I had actually read (is it true?) that a pup's conformation at 8 weeks gives a very good idea of their final adult conformation, then it goes all over the place while they are growing and things are gangly and uneven.
I don't necessarily find that what I see at 8 weeks carries right on through to adulthood, but by golly they can get REALLY wonky at 10+ weeks. You can have a gorgeous adult dog come out of a leggy, floppy, down-eared 12 week old. After that 8 week window glimpse I tend to close my eyes and pretend they're beautiful until they hit 8-9 months when I can start to see what I'm really working with.
Personally, yes, if there is something I really don't like at 8 weeks it's a deal-breaker. I won't buy the dog and assume he'll grow out of the fault. I look at the bite at 8 weeks, testicles dropped, general appearance and angulation, is the dog really "loose", cow-hocked, etc. But soon after they start growing every which-a-way at uneven intervals, lol.
The bite at 8 weeks is not always accurate, but other things are. I know for me, personally, I can get an overall picture at 8 weeks (mostly of balance), but not enough to break it down for a critique.
I think back on Carly at 8 weeks and she's just how I thought she'd be. She just turned 4. Back then she was very balanced, feminine, oh and that puppy could move. She went through a hideous gangly stage, narrow in front, easy-westy, so leggy. One day she just started coming back together. She was a confident bold puppy, and the same as a mature dog.
Russell at 8 weeks was all boy, nice bone, a mover, maybe too much angulation for some. At 11 months, he's big, good bone, masculine head, effortless mover, still a lot of angulation. Outgoing and pushy from day one. Hasn't changed a bit. Interested to see how he turns out when he's 3.
You can tell a lot at 6-8 weeks, but it's not a PROMISE that the dog will come back together the same way.
Wesson didn't turn out the way I though she would. I thought she was going to end up with a lot more rear.
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