I do not but they are a kennel who's primary focus is on temperament. IMO maybe too much focus on temperament. That's just my opinion and they may say different.
I do own an SOK pup, he's currently 3/4 in HRC Finished, and the one test he failed only had 7 dogs to pass. This weekend's test saw several SOK dogs performing as well as the best dogs in the flight, according to the judges. Most of the Southern Oak breedings have a huge amount of drive and are plenty of dog to compete in hunt tests. That said, most will require a trainer that does not expect cookie cutter and you need to allow for a slower maturing dog that needs to be read to get the best out of them. However, if you look at the Southern Oak Kennels society page on the facebook you'll see that many of these dogs are doing very well in HRC. Some of these owners use Carr-based programs (I followed Smartworks as a framework and used drills from other programs and trainers also), some don't, dog's don't care.
Bryan seemed to be saying they were calmer than he prefers, which is fine. And I agree that they are not the ticket if you want to run field trials.
Does anyone know much about the sok wi location and what the easiest way to get in touch with them is? Trying to learn more info about what the wait process is like for a pup
www.southernoakkennels.com
Do you know anybody that owns a sok pup?I searched for the website which had a map showing all the locations. Clicked on the WI location and got their contact info:
SOK Bracken Creek - Southern Oak Kennels
Cedarburg, Wisconsin is the home of Southern Oak Kennels Bracken Creek, where owner Alex Britton breeds and trains British Labrador retrievers.
the newest clone of Wildrose Kennels
That's a really unfair judgement of something you know nothing about!! I belong to their Facebook group and while their dogs may not be for me. I am extremely impressed with the effort and support that Barton puts into his breeding program. He imports highly titled sires and dams for his program and has a huge following for his product. Barton hunts all over the world and strives to turn out the best candidates for superb imported gundogs! The entire SOK family are supremely supportive and encouraging of one another. They have really started to make a presence in the HT world over the last few years (mainly HRC, but the dogs compete in both) and the owners are having fun and finding success!
Also, if you prefer a squat size dog instead of the bigger more athletic look, they might be the place for you as well. i have nothing against them or their program and it does fit a niche audience, but not for me or what i want for my dogs. I have watched their videos on Youtube and there are some interesting training methods. Just another path to choose from. Even if i just wanted a hunting dog, they would not be for me.
Why is that an unfair judgement? They pretty much do the same thing? I agree that Barton seems like a good guy but at the end of the day it's a pretty similar breeding program to Wildrose.
Well since you asked and this is the internet, I'll give you my opinion!
Meredith said she had not heard of sok so I was telling her in a way that she would understand, since most retriever folks are familiar with. Barton is also part of cornerstone gun dog academy?
Correct
