Thoughts, Opinions, and my Breeding Philosophy

The short answer is BALANCE. Drives balanced with temperament. Brains balanced with cooperation. Bodies designed to work efficiently and maintain health well into old age.

In most of the working breeds there is a dramatic split between show/conformation lines and working lines. In the versatile hunting dogs there is another group focused on breeding “dual” type dogs. While I support anyone who is breeding healthy, sound dogs, I fully disagree with the “dual” breeding mentality because in these breeds you will notice a very clear difference when show-type conformation is not overly emphasized. Imagine passing up the very best bird dog in a litter because they have white feet or short ears. Dogs bred for work are selected first for instincts, temperament, and functional conformation. I also know that many are drawn initially to Weimaraners due to their sleek low-maintenance coat, lack of doggy smell, and that beautiful combination of expression and coat color. Why hunt over an ugly dog? I sure wouldn’t! But their beauty in my mind is due to their uncanny intelligence, willingness to work with and be with me, and their incredible athletic prowess. None of these traits are selected for in the conformation/dog show world where dogs are picked with an increasing emphasis on “fancy” type and movement.

Functional structure and proven health. A working line dog is bred for endurance and to work at speed without injury. This translates to better foot placement and body awareness when running 25+ mph through the woods. It means a dog who doesn’t end up with foot or pastern injuries. A dog who can climb and jump and duck under barbed wire instead of crashing into it. They don’t fall into holes or end up drowning or throw themselves off of cliffs. Self-preservation! I have purchased several pups from other breeders and the difference in sheer athleticism is noticeable. That being said, sometimes they aren’t quite as squishy as puppies because they already have a solid awareness of how their body (and gravity) works. Decades of selecting for athleticism means that your dog is likely not going to fall victim to a Darwin Award. These dogs are bred to muscle up better, maintain a lean body composition and endurance, and to be able to compete into advanced age. As a puppy owner you benefit from a long accident and illness free life with your new best friend.

Temperament/both working and in home. A dog with heightened awareness and keen senses MUST be balanced when it comes to temperament. They cannot be overly reactive to the senses flooding into their brains at all times—this translates into a dog that is able to tune out the external when they need to. Scenting a deer 200yd away and barking to alert is NOT something we want. Working line breeders often call this “nerve” and it is very much genetic. All of the socialization in the world will not help if the dog’s nerves are not wired right. Imagine a dog who is in high drive, laser focused on prey, and that dog not having the ability to calm down. Or worse, a dog who is unable to focus “in drive.” This looks a lot like frantic hyperactivity—and that is never something we want in a dog bred for work. Imagine some of the “bird intro” days you’ve attended at the show clubs. We’ve all seen dogs barking and lunging frantically at their object of obsession: in many cases a bird in a box. That dog has flipped easily over their mental threshold and is now hard to control without increasingly aversive methods. I want a dog to love birds but be fully in control of their mind. My mentor often spoke of “a calm mind” being one of the most important differences in a dog bred correctly to work. It is more than intelligence, and it matters.

Lastly, I do not breed to conform to a certain sport or breed for a specialist to winning based on fads. I breed a dog that is simply balanced and mentally sound. These dogs are Built to Run and Wired to Work!

This being said, why would you pay a premium for a pedigreed dog when you aren't planning on competing? You are buying more than a puppy. You’re paying for a breeder who understands how the dog should work and actively pushes dogs to ensure that we are selecting for the aforementioned balance of traits. Anyone can say that their dogs are great family dogs but we all know that a dog trained and stable in the home is not always going to be the same dog once they are pushed mentally, emotionally, physically, and psychologically.

Cheers! Let's run dogs!
~Meredith