| Determining A Sheltie's Quality |
| In the breeding and showing world, there are different quality dogs. There are two main "qualities" of dogs. There is "Pet Quality", and there is "Show Quality". Once in a while you will see something called "Breeding Quality" also. We at Suzara know that there are many people out there that are unaware or do not understand the differences in quality. We also know that it can be confusing. We would like to take a moment to explain the differences to you. SHOW QUALITY Show Quality dogs are dogs that meet the American Kennel Club (AKC) Standards that they have set forth for the breed. The standard is based on being purebred, height, bone structure, conformation, ears, eyes, etc. Often times a show quality dog will also meet the standards set forth by the other kennel clubs (such as United Kennel Club,etc.) as well since they are usually the same standard requirements. Show Quality means that the dog meets the AKC standard requirements for the breed to be in the truest form of the original breed. A show quality dog is able to be shown at dog shows. Many dogs sold as show quality often times do go into the show ring and are sold on a full registration. Full registration means that you will have a dog you can show and breed if you choose to do so. You are not obligated to do either if you do not wish, but generally speaking a dog that meets the standard is sold for higher prices than a dog that does not meet the AKC standard. PET QUALITY Pet Quality dogs are dogs that are do not meet the AKC standards. Because these dogs do not meet the standard they are unable to be shown. There could be any number of reasons why this type of dog does not meet the standard. Common reasons include height, bone structure or genetics. For example, If a dog is larger or smaller than the standard height requirement this will make it a pet quality.Pet quality dogs are generally healthy and normal but just don't meet the standards of a "perfect show dog".For this reason these dogs usually sell for less. They are still AKC registered and are still purebred. Most breeders will sell pet quality dogs on a Spay/Neuter Contract. A Spay/Neuter contract states that a pet quality dog must be spayed or neutered within a certain period of time and CANNOT be bred at all. Most breeders sell on a spay/neuter contract because there are too many risks associated with breeding a pet quality dog. For example, dogs that are too small could have a hard time giving birth, They will very likely continue to produce dogs that do not meet the standard height requirements often times being too small as well. Dogs that are too large could produce dogs that are too big and do not meet the standard and this could cause bone structure issues. If there is bone structure problems there could be complications in the offspring such as hip dysplasia. Eye and ear problems could be passed on to the offspring and could cause the offspring to suffer as well. Eye and Ear problems often times show up as blindness, and deafness. Many breeders feel that breeding pet quailty dogs is inhumane,and too much of a risk. They do not wish to bring dogs that are not healthy and normal into the world. They do not feel it is fair for the offspring born with problems to have to live a poor quality of life, or to be put down at birth.Most breeders would like to enhance the breed and continue to keep the true standards of the breed met as closely to the original as possible. by breeding only show quality dogs, this eliminates many of the risks, and increases the chances of producing dogs that meet the standards and are healthy. BREEDING QUALITY Breeding quality dogs are often linked into the same category as "Show Quality". However, on occasion you may see a breeder that will sell a dog as breeding quality. Most times, this is because the dog does not have the temperament to be in the show ring. He or she may be too shy or too nervous, maybe even too hyper to be in the show ring. This does not mean that the dog is not show quality, it just means that the dog doesn't handle being in the show ring well enough to show him or her. Breeding Quality dogs are often times show quality, and will be allowed to be bred as they will still enhance the line and keep it true to the standard. They have a great chance of producing puppies that meet the standard. |
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