Young champions

[sebastianvoneli]

I've noticed on a lot of rott websites and in magazines that champion puppies are made really young, under 12 mos some of the time.
*My question is that, is it more attractive to have a champion at 9mos as opposed to 2y/o and why is that?????
*Is it frowned upon to have a 2y/o champion???
I think it's more important to have a CD on the dog and let them fill out before showing. Is this not the case????

[rottcrazed]

I think it depends how you want to look at it.

If the best example of the breed standard that is in the ring, then sure, the puppy should take the points. It should not be the bigger dog or the older dog, it should be the best example. There are plenty of judges out there who like bigger or who will not put up a puppy for the points.

My own personal dogs seem to do better as they mature. Jewel finished at 2 (the same day she finished her CD title), her son finished at almost 2. Her first champion offspring finished at 11 months old, but admittedly Moka did mature quicker than Jewel herself.

Seeker, who is also Jewel's daughter from her second litter, is now 20 months and looking more mature than ever. She is now going to start being shown again as she looked like a long tube for the longest time.

I think it depends on differing lines as well (some mature sooner than others), and what condition you keep your dogs in in some cases. I am not someone who packs on weight on my dogs to show them because I am constantly working them and they need to be lean to do so.

I have seen plenty of puppies finish up here and then never get shown again for one reason or another (and of course, you always wonder if it is because they fall apart as they mature or something else). I personally prefer a dog either finishes as a puppy but comes out again to be shown as a special later on once they mature or a dog that finishes once they are mature .... but that is me.

One is certainly not better than another, but everyone has their own opinions here. I like to see a championship, but working titles are the icing on the cake for me!!!

Kristi

[Anton]

I personally think it's SAD to see the show results week after week, and watching some of these poor puppies being dragged from show to show at 6, 7, 8 months old.

Showing is very stressful even for an adult dog. Can you imagine these babies spending 3/4 of the day at a show, in a crate, while they're with the big handlers? What kind of life is that for a puppy ??

The puppy has no life, but the breeders/owners get to brag that "My puppy finished his/her championship at 12 months old". So then what happens.....................

[blisscodisco]

I was being asked by a friend the other day on how to get her puppy to stack correctly (he is very young). I told them the most important thing for my puppies to have in the ring is confidence and a good time! If they can't keep all 4 on the floor because they are enjoying themselves, not such a big deal. If they come out of the ring thinking that was the biggest treatfest, people greeting time then I have done my job. I usually show my pups until about a year then I have a handler show them. Everyone has a different opinion but at 2.5 yrs old my co-owned boy just finished (limited showing, I don't send him with a handler) and he still thinks going in the ring is soooo much fun. I am not saying to not train your puppy but I also think having fun should be a priority.
cheers
bliss

[sebastianvoneli]

So that is why it's so important to finish before a y/o apparently it's the status I guess
Is that really all, bragging rights!!!!

Is it not true both for humans and dogs tht males mature slower????? LOL really. When you look at big profile websites every dog has won under a year. All I have to say is even really great breeders with great dogs are pushy on this subject and they can say hurtful things if you dont finish the dog by say 9mos or so.
Looks arent everything, the dogs screws have to be wound tightly also and that sometimes takes maturity.
Live and learn

[blisscodisco]

I do want to add that there are some truly "exceptional" puppies out there, I happen to have seen a few in my area (NW). Won't mention names but a couple of young girlies finished very young, very deservedly, AND owner handled. And they also were getting their rally titles and looked to enjoy the ring. There is another very nice puppy male right now that took a major who is also owner handled and probably could of taken it all 4 days if he wasn't having such a great time in the ring (:
So there can be that exception...
bliss

[sebastianvoneli]

I agree I have seen some gorgeous pups in the ring,

[rottcrazed]

I agree that there are some beautiful pups, even up here in Canada ;)!

I like to show my pups sparingly when they are young so they get a feel for it and not a distaste for it. If I point them then, fantastic, if not, oh well. Seeker has one point (a couple puppy breeds, a BOS, blah blah).... WHOOPEE!

If I had a pup who was all there that young I may show more, but so far I have not. Ruckus is a very put together puppy for almost 6 months, but I want him to have FUN out there because he is my future working dog and can't be soured to all of this.

I also show my own dogs, so my dogs are dragged where ever I can get to, which is not all over and never more than once a month (if that most of the time).

It is really all what each individual wants to do, I am quite laid back about the whole thing.

Kristi

[Luvtails]

I don't think the age in which a pup finished it's championship that important. I would be more curious to see how many of these pups that finish young would go on to be consistant breed winners as they get older. Also some are just slower to mature.

[JemarsSerena]

I'll start my current male pup in the ring when he turns six months old. But like was said before, we'll be in it to gain experience and have fun more than to win. We won't do more than one show a month until after he is a year old and try to do local only. Since you can't breed until after 2 anyway I don't think you should be in a hurry to finish any dog before two when you can get a much better picture of what the mature dog will be like. Not to say that pups don't deserve to win. If the pup is the best than the pup is the best.

[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.

[targonrotts]

i finished my girl young(18 months), she was and is very showy, moves great and has a great time. i got lucky. she finished fast and got most of her points, including a 5 point major from puppy class. i am especially lucky because i wanted to finish and go to agility and other stuff. at 2 1/2 years, she has over 9 titles.now i keep her thin and in good working weight.

now, i am working on her brother. i show my dogs limited since i cannot afford 2 out at the same time plus all other stuff we do. i also co-own with a handler, so clients dogs come first. he now only needs a major, and i missed the whole january circuit(not entered) and this year it was all majors! so, he still remains unfinished.

it kills me when i get stud inquiries and when i mention still needs a major, i might as well say he has leper or something. they can't understand if he is not out there he cannot get a chance at winning!and cannot look at the dog-only look for the CH. and yes, i started with the girl first to give him time to mature.males are slower to get there.

down here a lot of people brag their dogs finished at -months of age. but, do the pups have a life? have they gotten any other titles?do they play as pups?
i love to see my entries in the catalog....they are the ones with a bunch of letters after their names...and they have a life!

i think it should be fun and limited as pups...and if you get lucky like my girl did, more power to you! but i wouldn't get a puppy and send her away for a long time just to brag, i finished at--- months of age! i rather brag the puppy and i got a CD,RN,CGC or something else.(while having fun).

[sebastianvoneli]

Well,
There are definately some high profile breeders out there. If I were to breed, which I wont. My first priority would be a loving home. I think the CH would be a wonderful extra. I realize the Bitches gets awards for producing and the the studs get awards. Some Breeders need to cut some slack and stop pushing people to proffesional handlers sometimes. It gets ugly and hurtful. I'm am sure most breeders are kind people who love that their dogs are loved, but there are a select few that are pushy.
Targonrotts I think what you said is absolutely right.

[Ann Felske-Jackman]

The first priority always has to be a loving home. Accolades and awards will follow later.

[sebastianvoneli]

I've met you and believe that you and your kennel stay true to that. You have some gorgeous dogs.