Ontogeny recapitulates genealogy... a more likely restating of Haeckel's theory. I tried that approach when we bought Flynn since he was so close to a clone of Kane. Both hunt well, but are totally different dogs in manner as well as how they respond to training. Sure wish I knew eight dogs ago what I know now about Labradors.
I don't know what it is in their "genetic stew", but they sure do learn quickly, both desirable and undesirable traits, and engrain those lessons into their behavior. If Dugan was looking my way, as we were casting through cover, all I had to do was make a hand gesture to get him to caste in the desired direction. But there were also a few occasions where we would suddenly see pheasants jumping from the corn rows sixty yards out. After standing on the whistle to recall him, he would return slowly to heel and behave in a very sulking, tentative manner. When we made eye contact, all I had to say was, HUNT CLOSE! Message received, signaled to me via his tail wags and now bouncing gate.
Yes, there are wild pheasants in Michigan's UP...shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I don't know what it is in their "genetic stew", but they sure do learn quickly, both desirable and undesirable traits, and engrain those lessons into their behavior. If Dugan was looking my way, as we were casting through cover, all I had to do was make a hand gesture to get him to caste in the desired direction. But there were also a few occasions where we would suddenly see pheasants jumping from the corn rows sixty yards out. After standing on the whistle to recall him, he would return slowly to heel and behave in a very sulking, tentative manner. When we made eye contact, all I had to say was, HUNT CLOSE! Message received, signaled to me via his tail wags and now bouncing gate.