Chux
I raised and trained several hundred retrivers over the years. This Bitch had two litters of pups and all sold in advance for well above top dollar. Like most owner/breaders I could have sold 500 of her pups. I only bread her twice and stopped at that point. Her health was much more important to me than one more litter of pups. Too often a good Bitch becomes a puppy mill until it kills them.
She was the smartest, toughest, best behaved and without doubt she was the smartest dog I have ever hunted over, trained or watched. Picked up every trick, I or anyone else, tried to show her just as fast as possible. She was see one and the set for life. Almost thought she could have just been reasoned with and save all the training.
If I had her back again I would give up half my gun accumulation. She was one in a lifetime and no well healed hunter, who was a bastard in his own right, should ever own such a fine dog. Money might buy happiness for some, but not my dog. At the time, $15,000 was like $150,000 to me, but I never would have forgiven myself for that sale. Sometimes the best sale, is like the best buy, the ones that you do not make.
