The first thing we look at before any dog is breed is the health of the parents and their pedigree. We make sure we do all we can to reduce the chances of any genetic problems that can arise such as hip and eye testing.  In the pedigree we like to see Field Champions,  this shows us that the ancestors of the dogs were trainable and that they have bird finding ability better than most other dogs.   We also take into consideration the social aspects of the parents to produce dogs that want to please and are easy to live with.  We then look at what the combination of the two dogs can bring together to help improve the breed as a whole.

Pennsylvania State law requires that the pups are 8 weeks and 1 day old before they can leave the kennel.

American Kennel Club (AKC) Titles you will see on an AKC pedigree appearing before the name, are FC (Field champion) NFC (National Field Champion) AFC (Amateur Field Champion) NAFC (National Amateur Field Champion).  Amateur champions are handled in the trials by persons who dog not train and handle dogs professionally.  National Champion titles are only given to one dog per year in a particular breed, both in amateur and open categories.  If a C appears before the title it is a Canadian (CKC) championship. You will also see CH titles on AKC pedigrees, these are show (confirmation) champions and DC is a dual champion (field and show).  At the end of the name you may see hunt test titles such as JH (Junior Hunter), SH (Senior Hunter), and MH (Master Hunter).  Various other titles may also appear at the end of the name, these are usually obedience and agility titles. 

American Field (FDSB) pedigrees only have one title CH for field champion.  A * by the dogs name indicates a Hall Of Fame Dog.  They also may have a three number code under the dogs name, such as 5-6-13.  The first number indicates how many field trial wins a particular dog has, the second number is how many offspring it has had that have had wins and the third numbers is the total number of wins those offspring have had.  These numbers are as of the date of the pedigree because they are constantly changing. 

North American Hunting Retriever Association (NAHRA) titles include GMHR (Grand Master Hunting Retriever), MHR (Master Hunting Retriever), WR (Working Retriever) or SR (Started Hunting Retriever).

North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) titles include VC (Versatile Champion) and UT (Utility Test) or NA (Natural Ability Test) prizes I, II or III.

AKC registers most breeds of sporting dogs as well as other breeds. Generally our labs, springers, shorthairs, and brittanys are AKC registered.  FDSB only registers pointing breeds. All of our pointers and setters are FDSB but all of our pointing breeds are eligible for AKC registration.  AKC and FDSB recognize each other so any of the pointing breeds can be dual registered.

We guarantee our dogs to be healthy and free of genetic disorders such as hip and eye defects.  Click here for our full guarantee.

This is one of the biggest myths out there. We do like to have field trial bloodlines in our dogs pedigrees. Dogs that have a strong field trial background bring intelligence, trainability and good birds sense.  All of these characteristics are important in the making of a solid hunter that will help make a great all around dog to own. The dogs that have received their field trial championship titles are the top 1% of all the dogs out there—they have proven themselves against other dogs that they are the cream of the crop.

We try to hunt all of our dogs as much as we can on native birds as well as liberated birds. Many of our dogs travel to different locations throughout the US to hunt various types of waterfowl and upland birds.  In addition all our dogs are used as guide dogs on our 2700-acre hunting preserve for waterfowl and upland birds. Hunting native birds and liberated birds on the preserve each dog will usually see at least 500+ birds a season.  

We spend a lot of time handling and socializing our puppies.  This is very important in the early stages of the life.  The pups are individually handled and spoken to each day.  The pups are exposed to loud noises daily so that it becomes commonplace and does not startle them.  This really helps with gun training.  Our nursery is set up so that as the pups get older they can learn to go outside and do their business on there own.  This makes house training easier.  The pups are also taken on nature walks to learn about the world. At around 6 weeks they are introduced to birds, usually quail,  no serious training just lots of fun and learning for the pups.  All of our early socialization makes a dog that is easier to train to hunt as well as to have good house manners.

What do you do to maintain the health of the puppies?

The puppy’s dewclaws are removed and tails are docked (if necessary for the breed) between the 2nd and 4th day of the puppy’s life. They are wormed starting at 2 weeks of age and continuing every other week until they leave the kennel. The pups are fed a high protein (31%) meat based food starting at about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks and are given all the food they can eat. They are usually weaned of their mothers milk at 5-6 weeks of age.  At 6 weeks of age, the puppies are given their first series of shots, a 5-way vaccination. 

Yes, we have shipped puppies throughout the United States and Canada. We have used all the major airlines to ship. It usually costs $150-$190 to ship a puppy in the US, plus the cost of a puppy crate ($25).  The puppies must be at least 8 weeks old and are examined by a Veterinarian and issued a health certificate ($30) before they are shipped on an airplane.

All of our females and many of our stud dogs are available to hunt over during our hunting season.  All of our dogs are used to guide hunts on our preserve, it is great  to see the parents hunt so you have an idea what you will be getting in a puppy.  Look at our Hunting Page for pricing of our hunting packages.
 

Is our deposit refundable?

Your deposit is a contract between us that you will take a puppy out of a certain litter.  Because many of our pups are sold before they are born, we base your pick on when we receive your deposit.   Deposits are only refundable if not enough pups of the proper sex are born in a litter or we can carry your deposit forward to another litter (your choice).