pups to suit the type and traits he requires from his dogs. It seems not a lot different from how hound packs in the UK do their breed selection. I think its a shame more people don't do the same with quite a few other breeds and then perhaps we would not see the crap many other breeds have become. The bulldog and the German shepherd are just two i can think of.
In the right hands even the runt of a thoughtful working bred litter can do well given half a chance.
Equally, a lot of our modern metropolitan Kiwis are just the same, which is a change because they didn't used to be. Now I'm not saying I am offended at the differences of opinion in this thread at all - I repeat - not at all. But it is amusing and sometimes quite awkward to see these views expressed by people on the farm, face-to-face, for the slap down that comes their way can be quite brutal! Not really my style, but I can tell you that the odd visitor we've had has left with a terribly bruised ego after ill-advisedly taking on one of the cockies about their dog management practices...
At least we don't eat them!
We use 'working' (your 'American') and 'show' (your 'English') to draw the same distinction, Dodgy. As shooters, most people on here will only have had experience with the former, which is why everyone 'triggered' at your terminology...I’m surprised to hear that the terms english vs american labrador don’t appear to be in use in Britain? Is that right? Learn something new every day! Ubiquitous here and in Aus.
Ah ha! Well like I said I never knew that @CarlW.
So, to be clear, the working dogs in the UK are the thinner, ranger dogs, and the show dogs are the heavyset ones with wider heads, right?
Like this, working left, show right:
View attachment 150892
So the one purebred pedigreed “American” that I know well these days and that I see regularly, is a dead ringer for the dog second from left. Wonderful hound. Bit fugly though...
Pig dog powder sounds like a plan. I like training tracking dogs. they never cease to surprise with what they are capable of. Like the time my dog was picking up scent on water. Something i had read about but was skeptical about till i saw it with my own eyes. Dogs are fascinating animals to observe. Back when i was young and worked on the farm the bosses mother would boil up dead calves. The calves were boiled whole in a 50 gall drum and served to the border collies with a dung fork. After a week or so the calves hummed a bit but the collies never complained.Sadly @Jagare the pigs get to the goats almost immediately! But I like your thinking. I could dry them and grind them up and sell it as pig dog powder. That would get ‘em going. And confuse them...
Goats are fed to the working dogs. During quiet times when they aren’t getting to work for 50-60km or more a day, they get a goat leg or two to keep them occupied. The ranker the better! I hang them up at the kennels like in the photo below, to let the flies do their best first so they’re nice and ripe. Giving your favourite dog a cuddle after they’ve been eating week old maggoty dead goat in the height of summer is a bit of a test, but you get used to it...
Incidentally, the two dogs pictured are my absolute favourite sheep dogs, Willy the Huntaway on the left, and Neil the NZ Heading Dog on the right. These are the two dogs that taught me the basics of how to work sheep dogs, they already knew what exactly to do, and were very patient in allowing me to learn the right instructions with the whistle. Neil knew when I’d screwed up and would rarely execute the wrong command, he’d just turn and look at me with the “are you sure?” look. Just before I ended up in hospital recently, I mustered 2,800 Poll Dorsets off the hill all by myself which was quite an achievement for a part-timer, with these two dogs and two more Huntaways called Sally and Sue. This exercise I am sure was the reason my blood pressure reached critical levels! It’s all good now though and I can’t wait to get back out.
I absolutely love working the sheep dogs, it is perhaps the most satisfying non-hunting canine experience I’ve ever had.
View attachment 150894
I’m surprised to hear that the terms english vs american labrador don’t appear to be in use in Britain? Is that right? Learn something new every day! Ubiquitous here and in Aus.
Or you could just get a PROPER working gundog...........As I have said before!View attachment 150686