Prelude To The 6-Month Evaluation
for The 2007 Puppies
Evaluations are performed to determine the quality or temperament/aptitude of a dog for it to be able to participate at the chosen venue, be it the conformation ring, hunt test, obedience or any other endeavor where dogs are compared to or compete against others that were also chosen for those special traits.
Editors Note:
There are several other articles written on evaluations and ratings that
will expound upon this subject and are available at the Reference Library or
by clicking on the following hyperlinks.
New
Revised Show Rating System,
Hell
Hath No Fury,
What Is Show Quality,
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At the dog shows, conformation rules supreme and is the first order of business for this activity. Of course performance will create edges, as will expert presentation by the handlers, but first and foremost a dog must possess superior conformation as compared to the breed standard in order for it to be successful. Any AKC-registered dog may be entered at a dog show (less those with Limited Registration), but it will be those that have the highest degrees of conformation that will actually be considered consistently enough by the judges to reach their goals of being a champion for their breed.
For the puppies born for Chambray Labradors and the Partners Program, evaluations are performed at 8 weeks of age right before they are placed with their waiting, soon-to-be new owners. Those puppies that display high marks for show purposes are deemed “show quality” and those puppies that do not have the conformation and competitiveness for show are placed as pet quality. So, the evaluation process and the very ardent assessments made on each puppy become yet another “filter” in ensuring that only the best of the best of our produce actually end up in the conformation ring.
The entire purpose of our breeding program is to produce show quality puppies in every litter planned. The higher the percentage of show quality puppies in each litter, the more successful that particular breeding was and ultimately the more success our kennel and show program will be in the future. So it becomes paramount in placing those great puppies with prospective new show owners so that their expected successes at the dog shows validate the breeding program and the evaluation process. It should be mentioned here that we do not "keep the best and sell the rest" as is the general rule of thumb with most show breeders, instead we go through a very thorough screening process to find prospective show homes for our best puppies and then we place those outstanding show quality individuals with the one-of-a-kind Partners Program with show guarantees, lifetime training, amenities and beyond and a support system found nowhere else in the country.
So, once the evaluations and assessments have been performed at 8 week’s of age and then each of those high ranking puppies is placed in the right environment, we keep track of each show puppy with timely evaluations. So, after the 8th week evaluation, the next opportune time is at 6 month’s of age* and for the class of 2007, that time has arrived for the litters that were born in January and in a few weeks for the litters born in February.
Editors Note: There are crucial times in the growth stages of Labradors where proportions seem to come together and provide a glimpse of the dog’s correct development. This by no means is an exact science, but for those of us that have been doing this for a long time and have developed the “eye” for conformation as it goes through the growing stages, it becomes a good “guesstimate” for the future.
The expectations are running very high for this group of emerging show puppies, as there are quite a few in this group that received some of the highest 8-week evaluation ever in our 37 year history as breeders. One litter in particular received the highest litter rating ever as all 4 puppies in the litter achieved scores that would place all of them in the top 10 puppies of all times!
How will some of these super adorable puppies fair with their 6-month evaluation? Will they maintain those awesome conformational qualities that propelled them into those stellar scores in our 3-plus decades of raising Labradors?
The majority of the time the scores from the 8-week evaluation will drop somewhat at 6 months of age, as physical development is not an even growth curve and different parts of the body will grow in stages and at times there will be some parts that are totally out of proportion, throwing the entire “pretty picture” of the dog off. Another major agenda for the 6-month assessment is movement, which at 8 weeks was only a minor consideration. At 8 weeks, deviations are so minute and at times undetectable, where as at 6 months all faults are right out in the open and become very obvious. With movement weighing in heavier in the ratings at this stage, most dogs’ scores will drop on a natural basis.
However, an assessment is a must for each dog in the program for decisions have to be made about training and conditioning and for showing in the up and coming shows. Some dogs will need more time to develop and even out when those bodily proportions are out of whack, while others may need conditioning and exercise regimens to fix weaknesses that have crept in due to insufficient training and conditioning. Some dogs will be “put up” for a while and not be shown; giving them time to develop accordingly while others that have maintained their high show ratings will make the opening day roster at the next shows.
There are unfortunate developments along the way that will render even the highest rated puppy as being “non-showable”. Things such as an over bite or undershot bite or multiple missing teeth will send the top show pick into a major tailspin as far as a show prospect is concerned. There is a plethora of conditions and anomalies that can creep in during the formative growing stages of a puppy and young dog that will eliminate it from the show ranks.
Across the board, accidents have to rank as the number one deterrent to the making of a show prospect. Ligament, tendon and joint trauma take a big toll on growing dogs, so do broken bones and lacerations at the early stages of development. Genetic conditions also play a huge role in determining which dogs continue on and which are waylaid in their quest for stardom in the show ring. Although most breeders only use sires and dams with all proper soundness and clearances, the unexpected does happen and there is a percentage of young dogs that do develop bone and joint disease and these too are bypassed for show and breeding purposes.
During the next 4 to 5 weeks, the 6-month evaluation and assessments will be performed on all our show prospects. I predict that most will drop between ½ a point to a full point overall, with several plummeting down 4 to 7 points as they are totally out of kilter at this stage of the game. From general observations, there are 3 or 4 puppies that seemed to have picked up a head of steam and might even climb the ladder of the ratings chart.
Stay tuned for the follow up article to this one, when the evaluations have been completed.
Now competed below.
6 Month Evaluation of Class of 2007
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