[OnMyWay2MyDreams]

I have a few questions regarding bone substance. I am concerned because I think Lilly is lacking in it now and not sure if she will get/develop it later. When I got her she seemed to have good bone substance then, people would often mistake her for a boy. She also seems a bit slight in the chest. My handling class teacher agrees and said she thinks those are her areas that are lacking but not to worry yet. She said she has a nice headpiece, good shoulder layback, nice topline, and great tempermant.

I'm just a worried she may not go far in the confirmation ring, not a big deal because I love her no matter what and will just concentrate on obedience more, which I planned on doing anyways..she's ver smart. Her mom actually just earned her CD doing 3 legs back to back to back.

Anyways thanks in advanced for any insight you all can give me!

 

[Kmullen]

Do you have a stacked picture of her? She is a year, right?

 

[Kmullen]

Just went and looked at the pictures you had of her. She is not too bad in bone. She is in that awkward stage...atleast mine was at 12 months. If you could get a better stacked picture of her. The angle of the one she is standing on the grooming table is not the greatest. When will be your next show with her? Have you thought of maybe trying a handler on her to see how she does with a handler? Obviously, you do not have to do that just yet.

 

[OnMyWay2MyDreams]

Just went and looked at the pictures you had of her. She is not too bad in bone. She is in that awkward stage...atleast mine was at 12 months. If you could get a better stacked picture of her. The angle of the one she is standing on the grooming table is not the greatest. When will be your next show with her? Have you thought of maybe trying a handler on her to see how she does with a handler? Obviously, you do not have to do that just yet.

She is looking different recently, like starting to come out of a gawky stage. I will try to take more stacked pics this weekend , will get my hubby to help. I will be seeing her sister that the breeder kept in 2 weeks at a show and will be nice to see how the two compare. In the pics I've gotten from her recently they look like twins in the face. She has always weight wise been on the smaller side. She is 2 lbs shy of the lower limit but has reached the height limit, also on the low end. I know the bitches shouldn't have a ton of bone like the dogs but I still see lots of bitches at shows and in pics with more bone then her!

 

[K9-Design]

Hair can be deceiving. If they have a lot of hair a little mousse and stickum makes it look like they have a lot of bone.
Don't freak out at a year old. Give her time.

 

[GoldenSail]

I know the bitches shouldn't have a ton of bone like the dogs but I still see lots of bitches at shows and in pics with more bone then her!

Remember, more isn't always better.

 

[hotel4dogs]

I don't know about the bitches, but I do know in the dogs it's common for them not to be "filled out" until they're almost 3. Most of the specials you see winning really big in the dogs are between 4 and 6 years old.

 

[OnMyWay2MyDreams]

I don't know about the bitches, but I do know in the dogs it's common for them not to be "filled out" until they're almost 3. Most of the specials you see winning really big in the dogs are between 4 and 6 years old.

Yes I've heard that for the dogs..but didn't know what that all meant and if they were referring to bone. I will give her more time, just didn't know if it does come back with maturity. I know I don't want a big boned girl but I want her not to stick out as being a little slight in the front.. We have do have a show coming up in 2 weeks which will hopefully let me really get a good up close look at the bitches and see if it is bone or hair playing a trick on my eyes!

 

[HiTideGoldens]

What do you mean by slight in the chest? Like you wish she had more forechest? Or is she narrow in front when you look at her standing in front of her?

Either way she's only a year. I'm still waiting on my 2.5 year old boy to reach his peak of maturity. He's getting there but I can definitely tell the difference between him and his full brother who is a year older (Jack was a repeat breeding). Don't rush it, just have fun learning!

 

[OnMyWay2MyDreams]

Yes needs more forechest..seems narrow. I know I've heard that rib spring can take awhile to evolve. She is starting to get that just a bit.. Patience is something I have to work on and will have to give her time. I want to continue going to shows for the experience for both of us but don't want to look like a fool having her in the ring if she is really off kilter with all the others at this point.

 

[GoldensInRI]

Get a few photos of your girl free standing - from the front, side, & rear, I'd love to see them. At 12 months of age, she is still a baby. Some bloodlines mature very quickly, others take 3-4 years. Some lines carry thicker coat on their legs ( or as Anney mentioned grooming to make the coat stand out to help with "bone"), too. There are teenage classes you can show her in until she is 18 months old at most shows too. Or let her grow up and try some agility, retrieve work, or obedience while she does. Keep her happy and wagging with handling classes. You don't want to rush maturity on your little girl.

"Winners bitch, sometimes losers bitch more!"

 

[Sally's Mom]

More experienced breeders can comment on this, but my experience has been that what I liked about my pups at about 8 weeks they always seem to come back to. And what I didn't like about them they always seem to come back to as well. Mine either have forechest as pups or they don't. My cute boy Georgie who was "long in the hocks" is still "long in the hocks". Maternity has never changed any of my bitches' chests. I always hear breeders saying that pregnancy helps them drop their chest and getter ribspring... Never seen it in my four. My narrow chested bitch remained narrow chested post pups. What I am saying is my experience is that if it was there as a pup, it comes back. Mine change along the way, but seem to go back the conformation I saw at an early age. The only thing I would say has surprised me as that some of the pups I have bred that seemed to have slighter bone at eight weeks have gone on to develop better bone.

 

[OnMyWay2MyDreams]

I hope that is true Sallysmom! She looked great at 8 weeks.. So hoping she comes back
I've heard that about the pregnancy "helping" the rib spring, I can kind of picture how they say it should help..but really only if it's a huge litter..

I'm going to do this next show and really take a look at the others in her age. I decided that I will show her to keep up with the experience but maybe not as often as I was originally going to, at least for now while she comes back.

I am going to call my obedience trainer to see what time the next level class starts to get back into that..I want her to get her CGC and possibly CD this year..she did get a 185 at her last class.. So she can do it. Of course that wasn't off leash but with hard work we can def pull that all off. (at least thats what i keep telling myself) The other prob we have to work on is her really wanting to greet other people and dogs..so would not pass the CGC!