Buying a puppy from a beeder

Hi all

when we get our next dog (which wont be for some time yet) I would like to get a dog that can be shown.
I have never done showing seriously - only fun shows.
I am an experienced dog owner and would like to think I know a good dog when I see one and you obviouslty have the breed standard to go by in an adult dog.
But, my question is can you tell what conformation the puppy will have when it is an adult? I know you would look at mum and dad too.
I would have no idea what to look for in a 8 wk old pup!
Would most breeders help if you explained you wanted to show?
Thanks for any advice x

If you know the breed you want I'd start attending Championship shows and look to see what the judge puts up. Also its an ideal way to get a good puppy by talking to breeders etc.
You might find your name on a breeders list now, specially if you want a show dog, also most breeders will in my experience will help you pick and tell you what there looking at.
Its in there interest to sell you a good specimen as its going to be seen
I hope this makes sense.

But, my question is can you tell what conformation the puppy will have when it is an adult?

While the breeder will be able to help you pick out the pup with the most/best show potential, there is no guarantee that the pup will grow up to be a show winner. No breeder could guarantee that, most wish that they could

Once you have your show prospect pup it's development will be down to the right feeding and exercise as well as the right genes. If it's a coated breed coat preparation and presentation will also be a factor and 'attitude' will also play a part. A bold, bouncy pup makes showing hard work, but is what's needed to sparkle in the ring.

In a good even litter of pups the differences will be so minor that it comes down to 'nit-picking' and a good breeder who knows their lines will be a godsend.

Also with regards to confirmation, a good breeder will be able to tell from going over the puppy approx what it will be like as an adult, provided that as has been said the exercise and food are taken into account.
To be honest no breeder will guarantee a "show pup" but they can steer you in the right direction.

I think that once you have got your puppy, there are a couple of important aspects of the "successful show dog" which are sometimes forgotten (and which is why some dogs with the potential to be successful end up not being successful).
The first is the dog's show training; and the second is "your" training as a handler. A good handler can make a bad dog look OK, a reasonable dog look good and a good dog look brilliant! A bad handler can do the opposite. Similarly, it doesn't matter how good your dog's conformation and movement is if he/she cannot be persuaded to show it in the ring. Your breeder should be able to advise you on training and presentation.
It's no good blaming the dog if it is your bad handling/training which is impeding him/her from doing well.
So, once you have chosen your puppy for its show potential, the hard work starts. Luckily for me, my wife is an awesome dog trainer and she usually does all the hard work for both of us. She also trained me to handle reasonably well (not an easy task)!

Then, of course you have to choose your judges. In an ideal world, all judges would understand and interpret the breed standard in a similar way. In the real world, many of them, don't seem to know their elbow from their left buttock and give every impression of having never heard of the breed standard.

It's all great fun as long as you don't take it too seriously!

Mick

If it were posible to be certain how an 8 week old puppy would turn out you wouldn't have breeders running dogs on until they are 7 or 8 months old to see if they are going to make the grade. You can usually be sure which dogs won't make the grade, but so many things can go wrong. A breeder can sell you a dog with show potential but that is all. Most breeders if you say you want a dog to show will steer you in the right direction though, its not in their interests to have a dog with their affix in the ring if it is no good for showing.

What a can of worms !!

I breed English Setters and hope to chose at least one puppy for Showing from each litter and I also have quite a good knowledge of Golden Retrievers.

8 weeks is too late to look at both these breeds. English
Setter puppies mirror their adult look at between 6 !/2 weeks and 7 weeks, Goldens between 5 weeks 5 days and 6 weeks 2 days.

So there is a stage at which to look at puppies to assess their adult construction but it varies from breed to breed. I dont believe a novice can assess this so you need to do as others have said - go to Champ Shows - look at the lines you like, then put down your name for a show pup and let the breeder choose for you.

Like me they value having good quaility stock in the ring which is good for their reputation and hopefully they wont 'sell you a pup'

Hope all goes well for you - showing is a lovely if obsessive hobby!

Thalice's Mum

Basically there is no real way to tell if a pup is going to do well in the show ring or not. If I was you I'd tell your chosen breeder that you're interested in showing and then let your heart do the rest!

Good luck.