"TESTED HARD" --- What Does That Mean?

[Officially Retired]

For one dogs usually produce the average of their line not themselves. So said hard-tested dog may in fact be a garbage producer, where as his untested sibling could possibly be a great producer.

Or, worse, a hard-tested dog from a garbage line will probably be a garbage producer ... while an untested dog from an excellent line will regularly throw bulldogs.
The trouble is, as you know, is that a person can only get away with "not testing" for so long, before his "good line" turns to garbage itself.

Are we just testing for "stupid game" ... or are there other things to test for?

The "Hard-Tested" moniker is to make the owner feel better about what they are feeding. When in actually a person should only be concern with thier own feeling towards an animal. Learn the line and learn the individual then learn some common sense.

Bingo. And, if I can add to that, learn to get a taste for what "a good dog" really is ...

One fact to always remember is an animal is only as game as his last showing. Deep game today may not be quite as game tomorrow.

Another good point, which is precisely why I don't think beating the bolts off a dog in practice does him any good at all. I have never needed to see a dog beat all to hell to figure out if he's game or not. IMO, at best, beating a dog to hell only proves his owner wants "everyone else" to approve of his doggie ... which is a mark of insecurity ... but being beat all to hell sure won't help that dog win a match (in fact, it might hurt his chances if he gets injured too bad or gets used up) ... and a "hard test" doesn't mean that dog will scratch to his next opponent either.

In other words, I am much more impressed when a good dogman says a dog is "a really good dog" ... than I am to hear someone say his dog is "hard tested" ...

Jack


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