Question of the Week

Karen Fitzpatrick

Kankakee, Illinois

I have a system, honestly. At nine to 10 weeks, I decide who makes the cut, but I already have a good idea what is great and what is mediocre. At 11 to 12 weeks, I make the next cut; movement is a no-brainer at that age, and I can say what you see is what you get. Shoulders and rears by that age don't change. Usually by then it's down to one or two, and it's easy from there. Bites need to come in at four to five months before I make the final decision, and even then, it might be no one. I VERY seldom keep males; they have to have eyes like diamonds and be made of gold to stay — a dog that will not just do well in the ring, but that will be a benefit to my breeding program and has something to offer. I have kept three in 11 years, and only one lives with me. Males are hard to keep. I don't have a kennel; they are house dogs. I litter-train, which helps pups to be extremely clean and makes it easier to keep them longer should you want to.    

Laura Coomes

Ocala, Florida

If I am picking my next superstar, I don’t let them leave before 12 weeks. Plus, I think there is a fear period at nine weeks. I’d rather get them through that. 

Polly Smith

St. Stephens Church, Virginia

Oh, we could run them on until a year old.

Kellie FitzGerald

Bear, Delaware

Usually by 12 weeks, at the latest, I decide the prospects I feel are worth growing up. I don’t hold on to more than two. Hopefully one of them is a girl!

Xiomara B. Larson 

Glastonbury, Connecticut

When my puppies are born, I keep on observing the puppies I like, and at eight weeks of age I do another assessment on the one I have chosen. I watch their personalities and attitudes, and then I pick my promising puppies. Then I wait until their bites come in, and at three months I make that final decision. At this point I decide what I am keeping and who is taking who. 

Alison Campbell

Joshua Tree, California

I'm one of those weirdos who "picks 'em wet," so I definitely have some strong opinions from day one. I will scrutinize and compare and do the "final" stacking at eight weeks, but, honestly, I always know who I am keeping by this stage. I have even kept a few of the best for another month or two, but I never change my mind on which puppy I am keeping. It's intuition. It's an eye for balance. It's a whole vibe! I know who I'm going to share my life with!

Janet York

New York, New York

Most of my decisions are made by four months, and I never sell puppies before this date because I want the pups to be fully vaccinated with the three puppy shots, and from nine weeks on I train each pup on basic obedience, lead work and house training. We also do puzzles and tunnels and ramps, etc. Each pup has three health checks when a vaccine is given before going to his or her new home.

If I have a pup I still can’t decide on, I’m usually confident with my decision at six months!

Nancy Russell

Walsenburg, Colorado

I do the final evaluation of my Alaskan Malamute puppies at eight weeks. At six weeks I start half-mile walks with mom. I eliminate mom in a few days, as some pups just want to be near her all the time. By eight weeks we are walking one mile. They are now trotting so I can evaluate gait. Proper structure and gait are critical to a sled dog. I have found proportions at eight weeks are what you have as adults, barring illness or injury.

Janice Leonard

Denver, Colorado

I keep show prospects at least 12 weeks, and longer if I’m still deciding who is also the best puppy for the breeding prospect. I recently had two very nice bitches in a litter of Shelties. The one I thought was second pick finished first in about a month. The other finished three or four weeks later with four majors and a Group 1st from the classes. I’m glad I couldn’t make a decision.

Carol Horner

Bluffton, South Carolina

My breeding goal has been to produce show puppies, and I have a good idea which puppies appeal to me at about seven weeks.  

I start seriously evaluating at six weeks, but at eight weeks I’m certain. 

I like to keep one boy and one girl. If I’m nuts over two puppies of the same sex, that’s when I decide to let one go at six months because it’s so expensive to start babies showing in 6-9 class, and they all begin showing then. 

So five to six months is my cutoff, especially if I’ve kept two of the same sex! They’d show in the same class category, and one would surely beat the other.  

I don’t run on puppies very long because my top babies show at six months, so that’s my cut-off. 

This is a terrific question, especially for new and future breeders. There are numerous theories on keeping prospective show puppies, but if one plans to start showing a puppy in 6-9, there’s no reason to hold on to him longer than that. 

Lucretia Coonrod

Tecumseh, Oklahoma 

Seven weeks is my magic number for German Shorthaired Pointers puppies. The window from seven to nine weeks is perfect for WYSIWYG. Conversely, after 10 weeks until six months I refuse to evaluate; they change daily and parts grow at different rates. 

Joan Krumm

Poplar Grove, Illinois

In every litter I am looking for my next show dog and am super blessed with our small litters to find more than one who will carry on with our desire to improve the breed according to the standard. After selecting out the companions at 10 to 12 weeks, one or two will most likely be considered for carrying on. Serious socialization and puppy-class training move on, keeping in mind type, health, movement, disposition and temperament. With the longer time it takes toy dogs to develop permanent bites, they could be nearly five to seven months old before the final decision. It may take up to a year old to know fully who is destined for stardom, and perhaps only a select few overall will be kept for use in the whelping box for the next generation. 

Sylvia Calderwood 

Eugene, Oregon

There are many tests determining whether or not a puppy stays at Kensil. I check for teeth buds at three weeks, testicles by eight weeks, size estimate (Sheltie have a size DQ) at 10 weeks. Temperament is a continuing question because my breed tends to be wimps. But the real and final criterion, other than size, is at six months, when the canine teeth come in. We can get a condition called lance canines in the breed, whereby the canine lays horizontally. In Shelties, the number-one criterion separating pet from show is size. I figure they are the tallest they are going to be at one year. So, the answer to the question is indeterminate. Anywhere from 10 weeks to a year. If I have five litters in one year, I'm likely to grow out three pups to maturity and hope that at least two finish their championships.

Mark Francis Jaeger

Mason, Michigan

For starters, our parent club's code of ethics states, "No member will agree to transfer or release a puppy before the age of 12 weeks." That said, we typically do not place any pup before it is four months old. On the other hand, we have usually determined who we will keep by the time they reach eight weeks.

Laura Libner

East Grand Rapids, Michigan

How long I run puppies on before deciding who stays depends, of course, on the litter, but in my experience, I typically know by 12 to 14 weeks. I’m never in a hurry to place puppies. 

Jay Hyman

Mount Airy, Maryland

I have raised Ridgebacks since 1959. We evaluate pups at seven to eight weeks, and more or less make up our minds then. If we think one will be exceptional, we try and find it a home that will show it. We probably will not keep more than one, if that. We get the same joy and prestige from someone else finishing it; campaigning it takes care of itself. We don't do much co-owning because I am a judge, and a co-ownership there causes more problems than it is worth. I think that at eight weeks you can figure out head and top line — the other things we hope will hold true.

Larry Dosier

Rhoadesville, Virginia

I don't run on puppies. Takes their wrinkles out.