Our breeding program is a significant part of the DeCoverly Difference. George Ryman developed a breeding system that we use and follow to this day. The system categorizes dogs into one of five basic groups based on overall type. Breeding pairs are matched across groups to breed towards the centerline, standard dog. The system is expensive to maintain and operate as it requires a large number of dogs to make the necessary crosses. It is, however, the best method we know of to consistently produce quality companions for our customers.

Breeding Selections

No litters are planned that do not have the potential to produce English Setters for the future of DeCoverly Kennels. Our selections are made on strict criteria. There is no room for sentiment or subjective criterion such as color or markings when choosing for a long term breeding program.

The breeding selection process takes two years. We make our initial selections at seven weeks of age. These first selections are made with an emphasis on conformation and personality, as field ability cannot yet be assessed.

The first six months consists of basic development and socialization. The following six to twelve month period is used for beginning exposure to the field and to birds. We look for an inclination to hunt and to point naturally. There is an assessment of the natural balance between independence and a constant awareness of the handler. This is all done with a minimum of training, as we are looking for an evaluation of innate characteristics.

During the following 12 to 18 month period, dogs are started in the field with a greater emphasis on natural ability and particular evaluations of “application”, "nose”, and “brains”. They are PennHip x-rayed for dysplasia and evaluated for functional structure and efficient movement. This pool of young dogs is where most of our started setters originate, as not all will make our final cut but all will be outstanding specimens. Dogs that continue on are held through at least the beginnings of a second hunting season to evaluate trainability and maturity.

The DeCoverly breeding program involves a 300 point scaled score for every setter being evaluated, covering personality, physical structure, movement, and most of all field ability. Less than twenty five percent of the puppies selected each year will ever be bred. The quality of each individual is compared to the Ryman Standard ideal and to every other setter that has ever been through the kennel, not simply to litter mates or to other litters. The bar is set very high.

Once they have passed the hard judgments, there is still the process of matching strengths and weaknesses in breeding crosses. Females will be compared to the physical and field qualities of both their Sire and Dam. They will naturally favor one or the other and they will be assigned to the appropriate group. Males are progeny tested, in that they are bred to one or two females that have had successful litters by proven stud dogs. They are then put aside for over a year so that their litter(s) can be evaluated and their genetic contribution assessed. Only after this evaluation will a male be included in the regular breeding program. All are great dogs, but only an exceptional setter can stay in our long term program. A true foundation stud comes along about once in every 500 setters born.

Outside Crosses

No competent breeding program can ignore the accomplishments of others. DeCoverly Kennels is constantly searching for English Setters from both Show and Field stock that can meet our standards and mix well with our line. A large part of the kennel space and budget is set aside for this purpose. We will not close our eyes to the accomplishments of others, but set the bar very high. For example, in the past 15 years we evaluated 42 AKC English Setters. Three passed our initial screenings and two proved marginal when bred. One is as good a field dog as we have seen and most importantly passed genes as good as he is. He made all the rest worthwhile.

The most successful additions have been from setters bred from pedigrees that have bloodlines similar to ours. There are many competent breeding programs with viable goals and criterion. None are ignored because they are looking for a different standard. We do not ignore valuable individuals because of kennel blindness or a pedigree fetish. Their dogs are not better or worse than ours, just different.

Current Program

DeCoverly Kennels maintains an adult population of over 100 setters. The breeding population is just over 40 select individuals. The rest are part of our constant search to find the very best for the breeding program.

We do not begin breeding females until the age of two. After a litter is born our policy is to pass two heat cycles before putting a female back with a stud. This results in us averaging 15 months between litters for a female. We retire breeding females at eight years of age. That averages about 30 puppies for a female in her breeding life.

In contrast, major studs will have genetic input into hundreds of puppies. This puts great pressure on the selection of stud dogs. They must not only be outstanding individuals but must pass their characteristics on to their offspring, no matter how good they look or behave in the field. Their own attributes mean nothing unless they can pass it on consistently.

A problem in many breeding programs is that puppies are chosen for the future because they are out of a particular stud dog or pedigree. We feel that this is putting the cart before the horse, as a truly primary stud dog can only be identified by the quality of his offspring. First, youngsters must be selected because of their individual quality, not because they are out of particular dogs. The selection process must be divorced from parents or pedigree. Only after years of rigid selection can we recognize the quality of a stud dog, ultimately by the numbers of his offspring, across multiple females, that themselves make it through our selection process.

This time gap also means that there must be a number of major stud dogs available at all times. George Ryman’s system calls for at least five major stud dogs in the kennel. Each of those stud dogs must have slightly different backgrounds and characteristics to provide genetic diversity for the next generation and multiple choices for each breeding female. We are presently using five major and two minor stud dogs, and there are three males presently being progeny tested. Our breeding program is planned five to ten years ahead.