Finn is getting so pretty, he went through a stage between four and six months and everything looked out of proportion. Now the pieces are all coming together. I measured him today and he is 16 and 1/4 inches about 3/4 of an inch over for his age. If he stops growing then as an adult his shoulders could settle back a little and he might be in size but still 16 inches. It is really hard to make any decisions now. If at 8 months he has grown more and is 16 and 1/2 inches he would not settle back to 16 inches once done growing. Such a hard decision when you love a dog. All my young dogs have to be dogs that can produce or be show size. If he stops growing right now he may be ok but not growing after seven months is not very likely. Guess I just have to hang in there for one more month.
Everyone says keep him anyway. I don't have to show him but I would want to breed him and for all my years of breeding Shelties I have always bred to the AKC Standard, also the standard of the American Shetland Sheepdog Association. I guess many who are not breeders don't understand that to improve the breed and keep the breed what it should be you really should not use an oversize dog. This is what happened in the early years of the breed, once you bring in large dogs they are there to haunt you forever. Size is back there and can still come through using in size dogs.Often in litters there are one or two oversize pups and from parents that are in size.
I have five seniors who are pets and they are wonderful and do not carry their weight except for being loving companions and that is really what it is all about.
I don't want to give up breeding yet, it is part of my life. Maybe in a couple more years I will rethink breeding and just do training for fun and not worry about anyone carrying their weight.
It is expensive having 10 dogs so a litter now and then is a big help with the expenses. Can you imagine going through 50 pounds of dog food or more a month. Then there is all the genetic testing and that gets very expensive. I do it all but gradually one dog at a time. Then all the veterinary expense and there are times something major hits that you really were not ready for.
I want to breed quality, healthy pets as companions for families. So this is a hobby that I love dearly but it takes a lot of thought and commitment to care for the Shelties.
So back to Finn, if I keep him regardless of his size he will be dog number 10 and the youngest of my pack. I do have to split my time among all of them, that is only fair. When they are all in the house at the same time it can be chaotic, but they do settle down and it becomes a peaceable kingdom. They can be so good, most of the time, heaven help me if someone knocks on the door. Before Len passed I had him to bounce things off of and he was just as involved with the dogs as I am, so I had a variety of thoughts and ideas. I guess that is why it is so hard for me to make decisions now, it is just me.
FINN
Everyone says keep him anyway. I don't have to show him but I would want to breed him and for all my years of breeding Shelties I have always bred to the AKC Standard, also the standard of the American Shetland Sheepdog Association. I guess many who are not breeders don't understand that to improve the breed and keep the breed what it should be you really should not use an oversize dog. This is what happened in the early years of the breed, once you bring in large dogs they are there to haunt you forever. Size is back there and can still come through using in size dogs.Often in litters there are one or two oversize pups and from parents that are in size.
I have five seniors who are pets and they are wonderful and do not carry their weight except for being loving companions and that is really what it is all about.
I don't want to give up breeding yet, it is part of my life. Maybe in a couple more years I will rethink breeding and just do training for fun and not worry about anyone carrying their weight.
It is expensive having 10 dogs so a litter now and then is a big help with the expenses. Can you imagine going through 50 pounds of dog food or more a month. Then there is all the genetic testing and that gets very expensive. I do it all but gradually one dog at a time. Then all the veterinary expense and there are times something major hits that you really were not ready for.
I want to breed quality, healthy pets as companions for families. So this is a hobby that I love dearly but it takes a lot of thought and commitment to care for the Shelties.
So back to Finn, if I keep him regardless of his size he will be dog number 10 and the youngest of my pack. I do have to split my time among all of them, that is only fair. When they are all in the house at the same time it can be chaotic, but they do settle down and it becomes a peaceable kingdom. They can be so good, most of the time, heaven help me if someone knocks on the door. Before Len passed I had him to bounce things off of and he was just as involved with the dogs as I am, so I had a variety of thoughts and ideas. I guess that is why it is so hard for me to make decisions now, it is just me.
FINN
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