this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2024
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I own and train hunting dogs for upland and waterfowl hunting. I've also done breeding in my younger days. Bloodlines absolutely matter. A puppy from National Champion bloodlines has a far, far better chance of being very good at his job. This goes for ANY working breed that is actually expected to work at their job in real life. And they cost a LOT of money to buy, train, and maintain. But these aren't foo-foo dogs bred strictly for looks either.
If all you need is a popcorn and movie and sleep on the bed pet, then it doesn't probably matter very much. Find a nice rescue - they need a home and love too.
TBH it depends on the work - up until the surge in demand from the pandemic, Border Collies were super cheap in the UK because it was mostly farmers selling the extra pups they didn't need. I'd imagine other areas have a local working breed that's similar. That said, they are now more expensive than rescues, and require a particularly high energy lifestyle so aren't suitable pets for most people. Most people just need something kinda friend shaped, which rescues have plenty of.
That is an issue more with owners who don't know better or are just lazy and poor at training rather than the dogs themselves. All dogs do better with activity, but even Border collies, (Long ago and far away I owned, trained and worked a pair), don't work all day long every day. Most days they might do 30 minutes of actual work. The rest of their time is spent lounging in the sun or shade. So it's less about energy and more about training. The one thing a working breed from a proper bloodline has over a lot of rescues is tractability. No matter how "high powered" they might be, if they are not willing to easily do your bidding, even at a long distances, they are worthless. Tractability means as much or more than drive.
Again, don't get me wrong. Rescues deserve and need a loving home as much as you or me. I have a rescue dog myself. His only requirement is to do tippytaps for his kibble, soak up butt rubs, (because who among us does not love a good butt rub), and keep my feet warm over the winter. But he came from a harsh place and was a very stubborn and willful dog to work with. It took me nearly 2 years of training effort to get to the lovable house pet he has become. And I'm a very highly and experienced trainer - more so than the vast majority.
Your dog is a reflection of its owner/handler/trainer.