From the top, I'm no breeder. My dogs are bred to fill my chain spots and place really close to home. So this may be a breeder question but I enjoy the topic so I will chime in....with the grain of salt in hand.

Years ago I never considered gameness as part of the decision. It was a given. It was simply understood. Then the decision was can or did the parents get to the show? It was all about winning or the ability to win, or what I thought it would take to win. Narrow minded to say the least.

Fast forward a bunch of years and I can see where a breeder, a guy who had competed with his dogs and placed/sold them into another's hands and they competed, could have a much more broader outlook than me. The breeder can see something in one dog that he saw in another and use that information to his benefit. With that knowledge a breeder of a family of dogs can breed game plugs and even cold dogs with success. Some have even bred curs to make game dogs who in turn threw game dogs.

I would say the trait to look for would be the 'combination of traits that could make him/her a winner'. If that makes sense.

EWO