High Point, North Carolina

Holly & Sean

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Show Prospects

I felt that I needed to write this due to much frustration in my search for show prospects, should have been looking for show quality or a show dog.  

Each breeder will have a different definition as to what they consider a show prospect.  Most breeders consider any dog or bitch a show prospect as long as it does not have a disqualifying fault, I personally think that this is wrong.  What disqualifies a bitch or dog from showing:  cropped, broken down, bobtail, or docked tail, an undecended testicle, spayed/neutered, in long coats thin or sparse coats, over 6 pounds.  Not to much disqualifies them.  So according to most breeders if the dog or bitch does not have any of these things wrong with them they are considered show prospects.

When I am looking for a show prospect I expect a lot more than a bitch or dog that is just better than being not disqualified.  I expect a scissor bite not a level bite, a beautiful well domed (skull) head piece with an almost 90 degree stop (not a plain head), short muzzle, large luminious eyes, correct ear and tail set, well proportioned body (not too tall and not too long), level topline, a nice coat and markings that will not distract or make it hard for the judge to evaluate the skull, stop or muzzle, front feet to point straight a head and not Easty Westy and rear hocks that are not cow hocked.  That is just to start with.  

Now you need to consider temperament which is just as important as structural correctness.  The general rule of thumb is that you should not buy a show prospect unless it is at least over 4 months old.  Here is the problem with that, if you wait that long, most breeders have not socialized or worked with the pup.  It will be a long and hard road to get them ready to show if you just start to work with them then.  I have purchased a few bitches that have been 5 months old and older, they are all very beautiful and correct but they are very timid and it has taken a long time to bring them out of there shells with strangers.  They are all very comfortable with me, my family and some family friends, they even walk nicely on a leash but they are not show ready.  I think a judge would be more forgiving on a level bite than a bitch or dog that is timid with its tail tucked between its legs.  I have seen too many nice dogs being dragged around the ring.  I think training on a show prospect should start as early as 8 weeks, but not later than 14 weeks.  I would rather gamble and buy a pup early and risk the chance of them having a small structural fault than to not have a pup that is well socialized.

Please when looking for a show prospect be very clear, ask the right questions don’t just say you are looking for a show prospect, everybody has a different idea of what a show prospect is.  Also remember if you are purchasing from a breeder that shows, that most likely if they are able to, they will hold the best for themselves to show.  Don’t expect to get there best.  Sometimes the breeder is lucky and all the pups or more than one will be a good prospect.

 Show Prospect - Any bitch or dog that is not disqualified from going into the show ring.  Does not mean it does not have a fault.  

Be careful when using this term.

Show Quality - A bitch or dog that is worthy of being shown but it still does not mean that the pup has been trained or does not have a fault.

Show Dog (Bitch or Dog) - This is a bitch or dog that has been in the show ring and has received points toward there title. This does not mean the dog/bitch does not have a fault.

They’re is no such thing as a perfect dog.  Each day you can go to a show and each day you will have a different judge.  I have seen many a times a different dog or bitch being put up each day.  Every judge has a different idea of what conforms and each one will also find certain faults less acceptable than others.  On any given day you can find a dog/bitch with a weak rear or bad patellas, bad movement, high in the rear, too tall, too long, Easty/Westy feet, bowed front, low tails set, plain head, off bite, timid or too aggressive.  And on any given day anyone of those dogs have been put up.  Some judeges are all about movement, others will not consider a dog if it does not have a good bite no matter how perfect they are, others look at the head piece and only the head piece and some only look at what is on the end of the lead and I am not talking about the end that is on the floor.  Some judges will only put up a dog out of the open class other only the bred by exhibitor class.  Some judges do not care and will put a pup up over a Special if they feel they are worthy.  Also each day is a different day and a dog could perform beautiful one day and not the next.

Brood Bitch

This is only my opinion but I feel very strongly about the use of the “brood bitch” when breeding.  I personally do not like to use the so called “brood bitch”.  My dams conform to the breed standard and I do not feel like I would be ashamed if anybody ever saw them.  My definition of a “brood bitch” is over 6 lbs., usually not attractive and just basically a walking uterus.  The reasoning for using a bitch over 6 lbs. is so that she will be less likely to have to have a c-section , which could be financially very expensive and also she will most likely have more puppies (generally 4 + puppies).  My average litter size is 2 but I feel that my pups have a much great chance of conforming to the standard.  My pups usually are 3 ½ to 4 ½ lbs. full grown, conform to the breed standard and are pleasant to look at on top of everything else.  If you have a litter with a “brood bitch”, which are generally not attractive chances are that 50% of the litter will look like her, 50% will be comparable in size to her, so pups will be a combination of both and might not be too bad and then you might get one that will be very nice so out of a litter of 6, I figure that 2 will probably be good and conform to the standard 1 of which will be really nice and the other 4 will just be another example of bad breeding and sold off as cheap pets.

Beware if photos are not available to view of the sire and dam  you will probably not be pleased with the way they look.  Using a “brood bitch” is a generally acceptable practice among pet breeders and show homes alike but not with me.  

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