Dad's looking at getting a new pup in the next year or so. Has anyone dealt with Windrose Kennels up in Oxford, MS? Judging by their website they have a good program going.

Any ideas on what they charge for a pup or started lab?

I assume you mean Wildrose not Windrose. I just finished feeding two Wildrose dogs. I have a 6.5 year old male that I got as a puppy and then he went back for 5 months of Duck Hunting College. I also have a 4.5 month old female that is part of the Wildrose DAD (Diabetic Alert Dog) Foundation that I am volunteer "puppy raising" and first stage training. My male is a little crazy but a first class duck hunter that never gives up. The puppy acts like she wants to be a hunter. Watches birds in the sky, crazy for a fetch, swims like a fish and been easy to train.

Mike and Cathy Stewart are nice folks and it is a first rate operation. I like the fact that they do not use collars, so no collar wise dog. As far as prices go, you need to give them a call. They had a waiting list a while back but I think BP caused a lot of people to put a hold on plans for a new pup.

I am part of a group that goes up once or twice a year for training weekends. More like a Wildrose owners club. If you call, tell them Sailor sent you.

Thanks

Ask for to see the OFA hip clearances and Cerf Test results on the parents. Also request to see the results of the EIC and CNM test results of the parents. You may be surprised in the answer you receive. Also I hope you understand that Wildrose only offer limited AKC registration on the puppies. So if your looking to breed your $1200 pup down the road...its probably not going to happen.

I run tons of AKC and UKC hunt test every year in the mid-south. Out of the 1000's of dogs I see running. I think I have seen maybe 1 or 2 Wildrose dogs at a test. That speaks volume. Don't fall for the Wildrose marketing hype....and the no ecollar crap. eCollars are a training tool used by people who KNOW how to use them.

Check out Robert Milner's Duckhill Kennels. He started Wildrose. He has nice british labs for 800 bucks and full registration. There's also a guy in Palestine TX workingmangundogs.com I have personally seen his dogs and they are as good as wildrose. As fallflight said though there arent to many of them at hunt tests or field trials.

Check out Burnt Oak Kennels out of KY. Top notch guy there,and is fully honest and upfront about anything .Bought a BLM from him last year,and wouldnt trade him for the world.

I would steer clear of the Wildrose Kennels, due to the health clearances and the limited registration....

If I'm spending that kind of money I should be able to do as I see fit if I want to be a responsible dog owner.

A friend of mine has a british lab from working mans gun dogs and this is dog is a really good hunter she just turned 1 a few months ago. She hunted all last season she was a handfull at the start but by the last day of season she was taking hand signals and whistle commands. He has to work a shutdown the first half of the season so she will be in my blind every hunt sorry if i jacked this thread just a personal pref.

This is a touchy subject. Personaly i'm not a fan of wild rose dogs. Doesn't mean they aren't nice dogs. They just aren't the type i like. Wild Rose dogs have less drive than most dogs i train. Their training methods are not nearly as advanced as most hunt test or field trail pros. They simply build a basic duck dog for a lot of money. As for buying a pup from them. Make sure they have at least an OFA done on both parents. This just simply protects you from hip problems. This is something you have to decide. Do you want a sports car or a slow cruising mobile? Slow cruising is wild rose, sports cars are high bred american labs.

I made a few hunts with a guy who has a female from wild rose and she is a really cool dog. I agree with trykon about them not having the type of drive you see in some labs but she had enough obedience to basically balance herself on a log the entire hunt. Overall, I was very impressed with the dog. Good luck.

My 2 cents on picking a hunting companion. I'm not a pro trainer by any stretch but I have trained a couple dogs to the HRCH level (UKC, never run AKC) and I like to meet the breeders and the parents of the pups. Both my dogs I got from small family breeders that owned both dogs and that were part of their family. There is a lot to be learned about what your getting just by seeing and interacting with the sire and dame. I pick a pup first by its demeanor, I would rather hunt over a marginal dog that is pleasant in the blind than a field champ that needs constant handling. And as far as the OFC, goes that's just responsible breeding. A responsible breeder will have their OFC and in most cases their eyes cleared. This is just something breeders are doing to try to breed hip problems out of labs. So you can do your part by only buying from someone who has had the tests done. Good luck with whatever you choose. There is nuthin like a lab pup in the house coming from an owner of three, 4yo yellow female HRCH, 5yo black male HRCH(my hunt'n pardner), and a 16yo choc female bless her heart she prob won't make it past Christmas this year.

Just so I don't ruffle any feathers I want to clarify the "never run AKC" comment. I wasn't saying that in a negative way. I just never did it. I started running the HRC Hunt Tests and wasn't looking to become a hunt test guru so I just stuck with the one I started with.

Lots of pics of Wildrose dogs from two weekends ago. I like mine and will probally get another from them. I don't do trials or tests, I just hunt.

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/recei ... fefed339aa

In my 20+ years duck hunting and dealing with dogs and training, I fully agree the British way is better as far as wanting a hunting/duck dog. Obediance is the most important thing. Who wants to hunt with a winey,over reacting,wild dog ?


Im also a firm believer in Eddie Carter of Dewitt Arkansas and his dogs at Caney Creek Kennel. He is a top notch dog guru. He doesnt use shock collars either. No need in them and you should see his dogs, and they got as much drive as a 125# Chessie on a fat Canvasback.

If anyone is only expecting to duck hunt with thier dog, there isn't any need for collar training.

Clearances don't guarantee a perfectly healthy dog, but it sure gives peace of mind. Always insist on hips, elbows, eyes, cnm and eic testing before purchasing a puppy. Also, always get a guarantee.

Be it Wildrose or any other reputable breeder, any lab bred from field or hunting stock should make a decent duck hunting companion with the proper guidance. If you purchase a dog and only let him sit in the backyard for the first 10 months of his life, then you shouldn't expect much during hunting season.