[working-gundog] "primitive" selection for pointing in PLs > GSP Forum

Unanswered Active Topics

Forums Search

Forums > Mailing Lists > working-gundog

Subject: [working-gundog] "primitive" selection for pointing in PLs

Prev Next

You are not authorized to post a reply.

Author

Messages

jmurr

MH
Posts:158

07/08/2007 9:40 PM
Innate pointing in most PL lines (if they can even be called "lines") really only reflects whatever tendency to "point" the dogs carry from old ancestors. Currently, with a few exceptions, there appears to be more interest in breeding to popular sires from FT lines that may "throw point," whatever that means, than to attempt to develop actual pointing in lines. There is some evidence that in the early days of development of the Labrador in England the dogs were outcrossed to long established pointing breeds at one kennel and folks often look to this fact to "explain" the origin of "point" in PLs here today. But, at least in the earliest days of importation of Labs. to the USA, it does not appear that dogs from that kennel were among the importees. Whether they were later (except perhaps by a small number of serious PL breeders) is not clear. It appears that the whole development history of the field working Lab. has been devoted to retrieving - creating an obedient tractible dog with natural attribute primarily suited to retrieving work. Little emphasis has been placed on developing an upland hunting dog a la the flushing breeds or the pointing versatile breeds. This long term emphasis (or neglect) is what I'm referring to when I say "primitive" selection. These dogs are much closer to wild canines than to current pointing breed dogs in pointing (in general (there may be some exceptions) and all other natural hunting behaviors. So, it is not surprising that they do not seem to display natural backing as occurs in some pointing breed dogs or that they cluster point as depicted in those pictures referred to. Jere >> ... o[f] PLs purportedly backing in which the >> dogs all seemed to be clustered together more or less side by side and >> such contact >> with the bird that they should be each pointing. > >> ... I suspect this >> behavior reflects primitive selective breeding for point in these dogs. >> Jere > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > I don't understand why this should have anything to do with "primitive" > selective breeding for pointing. What is "primitive" selection for > pointing? > > Cj > >

You are not authorized to post a reply.

Forums > Mailing Lists > working-gundog > [working-gundog] "primitive" selection for pointing in PLs

ActiveForums 3.7