For those of you that train WORK dogs such as Greek?
Do you get these dogs as puppies?? How do you determine their soundness?? How do you know that it will not develop hip dysplaysia?? and if they do ,what is it you do with the dogs when they can no longer work?? and out of the many you have trained what was the percentage of success??
Well…since you mentioned my name, I feel obligated to answer, so, here we go!!
I get no puppies, in the last 30 years I can count the number of puppies I have gotten in 2 hands and have fingers left. When it comes to working dogs, depend on what you see, not what you would like to see. I get young adults that have had prelim X rays done because I refuse to spend any time or money on a dog that will not make it.
Their soundness is determined by the people who pick them for me and who I trust implicitly, or by me when I pick them. These people have a good reason to not lie and send me a dog as I want it because their name rides on that dog and their rep as well. They also know that the same dog will go back for a replacement.
In 30 years I think I returned maybe 10 dogs out of several thousand and they were not for a physical issue, it was a temperament one.
Seeing as the vast majority of my dogs are sold, I have no idea what happens to them once they retire or can no longer work for whatever reason, but, MY dogs that work with me are kept til they die. Maybe not at my house, but close enough at a friend’s place where they are very happy on 5 acres having an easy life.
As far as %…well, if I did not turn out a dog right, I don’t eat, so….there are no failures because I like to eat and have a roof over my head, you know, minor little details like that. Hope I helped.
Six Feet One Journey — A Working Dog