Gundogs
Having made the decision to buy a pup, how do you select the best gundog from a litter?

Selection of the right pup is extremely important, making the correct choice can improve the odds of producing an good gundog. However it is important to remember that a gundog will only fulfill its potential in the hands of the right trainer. The best pup can easily be ruined by a bad trainer, whilst no amount of training, however good will bring on a pup that does not have the aptitude for the job.

It is therefore far more important to choose the right litter, than it is to choose the right pup from that litter. In fact there are many cases of Field Trial Champions and excellent gundogs being the last pup left out of a litter.

Spend your efforts instead on researching the correct litter. Both sire and dam MUST come from working stock. Ideally you should know the owner of the dog and bitch and see them working, satisfy yourself that you like their temperament, build and working ability. Carefully consider your expectations for your future gundog and see if you can recognize these in the sire and dam.
The breeder should have a credible reputation for producing healthy pups. If possible the dogs should have a pedigree that includes dogs that have been made up to Field Trial Champion status. Because a dog can sire many more litters than it is possible for a bitch to have, expect to see more evidence of champions in the male lines of the pedigree.
Don't pick a litter based solely on the number of titles in the pedigree. They are impressive achievements, but they are not indicators of natural tractability, temperament, and gamefinding ability. Nor do titles indicate whether the traits may be passed successfully to the offspring. Evaluate parents of pups based upon the standard of gundog that you require.

Genes
Genes determine the reaction of the dog to its environment, as well as, confirmation and soundness, which is reinforced through training.
The traits of the parents and their line will usually be passed to the offspring. The breeder may have undertaken line breeding to achieve a level of consistency in this. Controlled line breeding is an acceptable process that should not be unduly worrying - as you examine the pedigree.
Since you will be working your dogs kennel club registration is largely unimportant - although it does validate any pedigree that you see and will no doubt add to the cost / value of the dog.
If you have to buy a pup from a dog / owner whom you are unfamiliar then ask to see the dog working. This will give you a much better idea of what to expect than looking at the cute six week old bundles of cuddly fur! It can be argued that it is impossible to tell from a six week old puppy - what sort of gun dog will result, although there will be many trainers who will disagree.
When you do examine the litter ensure that all of the pups are happy and healthy. Hard tail wagging is a good sign!

You should have already decided upon the sex of pup that you want and have a preference for colour, which will limit your choice of pups down to just a few out of the litter, if several have been sold already, there may only be one left - do not worry as long as the pup is strong and healthy. If there are several left to choose from then it is just down to personal preference - some people prefer a strong bold pup that is first out of the kennel everytime, first into the feeding bowl, knocking the other pups out of the way, believing that this pup will turn out to be fearless in cover. Some prefer a less dominant pup, believing that it will be easier to train.
It really is 'pot luck', how good your dog will be can be influenced much more by your selection of the correct litter and by good consistent training than it ever will be through selection of an individual pup.

Hip / eye scores
It is important to select breeders who generally maintain high standards of health in their dogs.
The appropriate hip/eye/elbow certifications for the parents do not offer any guarantee against health defects for the puppies - although it is an indication that the breeder is concerned about the welfare of his/her dogs.

Desirable traits in a gundog are:
calm temperament
tractability
marking
nose
retrieving desire
soft mouth
love of water
birdiness
intelligence
natural delivery to hand

What age to choose your pup.
This is a matter of personal preference and to be agreed between yourself and the breeder.
Guide dogs for the blind have proven that for optimum mental development, a pup needs to leave the nest at 6 weeks and certainly by 8 weeks.

This prevents the pack hierarchy from being too entrenched in the litter which may result in more pronounced dominant-submissive roles among the pups.
Some trainers prefer to get their pups a little later at 10 to 12 weeks, as the character of the pup is more fully developed by this age and preliminary training can begin as soon as the pup is purchased.
There is no correct answer - but between 6 to 10 weeks would seem to be the norm.
The breeder should provide you with health records, pedigree and instructions as to diet.
Initially don't risk immediate changes in the pup's diet. If you wish to use an alternative feed, make the transition slowly.

Inoculations / wormers
Keep inoculations on schedule. There are usually two injections space several weeks apart. Ensure your pup does not come into contact with any 'unknown' dogs or with places where other 'unknown' dogs are known to frequent, until several weeks after the last injection.

The pup should have already been regularly wormed by the breeder, details of which you should have with the pups health record. Ensure that you continue to worm your developing dog at prescribed intervals with a good proprietary wormer.

Once selected, the fun really begins as you go about transforming the new pup into the perfect gundog, it is all up to you, the trainer, now.

If you require help or advice in choosing a gundog club members can ask a more experienced member of the club, since virtually all club members own a working dog.

BASC members can contact the gundog officer at the BASC who can help with a wide variety of problems that you may come across.

Checkout the gundog links page for web sites that are specific to gundogs.