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To: AnAmericanMother

She looks like a lab to me. I personally don't care for the sausage on legs look of the conformation labs, but that's just me (and one reason I don't have labs--the other being I'm too lazy!)
I have done field work/conformation/obedience with the same dog. I believe in multi purpose dogs. I have issues with the show world, however I probably have issues with all competetive venues as well. I breed what I like and as I interpret the standard. And of course, I attempt to breed only healthy dogs (sometimes that's not as easy as it sounds as some problems don't turn up until the dog is older).
But, I do put the blame on the breeders. On the other hand, I think it's not such a bad thing to have diversity between the gene pools as it gives some place to go bring in traits (or even health) that you lose.
I had a friend in goldens whose first show dog was by a conformation champion and out of a field bitch. He not only went on the finish his CH and become a BIS winner he also was a CDX, JH and outstanding sire. Not bad. I think it's important. I also don't think that only conformation champions should be bred.
susie


51 posted on 07/10/2006 9:57:09 AM PDT by brytlea (amnesty--an act of clemency by an authority by which pardon is granted esp. to a group of individual)
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To: brytlea
The conformation Labs have gotten too heavy to work. Of course, some of it is "show fat" and comes right off. When we got our dog, she was a roly-poly puppy, because she was "boss dog" of her litter and got more than her fair share of the food! Our vet runs her dogs in agility, and she read us the riot act and we got the weight off her ASAP. She goes up and down 2-3 pounds depending on how many trials we go to and how well she can beg from unsuspecting passersby, but she's pretty much maintained her weight around 42-43 pounds since she finished growing.

I'm glad to hear that the Goldens are still multi-purpose. It seems like the breed organization is strongly encouraging performance (judging from the specialty reports in Golden Retriever News, which I subscribe to because I think it's the best all-purpose retriever mag going). We have a couple of conformation dogs in the hunting club that do very well in both venues.

57 posted on 07/10/2006 10:03:53 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: brytlea

Goldens seem to be bred, more often than not, for color and big, big size. We had a large male, Prior Lake Jake, when we lived in Minnesota and he was a pretty fare duck dog but was almost too big to get in the boat. At 95 pounds, his leap would almost pitch us into the drink, which is the last place to be on a cold Minnesota duck blind morning. One of my friends nicknamed him "Lard-a**."


58 posted on 07/10/2006 10:04:07 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: brytlea
I believe in multi purpose dogs

Me too

Maddie,(Lab/Chow) hunter par excellent, coons, woodchucks, squirrel, rabbit
Guard dog, companion and genius of the dog world!

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112 posted on 07/10/2006 12:18:10 PM PDT by apackof2 (That Girl is a Cowboy)
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