Contacted a breeder (can't say type as she might be on this forum!) and she claims she can tell a show dog 2 weeks AFTER birth. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but at that age surely it would be impossible to tell if the dog had any ahow potential!;) Ahe also had an interesting pricing policy in place..

Pups advertised as £450 on the site
On contacting, told that I wouldn't be able to breed or show the dog...as I wanted to have a go in the ring, she said the price would be £600 for a show dog and £400 for a pet home....sooooo...where did the £450 come from? Me thinks she is pulling numbers out of thin air!!

Anyway, have decided to wait for a local breeder who has a bitch due in season in September (I've waited over a year for a dog so can wait a bit longer!). She's asking a flat rate and we have the bonus of being able to kennel the dog with her if we go away for a few days!

between 5-7 weeks pups start taking shape, and certain ones catch your eye, but front-bites -eye colour -ear sets etc wont be showing on a two week old pup, id be careful if someone told me they could pick at 2 weeks,

In my breed the markings aren't even through properly at that age...! :rolleyes:

Mine was still growing his spots at a year old! ;)

Best wishes, John

Gosh I was still trying to pick out a bitch to keep from my litter at 8 wks old, as two were so alike, I eventually kept the one that stood the best on the table for me, I had already picked one for myself, this one was for my grandaughter, so I would be very carefull as you cannot tell at 2 wks of age no matter how long you have been breeding, they change so much every week, mine are now 10 wks old and have changed a lot since 8 wks. Still wondering if ive kept the best ones, but, don't we all, you know the saying, "there are more show dogs that could have been champions walking the streets with pet owners than there are in the show ring"!!!!!

This sounds like the people I know who have 'booked' a pup to some people when it was 10 dys, guaranteeing it would make up!

Makes you wonder if it is a line of sale patter or a form of kennel blindness:)
bye
Gwen

I couild never pick a pup at this early age, by 6 weeks I have my eye on the what I think are the best in the litter but can never make up my mind until 8 weeks- its usually when the first client is driving up the track and I HAVE to make my mind up!!! I do know a very experienced and well known exhibitor in my breed that provisionally picks pups at 2-3 days!!! How I dont know but she never shows a bad one!!

I would say this is impossible, but what do i know.
My litter are 5 weeks old at the moment, i am keeping a bitch and even though there are only 3 to choose from it is impossible, i do show and want the puppy for showing but i still might get it wrong when i finally decide!!!!! We have two males(litter brothers) who i show, one was bought for showing the other as a pet, but as they have matured the pet one is now showing more and more potential and beats the one bought for showing!!!!So we can all be wrong.
Final note all my pups are being sold as pets and if they do go on the be shown thats a bonus.
Karen.

Hi Alison, yep it is the breeder who thinks they can tell a show puppy at two weeks - not quite i wish I could!!. By two weeks you should be able to tell the WHITE MARKINGS and thus if one has too much white then it will be pet quality. The price is different for pet & show quality although maybe I told you different but that comes with having a Border litter too and most likely getting the two confused the day I emailed you was when I came back from a show and my start time was 4am that morning. Hope you manage to get sorted in the end.

Hi Borders,
I know some people do charge higher prices for show quality pups although not in my breed but I just wondered that if you're charging £150 more for a pup and it turns out to be not up to standard what do you do??
The other question I would like to ask is what do you mean by show quality i.e.should it be able to compete successfully at open or champ show level ???
Hope you don't take offence at my questions as none is meant.
Archer
p.s. I would like to say its nice to hear of someone sticking to their guns and refusing a sale in unsuitable circumstances.(visitors board-shiba)

I prefer the term (at that young an age anyway) show potential rather than show quality. I know some people have a good eye and manage to see good things in young pups, but even the best breeders have called it wrong.

I don't mind paying a bit more for a 'show potential' if they can show me why it has potential compared to a 'pet' dog. But a guarantee of show quality is a bit much to take.

Just my .02

Wendy

i know of people in my breed (Boxer) regularly splitting the litter by white markings.

any flashy pups have 'show potential' and are sold at a much higher price and any plain pups - regardless of confirmation are 'pet quality' and are cheaper - oh and the whites - a COMPLETE NO NO, some still being regularly culled for reason of colour - let's not get me started on that issue...

surely a pup, if flashy or plain should be judged on confirmation and temperament rather than colour alone? and certainly not as young as 2 weeks ??

Jodie

In our breed as Archer says pups are same price across the board, and the same price is normally charged by most breeders. Pups are sold as Companions first and foremost, and many originally pet only dogs go on to big things, and frustratingly for the breeder many purely pet owned are worthy representatives of their breed and ought to be shown, and sadly some that are shown don't reach their early potential, but as they are Companions first and foremost that is their true value.

After all they all cost the same in money and love to rear. The best dog that has ever been bred if not shown is still a pet.

My Champion bitch would never have been shown if things had worked out with her first home, but now she has 7CCs and numerous BOB and Best of Sex wins at Champ shows without CCs A Champ show Group 2, and overall Champ stakes winner at one Champ show last year. She is still first and foremost my sons pet.