[pyrnet] Re: [Pyrnet] choosing a show puppy

[Carol Brescher <carol@pyr.uniflex.net>]

I have to second Barb on this one. If you are looking for a puppy to show, pick your puppy at
8 weeks of age with the help of the breeder. Then love them for the next two years. Put a mental
paper bag over their heads, and sometimes over their body. Most of the Pyrs I bred would go
through what we called "the uglies." They can get high in the rear, high in the front, cow-hocked,
develop an east west front that comes in when the chest develops. Watch them, love them,
don't judge them until they reach their full maturity. Then when they are of age, take a really
good hard look at them.

There are absolutely no guaratees with the pups. Only if you can find a breeder willing
to part with a beautiful adult will you know what you have. We started showing with a
"show quality" puppy bitch. When we decided to breed, we founded our breeding
program on an older bitch. We knew what we had with her, and she started us off
is a very positive direction.

You have to decide what you want to do, and how much you want to spend to do it.
Only you can make that decision.

Regards,

Carol
carol@naturaldogfood.com


> Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2000 19:12:55 -0500
> From: bamb@monmouth.com
> Subject: Re: [pyrnet] choosing a show puppy
>
>
> When I had my first litter I picked a bitch to keep. At 8 weeks she was =
> lovely. At 12-14 weeks she was cowhocked! I was a bit upset, thought I =
> had chosen wrong. Someone in the breed with much more experience told me =
> that she would not grow out of this and would be cowhocked forever. =
> Probably dysplastic also. When I took my little girl to handling class, =
> an Aussie breeder asked me how she looked at 8 weeks, and I told her. =
> She said not to worry, she'd be fine. Of course she was cowhocked, she =
> was quite a bit higher in the rear than in the front! Well, the Aussie =
> breeder was right