Morality of moving a dog on Discussions

friend has a 20 week springer who he feels is too timid to work on.
Can only have 1 dog and wants to go on to field trials.

So he feels it is best to try and find a pet home for this dog and he will try again with another.

my dog was bought as a pet first and if he can do gundog work or agility or flyball it will be a bonus and with a view to keeping him gainfully occupied.

What are everyones views about a dog bought for a purpose but not coming up to expectations.

I do not have a problem with it, this goes on all the time in the horse world.

If your friend can find a super pet home for the dog where it can be happy there is no problem.

my view... dont like it :-(

but i believe your friends dog is better off finding another home...and at least hes still young.

...hopefully someone will take the pup and prove him wrong ;-)

I wouldnt do it myself, but i dont see a problem with it so long as he makes sure he finds a good home for him/her.

I dont like it

Different (but still not keen on it) if the person NEEDS the dog for a JOB
But if its for a hobby then the dog is a pet

The hobby should never be more important than the pet - and more often its the person training the dog who is at fault not the dog
But if your pet really dosent go for a hobby then find a hobby that suits you both

A dog is for life not just to make you look good

Hmm. Let`s hope the next dog / wife / child comes up to scratch, eh?
Because if he`s not willing to put in a bit of effort in training this dog and helping him gain confidence, it doesn`t say much for any other partnerships, does it?

Good post.

rune

You do not buy a wife (ok some do)
You do not buy a child (ok some do)

So bringing them into the argument is specious.

You buy an animal.

If you have bought a horse to compete in the Olympics and it develops an issue, you sell it on.

If you buy a dog for competing in Field Trials and it is gun shy, you move it on.

The poster has already said that this was the purpose of the purchase.

This is entirely different to buying a dog for a pet and THEN deciding to compete with it.

You cannot TRAIN a dog to power through scrub, gorse, heavy cover for game.

You cannot TRAIN a sound sensitive dog to be confident around guns going off all around it.

Neither of the above is possible.

It is genetic. I am afriad no amount of good intentions or skilled training will change this.

I`m not specious. I have a valid opinion.
An` I`m not havin` an argument about it either
sticks fingers in ears and goes lalalalalala

I have mixed views on it and wouldn't do it myself.

However, if your friend bought his pup specifically to do field trials/gundog work with it and it is not going to be suitable for that work then as long as he endeavours to find this pup an excellent pet home, where the pup will be valued as a pet rather than staying in a home where he isn't meeting expectations, then it is better your friend finds him a new home. Would the breeder not want the pup back?

We got our springer, Gracie, in exactly the same sort of circumstances, through a friend of a friend.

He ran a boarding kennels and also did a lot of trialing, got Gracie as a pup, but she was really very timid. He would have to carry her out of her bed and carry her to the garden, or she wouldn't move. He felt she'd be better as a general working dog, with out the stresses of trialling. She came to us at around 18 months old I think, scared of her own shadow and not wanting to leave the kennel.

After spending a good few weeks sat in her bed with her, getting to know her and lots of lead walks, she eventually trusted us enough to come on a walk with us, Hamish and Charlie.

To introduce her to shoot days, I was taking her out for OH for half days, getting her used to the flag and being in crowds of people. Once she was comfortable with that, OH started taking her out and working her along side Hamish and her confidence grew! She is now a confident happy dog, that will work for both me and OH. She is still timid, shy around strangers and new situations, but that's just her.

I've had her out on a shoot day that her previous owner was on and he couldn't believe the transformation. He said its something he wouldn't have been able to achieve because he's always busy with his business.

I think that if its in the best interest of the dog to be found a new home, then I'm all for it.

Very well put, and that is how I feel about it.

Well done with Gracie too, it sounds like you have really transformed her and allowed her to flourish under your care

that maybe but to decide its 'no good' at said job at 20 weeks

(already said think the pup is better off outa there tho)

Pup plays with my 1 yr old spaniel and holds its own.
But even when he got it from the breeder its ears were torn up because it got picked on in the litter.
Seems biddable and training for sit stay etc coming on.
the main problem he sees is noise shy and easy spooked and pulls back on the lead.
I think he's rushing it a bit and it would do no harm to try some gundog lessons with a trainer who will also be able to give an honest assessment.

Hes talking about this mating being an outbreeding not a line breeding and using this as an excuse for the noise issues.
he wants to be able to take it out next season and do trials, so does not want to waste any more time on this pup if its not up to scratch.

I dont have a problem with moving a dog on if it isnt going to be able to perform the task for which you acquired it, provided the correct home is found.

If you have space, time and money to keep the dog as a pet then i'm all for keeping it instead but if you are limited and the dog isnt suitable then learn from your mistake, move it on and pick a more suitable pup next time.

I think at 20 weeks he hasnt given it enough time but if it's timid at this age then it's probably always going to be of a timid nature. I fully understand that he cant waste time on a pup he thinks has no potential if he wants to get it working in the next suitable season. If he wants to trial it as well then the dog has to be of the highest quality, so even though it may do ok as a shooting companion, it wouldnt cut it in a trial.

However, I know of a lady who has a senior GWP which has worked all it's life. It doesnt like gunfire, you can see it visibly bracing itself and wincing but it's still a good working companion.

just out of interest how many people would pass on a dog if they were not good enough for it?

You buy a dog for crufts or whatever and then realise that that you are not a good enough handler for them?

I find it a bit random this persons sole aspiration is field trials, with one dog. I was under the impression that it is very hard to get field trial runs, is very competitive and is also very expensive. I can see why breeders and people whos jobs are heavily reliant on gundogs (gamekeepers, etc.) would want to get involved in field trials, but can't really see the motivation for the average owner.

I can understand moving a dog on in a genuine situation where a would-be working dog (sheepdog, gamekeepers gundog, guide dog, police dog, etc.) does not make the grade. However, I cannot understand nor do I approve of this for pet or competition dogs.

I do not understand the comment "I find it a bit random the person's sole aspiration is field trials"?

If you have a goal, why is it "random"?

If you want to compete at the Olympics in Dressage, is this random?

If so, how and why?

Field Trials is a competitive sport; do not people wish to excel at various sports with or without an animal?

What is the problem in having a "sole aspiration"?

How realistic is it to become excellent in more than one aspiration?

Should people NOT have aspirations?

As for "one dog" well have you actually competed at top level in any canine discipline?

If so you will know how difficult that is with ONE dog let alone any more!

It is not necessarily "hard" to get field trial runs, in one or two of the sub groups of gundogs, in fact it is quite difficult now to get a full card! (As those of us involved in gundog associations know).

As it is very expensive and competitive that is precisely WHY the person wants to rehome this dog and get a dog that is more suited to the task and does not continue to waste valuable time and money.

What is the reason that you do not understand the motivation of an "average" owner wishing to get involved in Field Trials?

Do not plenty of average owners wish to get involved in all sorts of disciplines? That is what sports are all about, whether or not they involve animals.

My answer to all those questions is "I don't give a sh*t". Happy?

I don't have a problem with it but would find it very difficult to do myself.

We took on a spaniel (mainly because the keeper had been sacked and it was going to be a one way trip to the woods) and was told that she just would not retrieve so we really took her on to save her, and go beating with her. She was very timid but soon came out of her shell and we had her retrieving with no problems at all. Sometimes, it just needs a different handler.

Helen