What do you look for!???

That was my point. You had personal knowledge of that particular 2:40. Most do not. Jeep and Homer went well over three. Neither really left anything to be desired, nor did they have anything missing. Perceptions can be deceiving.

As far as your Eli powered cars :45 and out is great but it is not exclusive to the Eli club. Tons of true finishers powered by other type engines. For every one of your Eli powered :45 minute finishers there are 10 Eli cars that broke a crankshaft in :20. Same with every other make and model. There is not one engine out there with anything close to a monopoly on success. Not one. S

 

It is not so much getting blurred, as they can be the same and at the same time completely different. A betting man will lay his money down on a freak mouthed, bad sign showing front running cur if it looks like he can win. A breeder will by pass that dog and look for consistency within a certain family with a higher percentage of game dogs.

And in the same breath, that freak mouth front running cur may produce a high percentage of game dogs. Both the gambler and the breeder do things to put odds in their favor they just sometimes use two different dogs to get there. S

 

One who breeds his own dogs is definitely looking for consistency of the basic traits necessary for continuance of good, competitive dogs. Game dogs AND winners. That's a very good point, Slim. That is the differential in most cases between that guy and the sporting gambler. I have made that same point but in different words on many occasions and on many threads much like this one.

Without sporting gamblers, we who breed, school, check and measure competitiveness would have no guideline or measuring stick for the quality of our dogs. Without the best breeders, the gamblers would often not have dogs to gamble on. This symbiotic system is what keeps the sport alive.

Anyone who has been around a minute or more must surely recognizes that "what we look for" largely depends on who we are and what we mostly do in these dogs. I don't deem it as blurred as it is diverse, and it's only fair to yield validity to whatever one's niche in the dogs is, as long as he or she does it with proper scruples and dedication.

I believe a breeder should look for anything good, improving and plus side within some good consistency. So, in effect, there shouldn't be just one thing and one thing only to look for, albeit gameness should always be a must for a brood dog. I don't particularly "look for" specifics other than certain consistencies I desire. I firmly believe in knowing what I DO see, read it, then react to it with what I do.

 

Good posts Slim and TDK!

 

Agreed. It takes all kinds to make the dog game go around. I doubt the game would survive without both. The symbiotic reference is spot on.

S

 

I totally concern myself with what is UNDER the fur. I do like a pretty pup because I have to see it for a long time before it matures. LOL