Ask her breeder. Go to shows to see what judges look at (they all have their different @types@ favourites). Look at as many pictures of show labs as you can (it`s better to see them in the flesh though). Take off any rose coloured glasses you may have on (I learnt that one the hard way). Research your dog`s pedigree. Ask her breeeder
Could you post some pictures...? With Maple standing sideways on and then a nice close up of Maple's head?
Thats if you don't mind a truely honest opinion.... BUT no insults I promise! I'm sure Maple is lovely!
They are looking for beauty, substance, and features which match the breed standard. Each judge has a little bit of their own opinion too thrown in the pot so you can do well one week, badly the next, but generally a fairly substantial Labrador, well covered, with a kind and true head, strong body, decent amount of coat, thick otter tail, well boned and not with weedy long spindly legs of whatever.
If you are a horse person a Labrador should be a Light - Middleweight hunter, not a thoroughbred racehorse NOR a ploddy Cob...
Hope that helps a bit...
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Its so hard to say if a dog should or shouldn't be shown... or more to the point would do Ok or wouldn't.... because people have so many reasons for showing. Some just rightly so want a nice day out at nice venues with likeminded people and are quite happy to walk out the ring without a prize for the good day out. Some want to know they have the best Labrador on gods earth and nothing else will do, and everyone else is somewhere in between
The only thing you can do, Rob, like Nic says is go to a few shows and see if the dogs doing Ok at them match roughly the basic outline and substance and look of your dog (even if they are a different colour.... grin)
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
And if your heart is truly set on it be prepared to have setbacks. You need a spine of steel and the skin of a rhino to cope with some of the @stuff@ judges can throw at you - I've just started shoing my 10 month old adn we've doen 5 shows (all but one the equivalent of UK champ shows). The criteria for a good dog varies on one major point in France. My dog can get an @excellent@ in one show under one judge and the next get kicked out for being @insufficient@ jsut one week later under a different judge all for a point that is not even looked at in the UK! You can imagine how I feel about that!!
Hi Rob, You have a nice dog there. You probably know that As it stands he has many nice qualities and certainly is made with the natural substance coat and tail to be shown. His head is certainly strong enough to stand up in a showring and his eye colour is dark enough to compliament his rich dark coat.
He is well boned (he has nice thickness of bone) and he is certainly up to height.
His drawnback will lay at the moment in his general overall condition. There is a conundrum we have to face in that dogs shown generally sit with just a bit more weight on them to 'round off the sharp edged' than good pet ownership tells us is right. He is rather on the lean side, infact for the ring he is very on the lean side. HOWEVER he sits at a healthy firm, lean pet weight and for that you can be pleased as punch.
I show a dog here - a chocolate male about the same age - in show condition, BUT actually probably still pretty on the lean side for the ring -
The finer points of your boys conformation would need looking at in a picture a bit more like the one above so his various points can be clearly seen but the basics look good and you could probably have some fun with him in the ring. However I always feel uncomfortable saying this but he would need to carry rather a bit more weight....
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
thankyou everone for your advice,
I have just taken over a pub and maple is to be the pub dog so pretty soon i would expect her to fill out a bit.
She is never been hugely interested in her food unless it is human food! I have tried all sorts of different brands and if she is not hungry she will just pick at them. I have asked the vet and he says as a pet she is a brilliant weight but every so often you can see her ribs poking through.
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