my mum has been bitten by 'the show bug' and as a result is adding another to the gang with the hope of showing
she is lucky to have pick of the litter
does anyone have any tips in what to look for when she first goes to meet the pups - im talking in terms of character as oppose to structure etc

any thoughts/advise be welcomed

:)

Characterwise I tend to go for the pushy, look at me type ;-) The ones that want to be in your face all the time :-D The ones that are quiet tend to just go through the motions, whereas the pushy type tend to have that extra sparkle that makes a judge look at them. Having had a sack of potatoes to show :-) I have had the experience of the quiet ones. I also have had one that should have been called Zebedee :-) She bounced her way round the ring. She eventually calmed down and will now show quite well. The sack of spuds was retired early.

Obviously it goes without saying that you will need a good quality contructionwise dog, but that extra oomph does help.

I believe that a you don't necessarily have to pick a puppy from a litter they will normally choose you. I would go for the one that continually keeps returning to you after a short spell of play with its littermates. I once went through a large litter trying to sort out the better show prospects and one puppy kept coming back to me. I had 'discarded' him due to a minor eye infection (yes , I was nit-picking' at that point). I eventually chose my pup but this little fella would not leave me alone, no need to say which one I went home with, I could not ignore him. He developed into a fine looking dog and we have a great bond. I still wonder what my pick looks like now but am more than happy with the boy I brought home.

I had a similar experience, there were 3 blenheim boys but this one kept climbing into my lap so I couldn't assess the other two properly. Gave in in the end and bought him and he won a CC at 14 months!

Pottydog

Is a Rottweiler puppy? (avatar)
If so, and it's for a newcomer to showing the breed, please get the puppies temperament tested by an experienced person.
The 'in your face' Rotti puppy may not be the most appropriate choice IMO.

>The 'in your face' Rotti puppy may not be the most appropriate choice IMO.

I'd agree with this.  Sometimes the bolshy, in your face pup can be too much of a handful and a pain to live with (I have one ;) would 'cut off her own nose to spite her face' ) 

I'd look for the one who is confident, but also can handle strange things/noises well and even go towards them.  The breeder will be able to tell you which one this is ;)  

When I chose my last pup I had a bolshy, pushy girl and a quieter girl to choose from, but the bolshy one would back off from strange things and noises.  Her sister wasn't as pushy or bolshy but was the first to investigate new things and noises.   I chose the latter and she is a real gem, loves all new experiences and even the trucks, dumpers, pneumatic drills and JCBs in town (renovating the high street) on Market Day! didn't phase her, she wagged her tail at everything and bounced along investigating everything - not bad at 12 weeks old! :-D

Ditto tooolz and Dill here :)

Too forward or pushy for eg isn't necessarily for the faint hearted - especially in larger or strong willed breeds.  A pup that seems confident and carries itself with a little attitude may appear to have style and 'show off qualities'' however the breeder may know that one's just a little g#t :-D

A good breeder helps to match up the character with the life style the puppy is going to be adapting to, obviously taking into account here breed points for the ring, so s/he will already have an idea which pup(s) are in the running for what you're after and should be able to guide you towards the right one :)

Good luck, it's exciting times!
kind regards, Teri

Oo-er, never thought of it that way..... pushy in some breeds could be too over the top, sorry. Sometimes I think I need my head replaced

As I tend to breed my own pups I get to know them all quite well, and can pick out which one I want to keep over several weeks. Seeing them on a daily basis as they develop it's a lot easier to see the personalities develop.

To the OP. If you let the breeder know what is required (male/female, show dog/pet dog) they should be able to point you in the right direction. Hopefully. ;-)

thankyou for all your advice really appreciate it - i will pass all comments to my mum
i should have put in my orginal post its an english pointer pup that shes getting - not her first i should prob add

i do agree that perhaps the pushy bolshy pup wouldnt be first choice in certain breeds

would the breed affect different things people look for??

i will also add the breeder has been great - my mum has known her for a while now through the show scene so she has a good idea of what shes looking for
i just thought some advice to help her choose say if she has to pick from a couple of potentials :)

thankyou all v much
i think this mountain of knowledge if fab  :)

> would the breed affect different things people look for??

Any judge should always be judging each individual dog to the Breed Standard, therefore the character, temperament and basic impressions of the breed are covered as much as the anatomy - some breeds require a general appearance suggesting for eg attentive, others aloof, emphasis on a gentle character etc  HERE is the Pointer's KC standard and you'll see what I mean :)

HTH,
regards Teri

If your Mum wants a show dog then in my opinion you don't have the luxury of letting your pup choose you. That's fine for a pet, and you may be lucky but if you want a show dog then you have to choose the best pup construction wise. Fine if there are two very similar then use temperament to choose but remember that a pups temperament can be shaped by socialising, training and it's life experiences.

If your Mum is fairly new to showing I would take the breeders advice and perhaps also ask another successful breeder to advise too. I find that you have to look at a lot of pups and see them mature before you learn what to look for. Also different breeds have different developmental stages. In my main breed you would choose a pup at 6 weeks  - it's at exactly this age that they most resemble the adult they will grow into.

Edited to add colour and markings can also have a bearing on how successful a dog is under some judges. If your Mum has the choice of two very similar then she should consider if their markings are likely to help or hinder them. For example the pic of the dog on the KC breed standard page...the straight edge to his black patch could give the impression of being rather upright in shoulder. It wouldn't matter to a 'good' judge but to a less experienced one in a large class.....

Very much agree here if you want a pup for a specific purpose as well as a companion then you really have to pick the one most suited, showing the most characteristics that you require for that purpose.

In a well bred litter there really ought not to be any extremes of temperament.

In this current litter I have had 3 males with very different characters, all if good enough should be able to stand up to showing with correct handling, (though to my mind one stands out).  There was a very look at me attention seeking one who would have had a brilliant show attitude, but construction wise he was the least suitable for show.

Then we had an ultra masculine male, very correct, but so laid back it would probably take a very good handler to get the best out of him, and judges who like really butch males.

The one that is my pick of the boys is one of those thinking kind of pups that thinks before committing himself to an action, but oh boy he has this arrogance and way of carrying himself that immediately catches the eye.  he will need a handler who really bonds with him and encourages him, as I suspect he will be the kind of character that would take a huff if you upset him :)

The puppy bitch I have kept myself I chose as being the best construction wise (I hope, LOL) but she is a bit of a bully to her brother, but not excessively pushy, in fact the bitches varied least in basic temperament, though one was very laid back.

I think I would leave it to the breeder.  Any breeder who is worried about what goes in the ring will help you choose the best one to promote their lines. 

When I am after a show pup I let everyone come and see the litter then listen to what they are saying combined with my opinion of the pup. 

I have only let my head rule my heart once and although certainly not a dissappointment the others in the litter could have been a better choice.

I fully endorse Chloe101. A breeder that knows you want to try and show their puppy is most unlikely to recommend an unsuitable dog if they are involved in the Show scene themselves.But remember there are no guarantees as to how a pup will turn out, growth is not a regulated thing, we have all heard about an ugly duckling puppy becoming a Champion. Similarly a most promising pup may not fulfill its potential due to diet exercise or any one of dozens of other reasons.

I WOULD GO FOR...
Confidant but not too pushy.
attitude
movement
Sit and watch.....look for a dog who is ougoing but not too demanding,confident enough to be on his own OR in the 'pack' and who shows and interest in you but  will also go off and play.
Watch them move....look for a dog that catches your eye,who carries himself well.
DON'T be swayed by the dog that chooses you...you are looking for a show dog so as said before you must put your head before your heart!
I was recently in the same position...I went and chose my new pup 2 weeks ago.I had pick of the boys of which there was 2 and they were complete 'peas in a pod'.So I just watched.Wether I made the right choice only time will tell.

In a pointer I would go for:

It goes without saying that an uncoated breed will need excellent construction front and rear,
A dreamy head,well defined occiput and a big nose.
A good  'bee sting' tail, carried well.
Flattering markings,
No obvious spinal processes showing above the musclature ( ie good top line,)
A calm but not woosy temperament.
By choice I would chose an orange and white or a lemon and white with self colured ears :- liver and whites have their own 'fan club' if you get my drift :-) 

I think everyone has their own ways of trying to spot a winner in the making.  I have a tendency to want photos of both mum and dad when pups and adults.  Then pics of pups at 6 weeks standing up.  I can see from that what is likely to mature.  Plus I think that plain daylight pictures of a dog can really show you more than a wiggly puppy in front of you.

Also after I have narrowed it down from photos first I make sure they have all the correct markings, no white in the case of black and tans.  The I sit and watch them play.  I look for the bold character but not the one that is always looking at what your doing but having fun regardless of who is watching.  I find puppies like this stay more focused in the ring and are less likely to turn into wiggling idiots as soon as a judge comes near them.

Good luck

Emma