Hello everyone. I am wanting to get a puppy for show-probably in the next couple of years, but I have a few questions. Please forgive me if I use erroneous terms, I'm new to this.
I know its difficult to tell if a puppy is show quality and will have to rely on the expertise of the breeder & I know need to locate someone I can trust and really knows their lines.
Does a show breeder do genetics testing & health screenings to see if the puppy is healthy or a carrier of serious health issues or is it up to the new owners? I know they do have the parents tested & checked before breeding, but what about the puppy? The reason Im asking is show dog breeders keep the puppies for a lengthy amount of time to determine show quality-I guess what Im also asking is what exactly are the show breeders looking for during that time? It will be a long wait to get a show quality puppy & a lot of money....I want to get it right the first time if thats possible
I just want to show for a hobby so I wont have multiple dogs of my own to choose from, what usually happens if a dog winds up having a fault that would disqualify he/she from entering shows? For instance, if the dog's legs were too short or too long....what should the new show dog owner do-rehome the dog and try again with another? or selectively breed the dog in hopes that one of the offspring meets show quality expectations?
Also-at what age is best to start training a dog for show?
Thanks in advance for answering my questions.