By the time our litter of prospects is 10 to 12 weeks old, we expect to have narrowed it down to 2 or 3 of the most promising. Obvious petshave been settled on non-breeding agreements into carefully selected familieswhich have the essentials: a secure fence, a member of the family at homeduring the day, and a genuine desire for an English Cocker.
Now comes the more difficult evaluation of the remaining stock. Do we have a top flier? Is there a selection of finishable dogs which we mustrun on or are there dogs with Group potential among the brood? In makingthese decisions, we focus on the following criteria: overall balance andeye appeal, structure and soundness, and attitude. These three, coupled withthe correct finishing touches of coat care and presentation can help us ensureour swans develop as planned.
In this article, I will focus on balance and structure as we try toapply it at Ranzfel and offer a few practical suggestions as to what we lookfor in choosing puppies. Much of this is common sense and regularly practiced by experienced breeders.
Balance and Eye Appeal: There is no question that some puppies fillthe eye with an indefinable quality that is a result of the pleasing combination of all their parts. These are the pups that are NOT evaluated by comments such as, “I adore that powerful head,” “What tremendous rear angulation,” “Just look at that length of neck!” Remarks of this sort always suggesta puppy that is out of balance because one element of structure is overpowering all else. I want to be able to put my pup on the table and say, “My, that’s an even, balanced puppy.” The selection of a pup which shows balance isoften difficult after 8 weeks and much before 8 months. The upper limit varies for different lines, but we have found our own dogs are best evaluated around 8-9 weeks. We then stop worrying during the rapid growth periods, or during teething. At this point, a good selection of photographs and profiles, fronts and rears is most helpful. We have found that the most balanced pups usually look on the small side especially at 5-7 months. They are “compact packages” and as puppies strike one as diminutive but as adults prove to be correct size.
Structure and Soundness: In assessing the way the pup is made, it isimportant to differentiate those parts of the structure which might changeand those which will remain fairly constant. We feel that the following aresome of the things which will remain fairly constant. What you see is likelywhat you get.
On the other hand, there are many characteristics of our pups which MAY modify to a degree as the pup grows. Do realize, however, that thelimits to the modification move to the norm for the breed. The pup is nevergoing to improve to the point of excelling in the characteristic in question.The extent of the change does vary within breeding lines. Here a familiaritywith your pedigree is invaluable. Know your sire and dam’s strengths andweaknesses. Know equally well the grandparents. If you are consciously strivingfor a certain quality in the pup you select then place greater emphasis onthat quality when you evaluate pups. Be objective about your choice. Whilehard to admit, it may be necessary to say that the litter is not up to thestandard of the parents. Unless you feel you have made progress in the resultof a breeding, there is absolutely no merit in keeping a pup from that mating.You are merely marking time or worse regressing. It is time to be fairlyruthless in your assessment of your prospects.
Facets of structure which change include the following:
Reprinted from EC Quarterly Spring 1984
At this point I would like to pickup on three problem areas which I have not discussed in the earlier articles.
One of the checks that must be made on young pups is that they all hear properly. We routinely start checking a litter at 3 to 4 weeks by conditioning the pups to a food signal. This consists of a slight tapping of the fingers on the wooden sides of the whelping box, accompanied by a tongue”click” or “puppy, puppy.” Puppies are thereby conditioned to a food reward.By 5 to 6 weeks you should have an immediate, positive, conditioned responsefrom EACH puppy. Watch for the pup which seems to be taking his cues fromthe other pups in the litter. If you are suspicious of a pup, you must separatehim from the rest of the litter for more precise testing in a strange location.Confirmation of a deaf puppy should be possible by 7 to 8 weeks. This puppyshould be euthanized and under no circumstances placed in a home.
2. BLUE EYES
Occasionally a blue eye or eyes will appear in a litter ofparti-colour English Cockers. Affected individuals may have two blue eyes, one blue and one brown, or may have just a chip of blue in a regular hazel or brown eye. The blue can vary from a quite pale and reflective color to a fairly deep blue. The closest color match I’ve seen in other breeds has been in the Siberian Husky. Generally by 4 to 5 weeks you can identify a “suspicious”blue eye which is noticeably more pale than a regular colored eye. Such puppiesshould, I feel, be neutered or spayed and placed in caring pet homes. I havenever heard of a vision impairment in a blue-eyed puppy.
3. ABNORMAL TOES
Occasionally a puppy of 10 to 14 weeks will develop a deformed toe on one or both front feet. You will not be able to identify a “toe” before 10 weeks. These toes eventually curl up and elevate the nail off the ground. The pad of such a toe will be narrow, atrophied and twisted to the side.Usually the outside toe is the one which is affected. I have judged dogswhich have been so affected and, although I have not observed any consequencesto the deformity, I do fault it when judging because the foot is not as described in the standard. I personally would not include such an individual in my breedingprogram
In the preceding comments I have made no attempt to discuss the extent or nature of these three problems in terms of inheritability. My desirein writing about them was to alert the novice breeder to something that might be missed in assessing a litter of puppies.
Reprinted from ECQuarterly Summer 1984