Potential show pups?
 

I'm hoping someone here can help me on what am I took look for in a yorkie pup for showing. How soon can I identify or see the potential in them. :rolleyes:
Thanks,
Liza

Liza I am no expert here by any means but you will look to see if they meet the standard. They should have a good ear set, bite, topline and tail set, coat texture and coloring. To name a few quailites that you will want to eval. your yorkie against.

Thanks Sue, the topline is one of the things that concern me. How soon can I see it's correct? I've heard they're breeders that hold on to the pup past 6 months to determine if they have potential or not how true is this?

You are absolutely correct, to determine show quality they should definitely be over 6 months. 9 months or more is better. The reason is that in Yorkies in particular you not only have the structure, movement, conformation, also you have coat type and colour and size of the mature Yorkie to worry about. Even at 9 months, there is a risk there could be colour change that it goes too light or you could get running gold into the blue. Size at 9 months is usually much more precise by then whether it is too big or small. You want to be sure the head is going to clear colour to a varigated tan.
An earset doesn't usually change except the ear themselves can suddenly flop when teeth are coming in, either baby teeth as a baby or second teeth that usually erupt once they are 5 or 6 months of age. Toplines that start out good on a very young pup don't usually go off. If it does, often it will come back again as the growth continues to a mature dog.

Your little Girl is beautiful!!!

potential
 

Photo's are so hard to judge but she looks like she has alot of potential...may I ask if that is a full tail?

tail
 

Yes,, I am sorry to say it will be an uphill battle. You might PM Goldenray or Blumoon and ask their opinion, but I do not see any with tails win...infact I have seen few entered.

Thank You! :D

Below is the standard here for the tail in the show ring. Until the standard is changed a dog with a full tail will not win.


Tail
Docked to a medium length and carried slightly higher than the level
of the back

May I ask how old she is? Is there any white showing yet in her head?

You had her posting in the above picture so it is to hard to tell topline. But running around it best be level at this time or it will not ever be. We look at them from 8 weeks to 12 weeks judging them. Some we can tell at 8 weeks or sooner that it is not what we want for show. Let's say all is well at 12 weeks. Then we wait and watch and train for another couple of months. Once I take them out to training classes I watch them develope as this will let me know what to expect out of their children if I keep this one for show. MOST of the time males do not go off in the topline but girls can ever so slightly.
You also will be watching leg growth during this time. Fronts can come up first throwing the topline off for short period til the back catches up. As far as the tail goes if your serious about showing her it needs to be docked here and soon. Also why did you go to Germany for a show yorkie? Did they gaurentee this to be show? I just saw a foreign dog in the show ring not to long ago and it was excused. It could not hardly walk. I do believe most of your show breeders here breed for your best structures. As this is very important at the shows here. And we want our tails up when they are moving across the floor. All puppies should have good color, as it grows is when you can tell more of what shade of blue you do have. How much does she weigh now? And how is her movement when she is out running and playing. Floating or smaller quick steps.

She's adorable Liza!

I can't judge her in person let alone the pics..lolol. To a newbie from a newbie, what I would is start her in handling classes, meanwhile look for shows that offer puppy classes. I believe I've seen some have puppy matches for puppies younger than 6 months. Look at the IABCA's Classes list. Take her to KY with your for the experience and for a hands on opinion. I would just take her to whatever classes you can to gain experience if she's not finishable, you'll find out while you gain experience yourself. That's what I'm trying to do with Foster.

Best wishes!
Irene

A picture doesn't tell us whether or not they are show. You can see whether they have potential or not with looks. In this one I can't really tell topline or tailset because of all the puppy fuzz, nor rear angulation. Structure is very important and they need to be able to move properly with a good front and rear. All of that could be explained but it will sound greek. Do you know any good show breeders in your area that could evaluate the puppy in person for you?

As Pat mentioned the tail could be a problem. There was a foreign dog being shown in the US with a tail and he did pick up some points, but never finished here. At this point though, this is not a newborn puppy, this is an older one and it would require surgery to dock the tail. I know people that have done that and more then half will not carry their tail after surgery. So you will have to decide what to do here. You might have been better off getting to know a show person in your area to help mentor you and have gotten a show dog from them. Show dogs are only placed by show breeders after they are atleast 6 months old and we can see if they are developing properly. Even after over 30 years in dogs, I wouldn't buy a show dog that wasn't over that age. At this age, the bite is still in question and hopefully after permanent teeth come in you have a proper bite. Good luck.

newbie
 

What I would start with is resolving the issue of the tail...what good will it do if you put months into the devepoment of this potential, only to find the tail will keep you from winning..it needs to be removed I am sad to say.

I would appreciate Cher or Gigi commenting on this..I could be way off base..

post
 

We posted at the same time..thanks

puppy
 

Another thought..we are using the word "potential"...I was taught there was a BIG difference in the term "show potential" and "show quality"...a potential can be purchased at 12/16 weeks..and the buyer is fuller aware the pup MAY go on to develop into show quality, but they are given NO guarantee. A show quality is just that.."show quality"..at least 6 to 12 months. Teeth are in, bite is set, color, texture is not a guess..many many questions are answered by that age.
Now..IMO..if you are told up front a 12/16 week old has the POTENTIAL to develop into a show quality and you are NOT charged a show quality price..and you are willing to gamble with a 12/16 week old, perhaps you will be a winner and get a really decent pup to show, perhaps not..

Show quality is ring ready...show potential is just that, a potential who may or may not develop into a show quality..am I hung up on terms?

You summed it up perfectly. You are right though. In fact how can anyone even place a show dog unless they know it will show and have followed development to the proper age? You put your whole heart into a show dog, it is very important to do lots of research and be patient. Of course I guess it depends if this puppy was even placed as show or not too.

I want to thank all of you for all the wonderfull tips.
I Purchased Monique as show potential, not show quality, taking the chance.
I had been looking for a female for a while with no luck. A friend of mine recommended this breeder and I liked what I saw. I really just to a gamble here hoping that she turns out to be special. I will look into the docking today, has anybody had any previous experience on docking the tail at this age or know of someone?
Thanks again,
Liza

What is correct? Floating or smaller quicker steps?

pup
 

Liza
There is a Yorkie breeder/judge in FT L..I will email her for you...perhaps she can talk with you..not sure what age she would suggest an evaluation.

That would be great! Thanks a million!
Liza

Because a lot of breeders feel that when there is white in the head it is an indication that the pup will be a nice silk coat.

I thought it might be an indication of something wrong! Her roots seem to be coming out light. Thanks,
Liza

My mother in law has 2 puppies from the same litter, both were 4 months old when she had their tails amputated. It was 200 dollars a piece, and they had to be put to sleep to have it done. I'm not sure how true this is, but before it was done they called a few vets. Most would not do it, they all said the same thing... It was cruel to do it, and that this late in life the pup was too used to having it's tail, and removing it would upset his balance.
She did it anyway, and one of them kept biting and chewing on the bandage, and licking the cut. She had to clean the site, and change the dressing many times a day, and she could not get the pup to keep the cone thing on her head to keep her from chewing her wound. It has been few months now since she did this, and they are fine, with no infections or side effects. Their balance wasn't thrown off, but to me their tails look so much different then my dog's tails, kind of round and stumpy.

Kim, it does not sound as if they were done by laser.. if they had been, the laser would have sealed the wound as it were doing the cutting, there would have been no bandage, or any issue.. it would have healed and looked totally normal in a matter of a few days. My mother in law had a girl's tail done that was too weak as a puppy to have it docked, so as an adult, she had it done by laser, and what was removed was VERY thin and tiny...the dog didn't even miss it, she never "looked back". She was put under for a very short amount of time, and able to come home in a matter of 2 hours...very simple, no problems. I'm sorry your mother in laws puppies had problems. If anyone ever needs tails amputated as adults, I hope they will only do it by laser...any other way really is just not fair to the dog when there is new and better technology available...of course if you didn't say if she was showing these dogs or not, if not, why not just leave the tail, it is really pretty in my opinion, though of course I didn't write the American standard.

Hello Angel Mia!

May I ask you where you bought your puppy, because I am from Germany. I surely know the breeder personally. Your little one is looking nice, I would really dock the tail too. I´ve also heard that it is a problem in The States to show Yorkies with full tails.

No they are not being showed, they are not even registered. She said she just prefers them that way, I was furious she would do that, and so was my father in law. I thought they were adorable with their tails, and I saw NO reason to put them through an unnecessary surgery.