Questions regarding purchasing from a breeder

F

flyinfur

Forums Regular
I am considering purchasing a puppy from a breeder. She was kept by her breeder as a show prospect but she didn't turn out to be any better than her mom, so she is no longer show quality. She says she might be a good candidate for agility.

Is it worth going to meet this dog, or is it a bad idea to purchase a dog for performance that is only pet quality?

Should I just look for another reputable breeder and purchase a show quality puppy? If I had a dog that was show quality, I'd love to also compete in conformation as well.

Thoughts?
 
if they are selling a show girl that didnt quite make the cut for show as a pet doesnt mean there is anything wrong with them, just means they didnt make the cut for showing, either do to size, maybe to shy, bite (over,under) missing teeth...etc. Does it mean she may not be good for agility? Never know you have to go check out her structure to see if she can run and keep up at it.
As far as getting a show dog, you will have to work on building a relationship with a breeder, if you call and they dont know you they are not going to part with one of their best on someone they dont know.
 
Hi,

I bought Meggie from Ross Roi Shelties in Crystal Springs. Although she is not "show" quality, both vets to whom I've taken her, as well as the groomer have commented on her temperment, structure and coat. She's a beautiful girl.

Just because a dog doesn't make the cut for conformation doesn't mean they wouldn't be great at agility, flyball or anything else. Shelties are smart, agile little dogs.

Good luck!

Suzie
 
Just have to agree with everyone here.

There are 2 big things to think of when getting an agility prospect. The first, and most important, is structure. This really means bone structure and alignment. Typically a dog that is meant to be a show dog is bred to have correct structure. I would talk to the breeder (if you trust her) to see if this dog has correct structure.

We got our puppy from a show breeder because she has an underbite. This will obviously not affect her agility performance at all.

The second thing to consider is drive/personality. Some dogs just don't feel comfortable in the agility (or any) ring. You want a happy, drivey dog.

Although, some of that second part can be trained.
 
My little boy is a show prospect that didn't work out for my breeder. He's 14 1/2 inches, as a good bite, and good structure. The problem with him in the show ring - he's not built 'big enough' for a male Sheltie. (My little guy is a little finer boned like a bitch than heavier boned like a male.)

This actually works in my favor for agility because he doesn't have as much girth to move around. He can take pretty sharp turns and has a beautiful jumping position.

I've also seen a LOT of under- or over-sized Shelties excel at Agility because even though they were out of standard for size, they were still quick, agile, and well built dogs.

As everyone else has said, just because a dog doesn't cut in Confirmation doesn't automatically disqualify it for Performance. You need to talk to the breeder and find out WHY the dog didn't work for the show ring. As long as its not a structural defect there is no reason you can't have a 'pet quality' dog in Performance events.

Just as an aside - I've seen some incredible "All American" (meaning mutts) who excelled with some incredible purebreds in agility organizations like USDAA and CPE. All Americans certainly don't have the same scrutiny in their breeding that purebreds from responsible breeders do. I've also seen puppy mill rescue dogs excel in agility. That's the GREAT thing about agility - the dog doesn't have to be "perfect" just physically healthy. Work with your vet to determine if agility is a good idea for ANY dog you bring home.
 
You've gotten some excellent information already. My only comment would be that you need to decide how important showing the dog might be.. If you really would prefer a show dog, you'll want to locate one that is show quality.
 
What is your main motivation?

Is it conformation? A pet? Agility?

That will answer your question about this particular dog.

I got Indy when he was 10 months old. He was being growed out for show, but went oversize. My no. 1 criteria was: quality breeder who had companion pups that would not make the ring (but came from good stock), and raised in a healthy, nurturing environment.

Agility was a secondary consideration, as I've always had it in my head that I might try it someday.
 
Well, if your focus is agility, and your trust this breeder, then I think you have a good match. Just double-check her credentials. She has a pup that won't make conformation. You want a purebred to do agility. Could be a good match.
 
I went to a Pat Hastings workshop last November. She said, that a puppy for agility should be as close to the standard as possible, usually that means the best conformation pup. But, having said that, you also need the drive and right temperment in the pup. The others are right, you should ask her 'why' this puppy is not show quality? There are many reasons as to why, like everyone said.

And to throw another consideration into the mix - puppies grow in stages and very unevenly, so they will look 'structurally' off at some point in their growth. This does not mean that when the dog matures, he/she will be structuraly unsound. Pat Hastings said that the best time to predict the structure of a pup is at 8 weeks (plus or minus 4 days!!)! I would ask the breeder what this pup looked like at 8 weeks? See if she has any pictures of it. You never know.

Maia, my agility dog, was one of two in the litter that were the breeders conformation picks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top