By Lynn Dee Galey
For years breeders have been breeding their Ryman-types to
Ryman-types, feeling it was perpetuating a good thing. But genetic regression to the mean has
resulted in common opinions in the bird dog world of Rymans such as
“in the field they are as exciting as watching paint dry” and “is he on point
or just standing there.” It’s sad, but
true as I have seen dogs that deserve that disheartening assessment. I try to see and hunt with dogs from as many
different lines as possible and also to watch field trials to give me
perspective. That is what began my path to outcrossing in my own breeding
program to continue my legacy of good looking traditional setters with a high dose
of talent and style.
As someone who has been running setters since childhood and for
a couple of decades also had show champions, I am all about having excellent
bird finders who also please my eye. But
the field talent must come first in choosing breeding stock and talent can only
be determined by seeing it with your own eyes.
Every owner loves to say that their birddog
is “a really good one” but before I will breed to a dog I want to do my own
experienced, objective assessment.
There is a startling variety of hunting English Setters in the
US. But as Hall Carter of Old Hemlock Setters and I
discussed one evening, really good bird dogs are simply really good bird dogs.
A really good hunting dog could be successful in certain types of trials and
the really good trial dogs can excel as hunters. It’s the “really good” that
makes the difference. Neither dogs who
are boring to watch or dogs who are hyper and run into the next county are really
good ones.
Intentionally I live smack dab in prime grouse habitat. Using wild birds for training and development
allows my dogs to show me what they really have. It is also handy when I want
to evaluate a potential stud dog and can simply invite them to come visit and
we “take a walk” if I won’t have the opportunity to hunt with them come
fall.
This past fall, much of my hunting season was dedicated to
developing puppies and a yearling. This
made for lots of fun and many, many trips into the woods. Included in the group were one linebred
Firelight pup, a yearling outcross to a CH Llewellin, and puppies from an
outcross with some very famous trial champions behind their sire. Too young for the fall was an “ace up my
sleeve” of a
beautiful granddaughter of my Seth, from the breeder of my very first English back in
the ‘90’s.
One must be very aware that outcross breedings are not a
matter of putting two dogs together and expecting that the puppies will be a
lovely blending of the most desirable traits of each parent. However, in these youngsters, the results
were fun and promising. All of the youngsters are gentle, calm, biddable and
good looking. The linebred girl will be
a solid, honest bird dog. The Llewellin
yearling outcross (and her siblings) are smooth, fun and eye catching afield, very
productive bird finders and bird handlers for their age. My two
trial outcross puppies are super exciting.
Pointing grouse from 5 months, their search is advanced beyond their age; they slam
on to point and are cool and composed while holding birds.
2024 will see Firelight females bred to an outcross of a
highly reputable “trial” line, a Llewellin outcross bred back to a Firelight male, and a
linebred gal crossed to a very precocious old-blood Llewellin. It promises to be a fun year.
Some of the youngsters from this past fall
