Has anyone had any experience or knowledge of good English Setter breeders in TX, S. Oklahoma, Arkansas or Louisiana?

Looking for quail hunting dog.

Nujac Kennels in Lousiana. The stud dog (see below) would be CH Cypress Creek Rock (985) 878-8057. Rock is owned by James Kirtley of Cypress, TX.

You could also try www.geocities.com/rewadw/wolfcreekkennels.html in Oklahoma.

Thanks, Seattle. I almost addressed the post to you as I was hoping you' d get involved. Appreciate it!

No problem. Another avenue for you is Jerry Lewis at Horizon Kennels in Sedan, KS (620) 725-3647. I know that is a bit further than you wanted to travel, but his stud dog, CH See Johnny Run (see below), is one of the finest setters around. In fact, Johnny is CH Cypress Creek Rock' s sire. Both of those would be a good bet for a real high-class setter pup, and their owners/handlers should be able to put you in touch with someone who has pups from one of these studs.

The breeder in Oklahoma is supposed to produce really nice gun dogs from somewhat " cooler" stock. This could be your best bet if you are looking for an easy-handling, foot hunting dog.

Are you looking for a pup or a started/trained dog?

I' m thinking a pup with a lot of research and commitment on my part. Your thoughts? It would definitely need to be a family dogs as well.

You mentioned " cooler" dogs. Not sure what that means. Can you elaborate?

" English Setter" means " family dog" in all of the world' s languages, so you will have no problem meeting that need.

" Cooler" blood refers to that which is removed a generation or two (or more) from the " hot blooded" field trial champions. In good breeding, the same lines are retained (known as line breeding), for instance a son of a great champion bred to a granddaughter of either the same great champion or another champion very closely related. Some people prefer this as a way of assuring that their pups won' t be big-running dogs (it doesn' t always work). My breeding program follows this pattern, albeit removed only one generation from the top field trial blood available. My 18-month old female, Misty (below), is by CH See Johnny Run and out of Tioga Golden Girl. Johnny' s sire is HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise. Tioga Golden Girl' s sire is HOF CH Hick' s Rising Sun, whose sire is, you guessed it...HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise.

Please keep in mind that true All-Age breedings (an All-Age champion sire bred to an All-Age champion dam) occur all the time that produce comfortable foot hunting offspring, as well as field trial prospects. If you would like to know the benefits of both types of breeding, I can elaborate further.

The main concern is potential and quality for hunting purposes. If either will work (obviously no guarantees but I' d like to up my odds), then I' m not too concerned.

Right now I' m doing my research so if there are any other recommendations you can make as far as training and related resources goes, please pass them along. For example, is there a book/video you' d recommend before I go too far down this path?

Again, thanks for all your input!

Both types of breeding will suit your needs. I would recommend you stay as close to the best blood available if quality is your overriding concern. Perhaps a champion sire mated to a one-generation removed female of similar bloodlines would be appropriate. So would a son of a champion mated to a daughter of a champion. Look for lines that have done well in trials held in or near the areas you like to hunt, and on the birds you prefer to pursue.

I really like James B. Spencer' s book, " Point! Training the All-Season Birddog." It is a good reference for those who will make a house pet of their dog as well as a hunting companion.

Alan - Here' s another example of line breeding: My 7-month-old female, Gem (below), is by CH Tommy B ( HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise x Lookout Mona) and out of Magic Touch (CH Tekoa Mountain Meadows x Meadowcare' s Cash Flow). HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise and CH Tekoa Mountain Meadows are full brothers.

Also you might check out Jim Gourley' s site at www.setterdogs.com. Has started male pup for sale that is TMS and Tomoka bred. The male this pup is out of has been invited to the National NSTRA trial the dam.

Started Pup
Tomoka' s Mendy Shades(sire) x Tekoa' s Rising Angel(dam)
1 white/orange/ticked, male, whelped June 24, 2003. For a picture of the pup, select Bluejay(male). The pup was photographed on October 2, 2003. Also the name of the pup is for the purpose of more easily identifying him, not as a permanent name. Bluejay has been introduced to birds, gun fire, here, and heel. He has ridden in a dog box and vehicle extensively. Blujay has participated in the pheasant/quail openers in Nebraska and Kansas. Bluejay is enrolled with American Field' s Field Dog Stud Book. His dewclaws have been removed and is current on shots/wormings. The sire, Shades, is a grandson of Hall of Famer/Champion Tomoka. He is a 50 lbs white/orange young male with a dynamic and bold personality. He has an even orange/tan eye mask with very little body ticking. Shades is an excellent bird finder who has been hunting wild pheasants/quail since the age of 5 months. He points with a high tail and retrieves to hand on land and water. Shades is fast and will thoroughly cover a lot of ground. Shades has placed in NSTRA trials. The dam(Angel) is a daughter of Hall of Famer and Champion Tekoa Mountain Sunrise and a granddaughter of Hall of Famer and Champion Hicks Rising Sun. She is a 39 lbs white/orange dog who points, backs, retrieves, with very sweet personality. She has been successful hunting pheasants, quail, and prairie chickens. Click here for a pup pedigree. If you are interested in Bluejay, please email [email protected] or call(785-478-2887) to place a deposit. Bluejay is priced to sell at $500, the deposit is $100 to be applied toward the total. Deposits can be made by cash, check, money order or by credit card below.