Being fairly new to the breed, I whelped alitter a few weeks ago. I am preparing their evalution information and I was directed here to see if any of you have specific forms or how you go about conformation evaluations. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Invite a couple of breeders/mentors that you respect to go over them and help evaluate. The breeder of your girl would likely be able to give you some insight.
Another tool that can be extremely helpful is to have someone stack each puppy on a grooming table and take a snapshot from about 4-6 feet away. If the pictures are consistent in distance and puppy placement on the table, it's a wonderful help in looking at the balance and structure of each puppy. I do a side shot and a front, sitting view, then put two pix on a sheet and set them up side-by-side on a cork board; it's a great help...not necessarily the final decision, but a great tool in selecting the "keepers".
Litter pictures can be invaluable. Big But. Unless they are consistent, they are not worth much. Place the feet. Hold the head. Hold the tail. Learn how to do it the same way every single time. It will pay off in the long run.
I pick mine running loose out in the yard. There are several Specialty winners in my brood. It works for me. It's a crap shoot no matter who you invite.
We use a grooming table set up right next to a mirror which is the same size as the table surface. The mirror allows you to see what you are feeling with your fingers. Wonderful tool. Also, Pat Hastings has a form on her site, Dogfolk, that is somewhat helpful if you need to sort out a few puppies who are at the top of your picks. It's not THE answer, but if seen and used as a tool, the Puppy Puzzle is worth investigating. Best of luck with your puppies.
agree............watch them MOVE
