Trial dogs and Llewellins - Oh My!

 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 

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