[Ann Felske-Jackman]

Personally, we don't advise our owners to show puppies very much, even if they are destined to be winners. There are a few reasons for this. First, though we want them to gain a bit of experience, we do not want them to get bored of showing. Second, because we don't want any owner to get carried away with a winning puppy and get tempted to send them out with a handler at that young age. And lastly, because we want the world to be able to see them as "finished products".

I have no problem seeing a high quality puppy win, however I do worry when those superstar pups all too often are not seen again. Personally, I want to see that dog back in the ring as an adult as proof that the bite remained correct, that the dog's adult temperament is such that it can be handled easily and will submit to examination and to assess whether the pup remained attractive and sound as an adult. Without this, we end up basing our opinions of a breeder's program, or of a stud dog's performance, on incomplete information, leading us to make incorrect breeding choices.