| BREEDER'S NOTES-SHOW QUALITY/PET QUALITY © Patti Rasmussen, 2000, all rights reserved |
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| How do you identify a serious dog breeder and what would be the advantage of buying your puppy from such a person? Most breeders of purebred dogs are breeding for a specific purpose. The stock they select to breed from is made up of dogs that have enjoyed some success in whatever it is that they do with them. In other words, someone who enters sled dog races will be looking for dogs that come from kennels that have done well at that activity through the years. Someone who wants to have a hunting dog will breed to a dog that has proven its abilities in the field and that has produced dogs that are good field dogs. The same thing holds true for show dogs. Breeders of show dogs (which is what the majority of hobby breeders are) are trying to produce more and better show dogs, so they look for dogs that have been successful in the conformation breed ring to use. Ideally, the breeder will be trying to breed dogs that can not only succeed in the show ring, but can also participate successfully in any activities for which the dogs were originally bred (in the case of Sams -sledding, herding, etc.). However, for our purposes we are going to discuss only show dogs. One of the most confusing things for prospective puppy buyers to understand is what we mean by a "show" dog and how it differs from a "pet". Let me try to provide some insight. The American Kennel Club has on record from the parent club of each registered breed a written "standard" for that breed that specifies the characteristics that make the breed what it is and distinguish it from all others. The majority of those characteristics are easily seen physical traits, and that is what judges are looking at in the show ring. Technically any dog that has no disqualifying faults (in the Samoyed breed we have only two - blue eyes and any colors other than white,cream or biscuit) can be shown. In reality, a dog that does not have most of the qualities called for in the standard is not going to have much of a chance as a show dog. To understand what judges and breeders are looking for, we must learn some terminology. |
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You may hear people near a ring comment on a dog's "type". Type is the overall appearance of the dog including those things that make it instantly recognizable as a Samoyed, a Golden Retriever, etc. A dog that is very "typey" is one that seems to epitomize the essence of the breed. He looks like everyone's idea of a Samoyed. A dog may be very sound and an excellent mover, but if it lacks breed type it is hardly a good representative of the breed. | |
| The other heavily weighted trait that will be looked at is the dog's movement. "Movement" means how well the dog covers the ground at a trot. This can also be referred to as "soundness". (As a former horse person, to me "soundness" means the animal is not lame, but in dogs it is a synonym for correct movement) . It is important in show dogs because it is very important for a dog to move efficiently and correctly in order to do the job it was bred for. A dog that wastes a lot of energy on unnecessary or incorrect movement would tire much faster and be able to do less work than would a correctly moving dog. Since the dogs are being judged on how well they match the breed standard, it is obviously important that they look like they could do the jobs for which the breed was developed. The standard addresses this issue by describing what correct movement should look like in our breed | ||
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We look at three areas: the front movement - which requires that the dog be seen coming directly at you in a straight line; the rear movement - which requires that the dog be seen going away in a straight line; and the side gait - which is viewing the dog from the side as it goes past or around the observer. | |
| There are many faults that a dog can have in its movement that would detract from its ability to work well and easily. Suffice to say at this point that what is wanted is a dog that "single tracks" coming and going (as a dog's speed increases, its center of gravity moves under the body and the legs begin to converge until the paws are hitting on the same imaginary line under the body) and that when viewed from the side has smooth, ground covering strides that are well-timed and do not waste any energy on unnecessary up and down motion. In a working dog, you are also looking for strong drive from the rear. Just as a dog that is a wonderful mover can be a poor example of the breed if it has no type, a dog that has wonderful type is a poor example of the breed if it cannot move as it should. Once we have looked at basic type and soundness, we get to what are considered the more "cosmetic" aspects of the breed. None of these are unimportant, as they all go into making up the overall picture of the dog, but it is clearly more of a detriment to a dog's ability to do its work to have unsound movement than it is for it to have ears that are too big! Here we get in to things like coat quality (which should be weather resistant and stand off by itself), tail set (over the back, set neither too high nor too low), and the head. |
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Since our breed is one noted for its beauty, a good head can be very important in a show dog. The standard specifies ear size, shape and placement, eye size, shape, placement and color, and nose color. All of these things are important and are based on commonly accepted wisdom that they make it easier for the dog to do its job in the environment for which it was bred (think Siberian winters; short, mosquito infested summers). However, since the perfect dog has yet to be bred, there are often tradeoffs to be made when looking for dogs to send into the show ring. Obviously small, "cosmetic" faults like a break in pigment around the dog's mouth are less important that an unsoundness that would prevent it from working. Often small things like that are the only difference between a show quality and a pet quality puppy. | |
| That being the case, why are not all puppies produced by breeders who are breeding good dogs to good dogs "show quality"? Now we get in to less tangible, but vitally important qualities. It is possible to have two very similar dogs and have one be a best in show contender and one be a good representative of the breed that never finishes a championship. | ||
| The difference is in the "picture" the dog presents. One that holds itself with pride and confidence, that appears animated and alert, and that exudes that "certain something" that catches the eye of everyone who sees it. It can be called presence, pizzazz, elegance- whatever. It is something that sets the dog apart and calls attention to it. |  |
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| Breeders have to decide for themselves what they are going to consider a show quality puppy and what will be considered pet quality. Some breeders will designate only the very best as show quality and others will want every dog that is at all acceptable to be shown. Don't be afraid to ask a breeder what a puppy's faults are and what makes it a pet or show puppy. Pet quality in no way implies that the puppy is less healthy, intelligent or personable than the show quality puppies. It just has one or more faults, major or minor, that would make trying to put a championship on it very difficult and/or impossible. In most cases, only an experienced dog person would be able to spot the faults. To anyone else it appears to be a beautiful dog. The reality of dog showing is that given enough time and money, almost any dog that does not have a disqualifying fault can at least collect a few points here and there if not finish a championship. And, there are some wonderful dogs snoozing on couches that could have easily been champions had someone wanted to spend the time and money to do it. In the long run, what is important is that either kind of puppy will make a wonderful companion and friend for its entire life and that is the first thing to consider when looking at litters. |
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