Before you commit to breeding your English Pointer, ask yourself why you want to breed a litter of English Pointer puppies. If your main purpose is to make money, then you should promptly abandon the idea!
First, English Pointers are not a lucrative commercial proposition. Second, very few people have ever actually made a profit raising Pointer Puppies. The supply of Pointer Puppies has always exceeded the real demand for them. The economical side of breeding pointers is bleak.
Sincere veteran English Pointer Breeders realize that there is a surplus of English Pointers. They usually breed Pointers only to improve the quality of the breed. The majority of these breeders will tell you that their pursuit to improve the breed is a costly endeavor and that they are engaged in breeding principally because of their love of the breed. Some of us have a passion to improve our present hunting stock both in appearance and hunting abilities.
The continuous successful breeding of English Pointers is both an art and a science requiring not only a basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the breed, but a never ending supply of your own money.
When buying an English Pointer, be selective in choosing a kennel from which to buy. There is a difference in the quality of Pointers from different kennels. Some kennels boast and make statements that need to be confirmed. Visit the kennel if possible. Research the kennel and the quality of dogs that it has produced. Talk to others who own Pointers. Use the internet to gain information about quality Pointer kennels. At the time when you are shopping for a Pointer, you may not be thinking about becoming an English Pointer breeder at a later time. However, it sometimes happens. If you should decide later on to breed your Pointer, then you would have a top quality dog.
It has been said that it does not cost any more to feed and care for a top quality champion caliber dog than to feed and care for one of low quality. Remember that you just may decide one day to breed your English Pointer.
A good breeder is one who first knows what he is trying to produce as an objective, and second, is capable of producing that objective by employing a well planned, long range, intelligent breeding program. Many breeders do not have a preconceived plan or clear cut objective of the type Pointer they wish to produce.
A true breeder sets a clear cut standard for the type of English Pointer that is the objective. A score sheet should be designed to evaluate each animal for the desired characteristics as well as the intolerable faults.
I am certainly not a geneticist and my intention is not to imply that I am an authority on the subject of breeding English Pointers. My experience has come from owning and breeding what I believe to be some of the top quality Pointers and strains of Pointers in the world. My passion for English Pointers began when I was eighteen years old and continues today, forty years later.
For those of you who have persevered and are still reading, I would like to invite you to check out the most successful strains of animals and the methods of breeding used to establish the strain.
The most successful strains were created by the use of Selective Line Breeding. Selective Line Breeding is used to maintain the established characteristics of a strain. Choose the best and breed the best to the best.
Inbreeding was used to intensify certain desired characteristics of a particular animal or to help identify and eliminate unwanted characteristics.
Out Crossing was used to incorporate a desired trait of an unrelated animal in which that trait was not already present in any of the related animals.
Numark Kennel normally averages breeding about three litters per year. We believe in selective line breeding with an occasional out cross for desired characteristics. We invite you to visit our kennel to see the quality of our English Pointers and how they are cared for.
The pictures below reveal the uniformity of Selective Line Breeding. Numark Kennel is making excellent progress in producing English Pointer Puppies that are uniform in appearance and also in their desire and ability to find game.
See a dog whelping calendar on our Links Page. Links
Elhew 2005 @Numark Kennel
English Pointer Puppies
Elhew Puppies Click on Picture
to enlarge
Crookrise Excellent example of selective line
breeding.
Elhew 2005@Numark Kennel
Numark Checkmate is the result of selective line breeding and is a 100 percent Elhew pointer.
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Champion Numark Jim Dandy, taken at 5.5 months of age.
2005 has been a gratifying and productive year at Numark Kennels. We continue to improve the quality of our English Pointers both in looks, disposition, and their ability to make fine hunting dogs.
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click on picture to enlarge
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Numark Kennel
Exeter, Missouri
Telephone 417-835-3500 or 3510 Fax 417-835-3520
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