Some of those TVK dogs were colored like the Cottingham dogs but they were all Eli underneath. So in that pedigree on the left hand side it is a Cottingham/Red Boy bred dog. As the cursor moves to the right the first couple of breedings were paper/money breeding. Further to the right there were a couple three guys who knew exactly what they wanted to ride up and down the road with on Saturday night.

In turn they bred the same family of dogs but selected for different reasons.

On the Red Boy click, one of the breedings where selection and personal experience trumps the COI's and 'book knowledge' is the Mims Red Boy family. Same breeder, same original Red Boy dogs, and a lot of the COI's are similar but yet three completely different strains , all Red Boy and same breeder but different dogs.

All were and threw deep game dogs and most were early starters. Jiggs thru a much rougher dog, with mouth to spare, much more straight ahead. Punch threw all night game dogs, sometimes less talented, but it was often said if there was one hair on the tip of his tail still living, he would make his scratch. And Punch threw that. Spiffy, threw really methodical, break down dogs, not as much mouth as Jiggs, just as game as Punch, but always looking for the time and place to show finish.

When a single breeder uses selection based on traits there can be different dogs from the same family (pure) that are and throw completely different dogs.

Factor in the same family with different breeders and things change quickly, almost exponentially.

There are not a lot of competitive pure red boy dogs out there, especially ones from the same breeder. Red Boy may be the most popular 'pure' family out there because they will sell when no others will (basis for the decline in the family). But Red Boy is a family where several strains from different breeders can be stacked and you get throw back dogs to when the dogs were more competitive/more front running dogs.

I have downloaded much of the information that has been put up and borrowed a book from a friend. Enjoy the topic. I just think I should have read more, thought more and learned more a number of years ago. The Saturday night or bust thinking has left me a little short in a lot of categories.

EWO