Hi Everyone,

I have a bit of a dilemma. I have a litter of 6 week old pups and i will be keeping one to show. I have a stunning bitch who for me looks fabulous but she is a little bit finer than the other girls. Would you take a chance and keep her or go for a chunkier bitch you didn't like quite as much? I think i know my own answer but would like some other opinions. She has a great personality too, really cheeky and outgoing.

Help please!!!!

Mel.x

I'd go with the one that takes your heart and that sounds to me to be the finer girl with the great personality. Has she been seen by others in your breed and what do they think of her?

From my last litter I kept a girl, but the one that stole my heart and had a wonderful personality was the smallest boy. He's now a magnificent adult and I've always regretted not keeping him.

agreed, keep the one that you like

Definitely keep the finer one peaches1. I've been in this dilemma mayself more than once and it was always right to keep the ultra feminine girl. She might take a little longer to body up and reach her potential but will keep her shape longer into her mature years. Plus she has taken your heart and you will always think back and wonder if you made the right choice.

I would probably run both on and give yourself more time to choose. Anything can happen poor second teeth, soft fronts etc. Why not delay your decision a while. I know how you feel mine are not two weeks old yet and I am already agonising over one I would keep for personality etc and the best one for the ring. I will run both on

guess it depends on the breed. if it were a mastiff for example, then you might have more of a problem. personally id be asking the advice of someone in the breed with a lot of experience in picking pups in litters, and whose dogs you like.

"I would probably run both on and give yourself more time to choose"  Possibly that's not an option because when pups are all reserved in advance the new owners can't be expected to wait many more weeks or months for the breeder to decide which pup is available. They might have been patiently waiting for months already and just longing to get their puppy and take her home.

Yes this is the case and all other pups have homes waiting. I have them all for another 2 weeks yet though. I have people coming to see them this week and i am pretty sure their opinion on her shape will be the same as mine, but i'm also pretty sure she won't be chunky enough for them.  Decisions decisions!!!!

mel.x

Peaches, you keep the one who fits closest to the breed standard, bearing in mind that not only will you be showing, you will most likely breed on from her as well..

I never look at my pups properly until they are at least 6 weeks, and tend to ignore the personality.. unless pup shows shy,retiring,coy traits, which would not be suitable for showing..

Some pups take longer for true personalities to show through, sometimes not until other littermates are in new homes.

Only you can make the final decision, but I would also ask someone you trust in your breed (usually the stud owner) to help with choosing

Unless you are experienced in choosing puppies, I would ask a breeder who is and who knows the lines that you have used.  Different lines mature in different ways - some stay the way they look at 6 weeks, other change.
Choosing a show potential puppy is a completely different skill to judging mature adults and the one that you 'like' isn't always the one who best fits the breed standard. :)

Thanks for all your responses. I think i haven't explained myself fully. The puppy i 'like' is the pup who fits the breed standard the closest but is just a bit fine. I chose my last bitch from her litter who went on to be Top Pup in our breed last year so think i have some idea!!! ;-) My friends who are coming over to see them are the stud dog owner and the breeder of my foundation bitch so i will get their expert opnions also! Lets hope they like her as much as i do!
Thank you all.

mel.x

> "I would probably run both on and give yourself more time to choose"  Possibly that's not an option because when pups are all reserved in advance the new owners can't be expected to wait many more weeks or months for the breeder to decide which pup is available.

I would struggle with potentially selling the best  pup too early because I was trying to be polite or look out for someone else.
The mating will have presumably been done so peaches can have the best pup possible for the ring and for her lines going forward. I'm afraid that much as I like to be helpful I would not be willing to rush a decision because someone else had their name on a list and needed A puppy. Worse case scenario they go elsewhere for a puppy and Peaches gets to keep the best and place second best at a later date- best case scenario lovely puppy list people realise the breeder is holding on to the best two for a while longer and if they are patient they get a smashing pup.
It depends on the reason for breeding but new owners must come further down the line than best puppy being retained at home kennel

I've never bred a litter but do you have to make a decision so soon?
I've read many books which state to decide when a pup is 8 weeks old as what you have then is likely to what you'll have in the future..
I know of some people that make a decision on what they are going to keep on the final day before they start to leave for their new homes. Maybe not ideal for the new puppy owners, but if they are aware it would be 1 of 2 and they are happy with either then i'd maybe leave it at that?

If you're up on your breed standard then I would pick the one you have chosen, never mind if she's a fraction more finely built. Also listen to your friend's opinions, make sure you don't immediately tell them which one you prefer, wait for them to tell you.

Lucky you with a choice, I have a singleton litter! :-p

In some breeds/lines 6 weeks is the best time to evaluate, it's at that stage they show the proportions they may have as adults - nothing is written in stone though.  Of course, there may also be a pup who is lagging a few days behind too, but you can usually spot that ;)   Two weeks later and they are beginning to be all legs and elbows and every one of them can look right/wrong - depending on the breed ;)