So you have decided you want a hunting dog. You’ve researched the breeds and determined the type suitable for your lifestyle and hunting interests. Now the real search begins. Buying a dog is a lot buying a shotgun. They run from darn cheap to super expensive. They also can ride a wave that causes premium prices at peaks in interest. Have a budget in mind because once you start calling breeders you might have sticker shock not to mention you may loose interest over the wait time for a pup. The shock will come from the dog’s pedigree or bloodlines. And bloodlines is the one thing you want to invest in when buying a dog. Cooper’s family hails from Alabama and lest you think I am Southern agnostic this Yankee does visit the south regularly especially this time of year to flee the snow. Cooper’s mom and dad as well as grandparents have hunting in their blood. Looking at Cooper’s family tree there are field champions (FC) and national field champion (NFC) winners with names like NFC GK's Playing For Keeps and FC LB's Oh! Miss Goodbye. Here’s the part were I say you get what you pay for. You buy a cheap shotgun it performs as a cheap shotgun will. I know a hunter who has hunted with a Fox/Stevens side-by-side since Hector was a pup. He paid less for that gun than he would a Starbucks venti today. It works for him, but that may not be true for you. My recommendation is if you want a real hunter with a nose and desire to hunt look to the bloodlines and peel a few more dead presidents from that wad for the breeder. Bloodlines aren’t the end all and be all—it’s a lot like looking at the past performance of your mutual funds and is more of an indicator of what you might expect. Too bad there isn’t a Morning Star type rating for gun dogs. Enter stage right Quail Ridge Kennel in Stafford Springs, CT. Steve Hopko has been breeding GSPs for over 30 years, he knows a thing or two about these dogs. I spoke with Steve over the phone before making the journey to CT/MA border and once I saw the adult dogs interact with Steve, I had a good feeling. Steve’s dogs love and respect him. I knew he was no pipe man. Not a wince nor flinch from any of the dogs. And the pups—well Cooper is proof I was convinced Quail Ridge Kennels was the way to go. I could have paid more but with Cooper I was looking for a hunting partner. I’m not looking for field trial trophies. Of course you might be lucky and raise a real hunter from a mixed litter. I’ve had luck with mixed litters but the operative word is luck. If you are interested in Quail Ridge Kennel’s GSPs, send an email and I’ll get you in touch with Steve.
