09/26/2025
Your Friday Tidbit: “Can I get a dog just like
the one I currently or once had?”
I can’t exactly remember how long ago but I wrote a tidbit for people that were struggling with the loss of their dog. Whether a dog is with you for a long or short period of time is rather insignificant. It hurts the same either way leaving a hole in your heart. To even bring up to the person that the possibly of getting almost the same dog when they are still hurting, is an unfair mention.
Since I was thirteen years old I read everything I could find on genetics. Genetics of how it pertains to hunting dogs in particular. I was intrigued by people
who dedicated their lives to building a breeding program. I wasn’t interested in breeders who just bred two dogs together to see “what they would get.” I was interested in people that bred similar lines that over time produced the same results
in every dog they produced. Looks, conformation, personality and talent, just to name a few. Dogs that when you looked at them you could tell what lines they came from because of their uniformity. Uniformity is fascinating to me. It shows that you are forming a breeding line of dogs that are consistent with goal of the breeding program. One of the best compliments I receive often as a breeder is, “How can you tell them apart, they all look the same.”
When you have a good breeding program you know the combination of the pairings
of why the puppies look and act the way they do. Their coloring, their size, their personality and their talent in the field. You understand this from training 3 or more generations of the dogs from both the sire and the dam side. The pedigree will write the story.
So when a person calls me wanting a new dog after a loss, they are shocked to find out that I can get them almost the same dog they once had. In a breeding program there is a code word called a “nick.” A “nick” means a pairing of dogs that produces the exact same type of dogs every time you make the pairing. Litter #1 was the same as litter #2 as litter #3. Both dogs produced the exact same traits every time the pairing was made.
Having this “nick” amongst other breeding principles keeps the dogs that are produced, similar for the goal of the breeding program. Therefore getting relatively the same dog is easier than you might think. I can’t tell you how many times i’ve been able to get people almost the same dog the second time around.
I’ll give you a neat little story. For years whenever Journey would lay down he’d cross his front legs as if he was being a gentleman. The amount of pictures I have received of Journey puppies crossing their legs over the years, when then lay down is astonishing. That is a trait that
Journey passes onto his puppies and it’s still showing up in his grand puppies.
Proven breedings is what builds the future. It takes 4 to 7 generations to make a breeding program. 8 to 14 years of just getting a line started. That’s what i’ve been building for over a decade. Now I’m improving that line, while starting a new one.
Journey and Cowboy being the foundation sires. Winnie and Lucy being the foundation dams. With generations that follow each of them. The reason why all of this is so important is because i’m able to get someone the exact dog they are looking for. Not only that with modern breeding practices I can get the same dog 20 years from now. More on that another time.
When someone calls me;
“Mike, I want a hard core pheasant dog that can hunt and track pheasants all day.” I know what pairing is best right off the top of my head.
“Mike, I want a dog that is calm in the duck blind but still enough drive to pick up a limit of ducks and geese.” I know the go to
pairing there.
“Mike, I want a dog that can be a Master Hunter by two years old.” I know which pairing they need immediately.
“Mike, I want a dog that can win Upland Bird Dog Tournaments.” I know which pairing produced the best tournament dogs.
“Mike, I want a versatile dog that can do it all in Waterfowl, Upland and be a good citizen in the home.” Once again I know which pairing will give them exactly what they want.
The point being that when people tell me that they will never be able to have as good of a dog they once had, I just smile to myself. I know the probability is way higher than the possibility, even though they don’t want to believe it.
Now what is the kinship to solid breeding program? A solid training program to bring the best out of the breeding program.
Hmmm…. I wonder what we should call a highly trained dog paired with genetic perfection….. Hmmm… I got it….. How about a Wingmaster?
The Blast Wingshooting Kennels
Michael D Vaughn