Changing Preferences (dogs/breeders/etc)

[SpringerLover]

I know some people are diehard conformation fans (I am talking specifically about the activity of showing, not looking for good conformation in a dog in general), some people are diehard working fans, and a lot of people fall somewhere in the middle.

I realized that with the last litter I was seriously interested in, I was willing to compromise on my "no foo-foo show dogs" rule to get ALL THE OTHER things I wanted in a breeder/breeding. I about fell over when I realized it!

If you have a specific activity/line of dogs you're interested in, do you think there's anything that would make you "switch" so to speak?

 

[DJEtzel]

I like to think I'm a pretty open minded person.

I don't think I will ever stop preferring working line dogs over showlines. It's just kind of a moral thing for me. That's not to say I bash or hate people breeding showlines, it just doesn't strike my fancy.

However, I've "always" (I'm 20 so I've only been involved with dogs on my own since I was 17) been more of a performance type of person, thinking I didn't have enough skill for working and didn't want to be a snobby prick in the show ring. Recently all that has changed. I'm considering getting a show quality pup in the next two years and trying out conformation because it's recently appealed to me for some reason. I'm also planning on taking some lessions with Recon on sheep and taking him to a family's farm for some real work.

And again, I don't think I would ever go to a breeder of a working lined dog, unless there was work in the particular breeding as well, ie. a GSD german show line doing bitework as well would be OK if I liked everything else about the dogs being bred. But I am not against going to a conformation breeder if I like a breed that doesn't do a lot of work any more or wasn't bred to work anything. I would go to an Am Staff breeder that showed in conformation, but I would be looking for lines/pairings that also trialed; whether in Sch, DD, Lure Coursing, WP, etc.

 

[LostAndConfused]

I voted Banana Pie because.....let's be honest, I don't know enough of what's going on to have an opinion.

 

[Beanie]

I want all in one.

I suppose you could call Payton a confirmation dog because his mom and dad are show dogs only. However (mom's side) his grandma is a working dog and his great-grandma is a working dog and so on and so forth; he was selected because his attitude was right for a working dog, and it was clearly passed on from that side of the family because he acts like he belongs in that family LOL. He is quite pretty and we would like to possibly show him as well, but it was his attitude that was the winner.

I would not want a confirmation-bred dog without working attitude. Dogs who are "just" show dogs are not my ideal and I would have never gone with Payton if, despite his mom belonging to a show breeder, his mom had not been bred by my working breeder, and I had her help determining that he had what it takes. I would probably do it again if there was another situation where a breeder had a dog out of working lines but they only did confo, yet they had produced a little farm dog from their directly confo-only breeding... not my ideal though.

But confirmation on top of working does not scare me off; in fact it delights me. Working dogs only are nice, but I really love to see that there's an effort being made to keep the dog looking true to the standard rather than "this dog is fast, who cares if it looks so un-sheltie like that people constantly ask if it's a mix? BREED IT." It doesn't mean they have to be putting EVERY dog in the show ring but an indication of effort is nice IMO.

 

[sassafras]

Well there really aren't conformation breeders in the type I'm most interested in for the future, but hypothetically speaking I'm not diehard anything so I'd be open to suggestions.

 

[Laurelin]

I don't know. I've had a dog from a show/sport breeder, and then the dogs since him have been from straight up show breeders. I'd buy from a working breeder, a show breeder, a sport breeder, or whatever breeder if the dogs they produce are what I like. It really depends on the breed and the breeder in general.

I don't see myself ever getting involved in conformation again. Beau was enough for me. I don't think I will ever need a serious working dog either. I think stock work is interesting but if I get involved it will be purely from a hobby/sport perspective. My interest these days is in dogs that will be my pet and sports partner. So I want a dog that is well put together, healthy, and has proper temperament/drives for the breed. What the breeder gets classified as really doesn't concern me at all.

 

[Linds]

Right now I'm kinda going through that with Greyhounds. I've for a long time been working/sport breeder person; I've never really have any desire to get a dog bred conformation.

That being said, it seems like what I'm looking for in a Greyhound will be found in, as they call it, An AKC Breeder. I honestly like the look of racing and hunting greyhounds better but so far believe that what I want will be more inline with a show breeder. Though, my hope is (and something I think I've found) is for a breeder that shows but also courses.

But, to be honest I'm not one for hard rules about what I want in a breeder. I have a couple (No alter contract being the main) but I'm pretty willing to compromise on most things to find the right dog for me.

 

[ruffiangirl]

For the two breeds i am interested in for my someday dogs I am looking at breeders who do both, now neither of these breeds ave strictly working breeders here, at least that I have found, but I am looking for a dog with beauty and brains, not just ne or the other.

 

[Fran101]

I like conformation dogs and will likely always go to show breeders (who also dabble in performance because that is important to me as well!)

I prefer the temperaments, I like knowing the look I am getting and their work as show dogs more closely resembles my life than that of a working dog, so I figure it's the most logical choice for me.

I also tend to prefer the more..modern (if that's the right word) breeding philosophies more commonly found in show breeders. I checked out A LOT of working aussie breeders and just couldn't find the right fit (health testing, performance, focus on temperament,early neurological stimulation, dogs living inside the home etc..) I have no doubt they exist it just in my search was not nearly as common or easy to find.

That said, I have an open mind. At the end of the day it's about the dog/puppy I am getting, not the politics. I went with a show breeder because she was the right fit and I loved the dogs she was producing. Not because I was on the show side of the show vs. working debate. I honestly don't care.. if she bred working dogs and they were a great fit and these dogs had never seen a show ring, I wouldn't mind either.

 

[Oko]

I really like dogs from working lines, so I'll probably stick with those, I don't see how I would be swayed.

 

[Shai]

Depends on the breed. Fortunately in FCRs it's not an either/or.

Structure is extremely important to me. That said, I consider showing in the conformation ring to be just another sport, not intrinsically more valuable than other sports. I wish more breeds had a CCA-type program like Goldens in which a dog is assessed by a panel for structural soundness and adherence to the breed standard without the politics and extremes of the breed ring.

ETA: Working ability is still my #1. By far. But given the working style and intensity of the dogs I like, structure is equally important to keeping them sound through their working life.

 

[PWCorgi]

I voted Banana Pie because.....let's be honest, I don't know enough of what's going on to have an opinion.

:rofl1::rofl1: I will join you in this group!

I've learned A LOT OF THINGS in the last year, but 99% of that was my gleaning information off the OP.

 

[Raegan]

I want a dog that "will hunt." I want retrieving desire "written to PROM." I want a dog that is a good tolling dog. That last one is kind of a crap shoot, a lot of the Tollers that are arguably at the working end of the spectrum end up with a toll that is more of a trained retrieve than a playful tolling action.

That said, my preferred type is not the current ring fashion. So working/show lines aren't a deciding factor for me (and the split in Tollers isn't strong to begin with), I just want a dog I like.

 

[Aleron]

For me, it really depends on the breed and the breeder. You can't paint all breeders involved in conformation with the same brush as being unconcerned with anything but extreme looks. And not all working breeders are producing dogs that are the be all, end all of what that breed should be. And for many, many breeds there really are no "working" lines or need for working bred dogs in modern times. There's show bred dogs some of which may do "other stuff" and pet bred dogs.

 

[Toller_08]

I don't have a strong preference either way, but for most of the breeds I like I tend to go for conformation over working, as long as the conformation dogs can still perform in other venues. I could live with a working dog, but I don't need a die hard worker. All of the dogs in my home come from show/ performance breeders and I don't find them lacking anywhere in regards to what I like to do with my dogs. I'm sure my Dobermans couldn't excel in protection training, but they're plenty guardy and protective enough for my needs. No idea if Dance can toll, or if she'd retrieve a bird (she probably would), but she retrieves endlessly anything else I ask her to. No idea how Journey will do when she sees sheep or if she could work stock all day, but again, that's not what I have her for. I think it's important to have a dog who has the instinct to do what they were originally intended for, but for me personally to live with, it doesn't really make a big difference just how much working drive a dog has to do the task they were bred for (if that makes sense) because I'm not using those skills. I still think it's important for those instincts and drives to be retained, but I don't want an extreme dog and I find, for me, show/performance breeders have a happy-medium for my personal needs in a dog.

I also like the mind set of most show breeders over working breeders when it comes to health testing and such and where/how puppies are raised.

And honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer the look of most favourite breeds of mine that come from show lines. I'm happy with (my idea of) a pretty dog who is also a nice companion and has enough energy to play different sports, go hiking, and learn things with me.

With that said, I mainly look for a breeder producing dogs I like (structurally, temperamentally, health wise), and a breeder whose ethics I believe in and go from there. Whether they work or show is never the first thing I look at.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

Not really, I prefer working/companion lines. Conformation would be a fine bonus but they don't interest me nor offend me. I am willing to compromise on many things and temperament is likely my only no-break thing.

 

[~WelshStump~]

I chose "open to suggestions" because I know what I want, and I'm not going to compromise too much on what I'm looking for specifically and it's highly possible that what I want could come from either side. However, I do draw a line, and I would never get an extreme at either end, in other words, the stereo type "exaggerated show dog" nor the "well I've never had a problem with my dogs so I don't need to health test" <already fell for that once NEVER again! In fact those were his breeders own words .

 

[Dizzy]

Open minded. I never bought to show. I'm dabbling in it, because I can. I don't even know if I enjoy it yet.

Fred's breeder is a show breeder, but his sire's breeder shows and works her dogs. Many GSP breeders feel their dogs should be able to work, but the docking bans make it hard to show and work. I fully support the docking ban, but I do recognise that it has impacted on some breeds in that respect. Which is very sad... You can show a legally docked dog, but not in all shows (eg crufts).

I have exactly zero desire to work my dog, but I am interested in a dual purpose dog for my next one... Just because I feel the dog should look good and have the right temperament.

But meh, mostly I just want a good companion so...

 

[*blackrose]

I don't have a strong preference either way, but for most of the breeds I like I tend to go for conformation over working, as long as the conformation dogs can still perform in other venues. I could live with a working dog, but I don't need a die hard worker. All of the dogs in my home come from show/ performance breeders and I don't find them lacking anywhere in regards to what I like to do with my dogs. I'm sure my Dobermans couldn't excel in protection training, but they're plenty guardy and protective enough for my needs. No idea if Dance can toll, or if she'd retrieve a bird (she probably would), but she retrieves endlessly anything else I ask her to. No idea how Journey will do when she sees sheep or if she could work stock all day, but again, that's not what I have her for. I think it's important to have a dog who has the instinct to do what they were originally intended for, but for me personally to live with, it doesn't really make a big difference just how much working drive a dog has to do the task they were bred for (if that makes sense) because I'm not using those skills. I still think it's important for those instincts and drives to be retained, but I don't want an extreme dog and I find, for me, show/performance breeders have a happy-medium for my personal needs in a dog.

I also like the mind set of most show breeders over working breeders when it comes to health testing and such and where/how puppies are raised.

And honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer the look of most favourite breeds of mine that come from show lines. I'm happy with (my idea of) a pretty dog who is also a nice companion and has enough energy to play different sports, go hiking, and learn things with me.

With that said, I mainly look for a breeder producing dogs I like (structurally, temperamentally, health wise), and a breeder whose ethics I believe in and go from there. Whether they work or show is never the first thing I look at.

This is pretty much my exact view point as well.

 

[Sit Stay]

It depends on my plans the dog, for me. I've never been anti-anything. If I'm looking for a sport or working dog, I will first look at that kind of breeder. If I can't find what I'm looking for with those type of breeders (let's say off switch, or health testing) maybe I would then reconsider and check out certain show breeders.

I showed my Vallhund as a kid and really enjoyed myself though! I wouldn't mind showing again and know some great handlers. There are no show ES breeders, and the show line GSDs (my second breed of choice) are not appealing to me. However, when I get a third dog, that will hopefully just be something easygoing and fun (maybe a CKCS, Chihuahua, or Whippet) I wouldn't mind showing conformation.