At What Age Do You Choose The Best Puppy

[Sidewinders]

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The question is mainly to breeders of show whippets (and not only whippets).

Does anyone can choose the best puppy at the age of 1-2 day? Or you can see who's best only when pups are about 6 months and elder? What can you forecast when pups are 1 day - 2 months (e.g. will they have good head, body, angulation, teeth, character... etc.)?

Maybe some of you choosed best puppy from the litter just after birth, because it was clear that he (she) has a character of Champion and will surely be?

Sorry for so many questions... :b Just very interesting topic for me.

 

[lalena]

i just kept the one i helped out of the sack :b the stud owners wanted a bitch out of the litter, as amber comes from a long line of excellent whelpers without any defects etc. initially they wanted maddy, as she has a plucky character, but then they took belle as she resembled their dog the most, while maddy looks more like amber. funnily enough, they regretted it, as a couple of weeks ago both bitches were together, and maddy looks better, though both have great potential and both will be shown

it all depends what you want, and what traits the parents have. i've seen dogs, that while not the best specimens, have shown better because theyve been more outgoing and enjoyed the experience, while a bitch my stud owners have is absolutely stunning, but hates the noise etc that go with showing, and cringed every time

 

[Liz Third]

THE BEST AGE TO CHOOSE A PUPPY:

is

11 months and three weeks!

 

[wilfred]

Liz beat me to it! I was going to say, 11 months and 27 days

Gill

 

[dessie]

I like to pick them up and have a good look when they are just born and wet. Then 6 - 8 weeks. Haven't been wrong yet!

I do photograph them every week up until they go and this can very often either help you decide if the litter is very even or the pick will be blindingly obvious. Also you can then compare to previous litters. The one I keep is then photographed at regular intervals to see how they develop.

I do think Whippets are more difficult to pick than, for example, gundog breeds because some ugly ducklings do become swans.

 

[Strike Whippets]

I think you alway's end up with the best puppy ...........Wether it achieve's all that it's owner's want it to or not .......You have that pup/dog for life, so it's alway the best one

 

[lalena]

I think you alway's end up with the best puppy ...........Wether it achieve's all that it's owner's want it to or not .......You have that pup/dog for life, so it's alway the best one 

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wish more people had that attitude :thumbsup:

 

[dawn]

I like to pick them up and have a good look when they are just born and wet.  Then 6 - 8 weeks. Haven't been wrong yet! 

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That's a matter of opinion [SIZE=19pt]VBG[/SIZE]

 

[Strike Whippets]

I think you alway's end up with the best puppy ...........Wether it achieve's all that it's owner's want it to or not .......You have that pup/dog for life, so it's alway the best one 

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wish more people had that attitude :thumbsup:

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Yes so do I .....I always thought a dog was for life .......I hate to hear of dogs being passed on as they haven't met the "standard" be it working, showing etc ......

 

[dessie]

I like to pick them up and have a good look when they are just born and wet.  Then 6 - 8 weeks. Haven't been wrong yet! 

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That's a matter of opinion [SIZE=19pt]VBG[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=21pt]LOL![/SIZE]

 

[lalena]

I think you alway's end up with the best puppy ...........Wether it achieve's all that it's owner's want it to or not .......You have that pup/dog for life, so it's alway the best one 

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wish more people had that attitude :thumbsup:

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Yes so do I .....I always thought a dog was for life .......I hate to hear of dogs being passed on as they haven't met the "standard" be it working, showing etc ......

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my mind boggles :angry: surely the older the dog/the longer you've owned the dog, the more attached you'd be, regardless of 'faults'? if you only keep an animal for what it can do for you, you shouldnt have one at all. first and foremost, any animal should be your friend. i cant show my bitch, but i'd sooner lose an arm than give her up.

 

[Strike Whippets]

I think you alway's end up with the best puppy ...........Wether it achieve's all that it's owner's want it to or not .......You have that pup/dog for life, so it's alway the best one 

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wish more people had that attitude :thumbsup:

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Yes so do I .....I always thought a dog was for life .......I hate to hear of dogs being passed on as they haven't met the "standard" be it working, showing etc ......

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my mind boggles :angry: surely the older the dog/the longer you've owned the dog, the more attached you'd be, regardless of 'faults'? if you only keep an animal for what it can do for you, you shouldnt have one at all. first and foremost, any animal should be your friend. i cant show my bitch, but i'd sooner lose an arm than give her up.

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I totally agree with you .........I couldn't part with any of my Whippets ....

 

[dessie]

I think you alway's end up with the best puppy ...........Wether it achieve's all that it's owner's want it to or not .......You have that pup/dog for life, so it's alway the best one 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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wish more people had that attitude :thumbsup:

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Yes so do I .....I always thought a dog was for life .......I hate to hear of dogs being passed on as they haven't met the "standard" be it working, showing etc ......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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my mind boggles :angry: surely the older the dog/the longer you've owned the dog, the more attached you'd be, regardless of 'faults'? if you only keep an animal for what it can do for you, you shouldnt have one at all. first and foremost, any animal should be your friend. i cant show my bitch, but i'd sooner lose an arm than give her up.

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I totally agree with you .........I couldn't part with any of my Whippets ....

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Yes and no. I love my Whippets very, very much, I cry most days at the loss of my beloved Dessie Whippet at this time last year. I was much 'harder' with the spaniels but there is a limit to how many you can keep and when you keep them to show/breed, sometimes you have to be objective and may run puppies on before you finally decide which to keep. I have also re-homed three adult Whippets because it was what was best for them. It was an extremely hard decision to let Jamie go and I miss him lots still, even after two and a bit years BUT I know he is a lot happier now and that is the main thing. Sometimes dogs are not pack animals and prefer to go to a home where they are treated more individually. But if you are talking about a household where only a couple of dogs are kept at a time and there is a big turnover, yes I would agree that it is not right.

 

[Kenzongos]

THIS is such a good question!

I have bought two whippies just by looking piccies, and Hupi is such a discovery! I saw just one pic ab. him and knew instantly that I want him! This is the first pic..

View attachment 24499

 

[Kenzongos]

This is him ab. 5mths of age..

 

[Kenzongos]

Hupi at age of almost 8 mths

View attachment 24501

 

[Seraphina]

Yes and no.  I love my Whippets very, very much, I cry most days at the loss of my beloved Dessie Whippet at this time last year.  I was much 'harder' with the spaniels but there is a limit to how many you can keep and when you keep them to show/breed, sometimes you have to be objective and may run puppies on before you finally decide which to keep.  I have also re-homed three adult Whippets because it was what was best for them.  It was an extremely hard decision to let Jamie go and I miss him lots still, even after two and a bit years BUT I know he is a lot happier now and that is the main thing.  Sometimes dogs are not pack animals and prefer to go to a home where they are treated more individually.  But if you are talking about a household where only a couple of dogs are kept at a time and there is a big turnover, yes I would agree that it is not right.

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I know how you feel Dessie, it always breaks my heart to let go off older pup. It is a big dilema, but I rather see dog being re-homed as soon as it is clear it will not be good enough for show, than to keep them all and end up with 50 or more dogs none of which can possibly get all the attention they need. And i know people like that, they say how much they love their dogs, but i think if you trully care for the dogs you breed you do the best by them ,and that may someytime mean finding a good home for them. It may be hard for a dog to go to new home but in long run it will be lot happier in loving home with maybe one another dog. And while i always feel as such a traitor, when i get lovely letters from their new owners, i know I did the right thing.

 

[kris]

i always used to pick them when wet just after they were born.you can see the shoulder and hip angulations etc so easily then.at 6 to 8 weeks i would make the final pick,but it was usually the one i liked when first born.id had the same bloodline for 30 years with one breed but i could pick out my pups in the new breed i had after a couple of years.i think its all in the eye,youve either got an eye for a good dog or you dont.i know some judges who have been judging for years,and they still dont have an eye for a good dog. others can pick out a pup at 6 months that will go on to be a champion. :thumbsup:

 

[Sidewinders]

Thank you all for your opinions!

I asked because there was a discussion on Russian forum and so many breeders choose the best pup from the litter at about 6-7 months! And they don't believe that it's opssible to choose the best pup just after the birth.

I had only two litters :b and of course have no great experience... but I choosed the best pups from both first and second litters just after birth! Then I made notations every week and then every month about what I see in each puppy. So I can trace the development of each puppy and both times the puppy whom I like most at 1 day becomes the best later. Though, my pups have "ugly duckling" age at about 4-9 months and at this age the best pup may look worse then others and I begin to hesitate.

Kenzongos, Hupi looks great! :wub: How old is he at the first pic?

kris :thumbsup:

 

[aslan]

I think 6-7 mths is the time they are going through "the uglies" :teehee:

If I could I would keep pups until they were 9 mths old and then decide but that is an impossibility.

Most people buying a puppy want a "puppy" - not much older than 12 weeks, and many people want their pup as soon as it is old enough to go ( by CCC rules = 8 weeks). Therefore I am usually "forced" to make my decision about which are pet quality by the time they are 8 weeks. I can usually hold on to the show prospects until they are 12 weeks old - but need to have made my decision about which one I want for myself by then because prospective owners of the others don't usually want to wait much longer.