Just wondered what you all think of Pat Hastings and her book, DVD and qualifications and would you pay for her to evaluate one of your litters?

She did it for a friend of mine and it seemed to be ALL wrong for every puppy and even the sire and dam.

It seems she really doesn't know Labrador type at all.

Pat's methods go beyond type and looking into the skeletal and structural qualities that makes a dog sound. I feel the DVD is lacking what you come away with at her seminars.

Maybe your friend just the felt type and correct look of her picks were not in line with what was correct and sound in her litter as far as structure. What is more important?

Excellent point!

So, is it good or not?

I highly doubt that the "type" from Pat's picks and the breeders picks were so drastically different. If so, I would question the entire breeding.
I am just assuming they were likely all nice pups but the breeder liked something more cosmetic.
I would prefer the more sound dog over the cosmetic. I can hopefully always improve on that, but it would be more harmful to a breeding program to just pick for those reason.

I recently attended a Pat Hastings seminar and thought it was great! She stressed that she could educate the participants on overall correct structure and movement - but it was up to the breeder to know their own "breed type". I learned a lot - especially about publishing photographs! Those who have attened one of her seminars know what I am talking about.
Valerie - Bibsmom

Exactly correct Valerie. I've had Pat evaluate a couple of my litters privately and I learned a ton. It was still up to me to choose type however. Pat will be the first one to tell you all she can do is show you correct structure, you must find your own breed type.

I have been to two or more of her seminars and agree with her. You can learn so much about structure. We all like a somewhat different Labrador look. The litter of Goldens she went over were right on. You could not help but agree. To your eye they were all very nice looking. But would they hold up if you needed an agility dog ? It is not all about the beauty. You have got to think of the health issues.
Don't you think we think our dogs are always better than they are ? You need a seminar not just the video to get the most out of the Puppy Puzzle. And they are sure a puzzle with all the parts you hope come together.

Ooops! Sorry - didn't mean to tease anyone - as for my remark about "taking and publishing photographs" here is what I saw and learned @ Pat's seminar.

She has several scrapbooks that she has put together from published ads and a few e-mailed photos. She passes them around and the particpants look at them so they can try to figure out the structural defect in the dog. Now, sometimes it is just they way the dog is presented and sometimes it a very obvious fault - published for the whole world to see. She made the remark to be very careful with publishing your photos , because you just might be "burning your dogs fault into a future judges brain."

She even made the comment (I am paraphrasing) that sometimes when she judges a top-winning dog, she has already seen the faults in a adv. and checks to see if they are really there or if it was just a bad photo.

Bibsmom - Valerie

How do you go about having her evaluate a litter for you?

http://www.dogfolk.com/

well said everyone, you must have CORRECT structure and movement to have a great winning lab. so you must find the pup that has a combination of both correct lab type PLUS correct structure. i look at the way puppies play together at 6 weeks old, i check front shoulders, front sternum, correct tail carriage when moving when playing, and overall head type, eyes,ears, and muzzell. i need to have a great head,eye expression, solid topline and straight tail carried level with topline!!!! thats what i love f.g.