showing standards?

Justicemom said:
You can show him. Its not a DQ but it is a big fault and he may never win if he doesn't outgrow it. I wouldn't show a dog with underbite as it would be throwing money down a rat hole IMHO.
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very very very true. Well i guess he may never be a show dog, but at the same time that means i don't have to do ears anymore woo hoo!
 
It's kind of odd that his breeder wanted you to show him with an underbite. I doubt you would ever win with a fault like that. Missing teeth are already a big issue; I don't think judges would want to see more mouth problems. I agree that showing him would be a big waste of your money and time. Just be glad that you have yourself a wonderful companion :)
 
Gina said:
It's kind of odd that his breeder wanted you to show him with an underbite. I doubt you would ever win with a fault like that. Missing teeth are already a big issue; I don't think judges would want to see more mouth problems. I agree that showing him would be a big waste of your money and time. Just be glad that you have yourself a wonderful companion :)
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i know i asked her this, but shes very hopeful he will grow into it. Supposidly some sheltie pups have over or underbite, and they grown into it. I have no idea how that would work though
 
Lexi's underbite is not as bad as it was, but it's still an underbite! I'm not sure how growing would move her lower jaw under her upper.
 
Sometimes the upper and lower jaws grow at different rates, and an underbite may correct as the pup matures. I think it's line related, so it's possible that your breeder has seen this happen with their pups before.
 
Phebe*DD said:
Sometimes the upper and lower jaws grow at different rates, and an underbite may correct as the pup matures. I think it's line related, so it's possible that your breeder has seen this happen with their pups before.
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Very interesting! Thanks for sharing, Margaret! (Learn something new every day!)
 
Info on Ear gluing?

Can anyone tell me how long we have to keep ears glued to keep them up on the head where they don't look like hound ears?

I bought a male pup when he was 15 weeks old. We have kept his ears glued all the time since then. They will do really good for about 3 to 4 days and then slide off his head.

I have recently built a brace from moleskin and put on his ears. At 7 1/2 months old what is the likelyhood that they will stay put?

tofu pup said:
Well, if Riley is registered with you as sole owner, then you are the only person who can make decisions about whether or not to show him, or to brace his ears. If you honestly feel this way, then tell the breeder that no, you don't want to do that to him - that's the end of the story.

There are a number of people here on the Forum who are involved in showing and breeding Shelties for conformation. I don't want to speak for all of them, but I know that I can tell you (having spent the wide majority of my life watching my mother glue/tape/brace puppy ears) that there is nothing cruel about it. It's no more "cruel" than putting braces on a child's teeth. There is actually a reason for why the Standard calls for tipped ears - they provide better protection for the ear canal against the elements.

I can sympathize with your breeder, because it is frustrating to sell a puppy as a pet, only to find out later that 1) it has turned out to be a potential show dog and 2) the new owner is not interested in showing. Unfortunately, that's the breeder's loss. Showing your dog is a tremendous committment that you, the owner, need to be 100% ready for, and it's obvious that you aren't keen on the idea.

I would suggest that you tag along with your breeder to a few dog shows, and take the opportunity to learn more about the Sheltie standard and how shows work. Asking your breeder to tell you more about the process of "doing ears" would, I think, also be illuminating for you. Who knows, you might decide that showing is right for you and your dog - or you might decide not. In either case, the choice (like the puppy) is yours.
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If they aren't looking good by now, they probably won't get much better. The time to fix ears is when they're really young. I tried helping someone with hound ears once the pups were six months old. There was no fixing them by then. When they're older, it's more about maintaining the ears as they get through teething and growing, and the ears thickening. You won't be done until they're about a year old.
 
Tofu Pup's mom here....
We keep the puppies ears in the program for at least the first year. We only use glue until the puppy's ears are big enough to accept Japanese tape, which is at about 7-8 weeks. Glueing does not give enough support to ear, and the goal is to get a bend exactly where you want it for an ideal tip. Also, continual glueing can be hard on the skin if it gets attached, and lastly, you end up with a blob of glue on the hair that either has to be cut out, or worked out with an adhesive remover.
 
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