OK, why now?
Because the dog goes straight from a blood trail dog training facility where older finished dogs train da pups and into a the woods and onto fresh blood. And what could be more simple and easy for the dog OR THE NEW OWNER? And when I get the right people who want to work with me and give the dog time to adjust, I get praise.
But it seems that most people who come with intention to buy a finished dog come with unrealistic expectations, and worse they ALWAYS think they know the dog better in a few days than me who spent years with it. Now if you want to short cut the puppy phase and get a started or finished dog, don't you think you should spend some time with the man who took the long route to get you there?
And not only learn that dogs peculiarities, but learn the commands from the man who taught the dog.
But, the diametrical responses to my started and finished dogs could not be more wide spread and I mean like Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde!
On one hand my customers come back with praise for the level of intelligence, loyalty, devotion, and determination my dogs have, and say things like: "I have wanted a dog like this all my life!"
or, "When you said they were smart, I had no idea, until she started opening locked doors!" And let me tell you how that evolved along the way. Before she was a year old, she was opening the front door from the inside by turning the door knob. So, we put a dead bolt to secure the house with her in it. Well she watched him turn the dead bolt latch, turn the knob, and open the door so it wasn't long and she was doing the same thing to let her self out!
Josh then began to think he had her secured when he put a keyed dead bolt.
Well... she watched him do that a few times and began to try to turn the key on the dead bolt if he left it in! And guess what? If he left her in the house with the key in the dead bolt long enough, she got good at turning the key too! And then turning the doorknob to let herself out AGAIN!
Now my problem with this: I told him so, and he didn't believe me until he saw the dog do exactly as I said.
Now let's look at the 'other' side of this. On the other hand I have people who come to me to buy a started or finished dog who mean well I am sure, but want to by-pass the puppy phase and get right down to "using" a blood tracking dog during deer season. Now most of these people have never bred, raised, trained or handled a Catahoula tracking dog.
So come to a man who has been breeding for 30 years and buy a dog from him and because he has put years into this finished tracking dog, and you will want to learn from him how to 'use' your new dog right?
Well it appears that people want a finished dog because they don't know how to raise or train them and then when I try to teach them how to handle the dog, they act like I am wrong because in their supreme opinion; "If it was a 'good dog', it would work for anybody, anywhere, anytime!"
But often a good dog no matter what breed, will go through an adjustment with a new owner because dogs by nature are Nuevo-phobic, meaning they are scared, shy, or suspicious of anything, anyone, or anywhere NEW! Given time, and proper training they adjust, but most people who want a finished dog come with a on demand attitude, and think their failure is everyone else's fault, as in me and the dog!
What is interesting here is that I am willing to help the new owner get the dog going, but no matter how much I put into the dog beforehand, or how much I call and check in to help after a sale, if it won't work for a prospective buyer, is that my or the dogs fault?
Remember, it was not me that wanted to sell you a finished dog in the first place.
I advise people to buy a puppy, but 95% of prospective buyers want a finished dog.
And then fail to learn from the trainer how to handle or relate to the dog, and want to blame me or the dog for the prospective owners neglect to learn about the dog from the man who trained them.
If you need a tracking dog for hunting season are you willing to invest TIME and money?
And on that note let's calculate what a one year old dog costs me and you.
A one year old dog at $1,000 is 84 dollars a month, or $21 a week for a year totaling $1,000.
Now you want a started or finished dog, and calculate that at $1,000 per year because a good finished dog requires years to get there. But, oh you were hoping to get that dog of a lifetime that so many people are raving about for what a few hundred dollars? Unrealistic!
So many people who call me for a Catahoula hog dog, cow dog, or blood tracking dog DO NOT want to raise and train a puppy, and I understand they want a short cut and when their short plan fails it is primarily because I told them it would take time and consultation with me who invested years in breeding and training to get the dog right. And they wouldn't listen to me or work with me.
But if you are interested in a puppy, started or finished dog, I will always be here to advise you should you have issues with your Catahoula purchased from me. If you need to reach me for wounded deer tracking services or to talk Catahoulas, I can be reached by cell phone at 337 298 2630
for more info on my dogs: www.catahoula.ws
