Frequently you'll
hear reputable breeders talk about requiring their pet
quality puppies to be spayed or neutered. The
difference between a pet quality puppy and a show quality
puppy can be as little a matter of millimeters.
A show
quality puppy is one who shows promise for meeting (or
coming excruciatingly close to) the breed standard.
Show quality is striving for perfection. In ear set,
eye shape and set, tail set, coat quality and color all are
measured against the ideal or breed standard.
A pet quality puppy from a reputable breeder will make a
fine pet and may look no different to the uneducated puppy
buyer than a
show quality puppy. The trained breeder will see:
crooked teeth or a "bad"
bite
ears that are too small or too
tall
a head which is too narrow or wide
a skull that is too flat or too
rounded
improper markings
unacceptable color
improper eye or nose color
improper eye or nose
placement
None of the above characteristics will
inhibit in any way your puppy's ability to love you, learn
from you and give you his complete devotion. However, the dog does
deviate from the breed standard.This means this dog should not be bred for he/she will
pass these traits to his/her offspring. Rottweilers
should look like Rottweilers and there should never be any
confusion between a Rottweiler and a Doberman.
One word of caution is due here.
Don't let a breeder show you a sickly, odd-looking puppy and
call it a "pet quality".
Also, don't think
that just because you want a "pet" that it's
parents don't need to have had all the testing for genetic
faults common in the breed. You want a QUALITY
pet, which means one that has been carefully bred and whose
dam and sire were chosen for health, temperament and coming
as close as possibly to the breed standard.
Each breed has a written standard
of perfection which is called the breed standard. It
describes the perfect dog of that breed. It specifies
in great detail the dog's physical appearance, attributes
and the dog's temperament. The AKC's
website lists the breed standard for each breed the
organization recognizes. Dogs shown in the
conformation ring are judged against the breed standard
"ideal".
Pedigree Do not be fooled by
this term. A pedigree is nothing more than a dog's
family tree on paper. All AKC registered dogs have
them. Your mixed breed dog can have one too, just type
in three or four generations in family tree fashion onto a
piece of paper and VIOLA! You have your dog's
pedigree. Some pedigrees go back three, others four
generations. The AKC charges just $12 for a pedigree. It is not the mark of a quality
puppy, and any breeder who touts it as such is not a quality
breeder.
