What is your experience with growing males getting a weird head at a young age? At 8 weeks it was beautiful and had a nice stop and width and was correct... Now at 9 months it is long muzzle, not much for a stop, lost the width (but still has a lot of width between the eyes) and is very unproportional and fieldy looking... Not sure what happened???!!! I have noticed littermates doing the same thing but not to this extent. He has awesome bloodlines and all show behind him, not an ounce of field at all... Should this be something to worry about or is it just the puppy uglies getting to me????? He still has beautiful angles and lovely topline/tailset and correct coat but his head just makes me cringe :'( Looking for any advise possible!!! :)

Most likely puppy uglies. I have a 4mo old right now that has a wedgie head. His head was beautiful at 8wks. Holding out myself for another change with maturity.

Don't look! Seriously, it happens all the time - it's called the "bag-over-the head" issue. My 4-month old girl is doing the same thing - but it's getting better bit by bit and boys are notorious for bad heads at 3-4 months.

Relax, I'm sure it'll be fine when he's matured.

This is something you can call the stud dog owner about and inquire about the growth stages of his boy, and the lines behind him. My experiance has been if the head was there when he was young it will come back.

My problem with it is he is going to be a year old this spring. I've never had a dog take this long to come back into his head... His sire didn't have a head like this at his age and neither did his mother. So I'm thrown for a complete loss. Should I start looking at Grandparents?

A nice male I had years ago won best puppy at around 7 months - at close to 9 months I looked at him one morning and shuddered - head head was reeeeally ugly! scared me! He DID have a great head at 8 wks; that great head did return and he did finish his championship in good time. Yup - there are 7 cranial facial plates in a Lab's head - knowing that, it's easy to imagine how their head can have some ugly growth stages!

I also do believe that a good percentage of traits come from grandparents...

I will tell over the years I have learned that 9 mos. is the worse time to look at a male. Don't even bother until they are about 14 to 18 months. Really change alot. Also, some pups you can show their whole life and others just don't come back together good until over a year. Then just improve. If they are good to begin with. And yes grandparents are key.

Does anyone know?

Males are mature at 4 yrs, but I find the head on males and femles just get better with age. Then by 10 start to loose some substance in head. Some don't. I have seen beautiful 14 yr old dogs.