Puppy Puzzle by Pat Hastings

[SCT]

Just wondering, does anyone have this DVD and is it worth getting if you are considering breeding a pair of pointers and picking puppies? It has good reviews, but I'd like to hear from the bird dog community.

Thanks,

Steve

[Cajun Casey]

I've been to Mrs. Hastings's presentation but do not have the DVD, although a friend does and uses the system for every litter. For what it costs, you might be happier with her book, Another Piece of the Puzzle, which includes the eight week evaluation program. One of my favorite quotes about dogs comes from her......"The best of a litter of $%#@ is still $%#@."

[stlgsp]

I have the DVD and have seen several litters evaluated using her methods but have not been to that presentation. I did go to her Structure in Action presentation which I felt was very informative.

[SCT]

Thanks for your comments guys. I should have said in my original post that I'm really only interested in learning the way she evaluates puppy confirmation and not how she socializes the pups or other aspects. I realize she is a SHOW judge but I'd like to hear her explain the differences you'll see in 8 week old pups confirmations and the best qualities at that age. Does the DVD give you enough info about this aspect? I don't mind spending the $40 if the information is really good. When I have a litter I can only keep one pup and I can only evaluate so much at that age as far as personalities, but confirmation, I usually just pick what I like. I'd like to know if I'm looking for the right traits. Thanks, and I'd love to hear from more people about it.

Steve

[Cajun Casey]

The structural analysis Hastings uses was actually formulated by an engineer who had never had a dog. It is based on the theory that what you have at eight weeks is conformationally what you will have in a adult. Many people combine the structural evaluation with Wendy Volhard's Puppy Aptitude Test. Oddly, from a personal standpoint, what I see at three DAYS old has been consistent with the Hastings at eight weeks.

[Cajun Casey]

The structural analysis Hastings uses was actually formulated by an engineer who had never had a dog. It is based on the theory that what you have at eight weeks is conformationally what you will have in a adult. Many people combine the structural evaluation with Wendy Volhard's Puppy Aptitude Test. Oddly, from a personal standpoint, what I see at three DAYS old has been consistent with the Hastings at eight weeks.

[Cajun Casey]

The structural analysis Hastings uses was actually formulated by an engineer who had never had a dog. It is based on the theory that what you have at eight weeks is conformationally what you will have in a adult. Many people combine the structural evaluation with Wendy Volhard's Puppy Aptitude Test. Oddly, from a personal standpoint, what I see at three DAYS old has been consistent with the Hastings at eight weeks.

[stlgsp]

The info in the dvd is not just for evaluating conformation for the show ring, it explains how conformation flaws effect movement and ability. IMO the information on structure helps to understand movement in the field and gives an insight on why some dogs breakdown.
Don't mean to cut down any show dogs, but you can go to a show and see dogs win that are not always conformationally correct.

[SCT]

Got the video and watched it. It is very informative, especially the new bonus feature that has a lot of extended info. I think, whether show or field, the evaluation information is valuable, especially for breeders. If you have a line of dogs where you have a pretty good idea the hunting traits will be passed down, it couldn't hurt to pick a pup following Hastings standards. She claims they (her and her deceased husband) have evaluated 26,000 puppies and many of them they followed up at adulthood to compare their findings. When I have a litter of my own I will definitely use this system to pick mine, along with evaluating other aspects of the pups attitude.

[cabinliving]

I too own the DVD and found it to be very helpful. Depending on your learning style, I found it best to just watch and process a portion at a time then watch the puppies. Finally, having internalized the info and put it all together helped me in my Gordon Setter puppy evaluations. I found it to be right on target and still see the qualities I saw at 8 weeks. It breaks it all down. The information helps in watching adults too when looking at possible studs or dams.

[Munster]

Get to a seminar! You will get a TON out of it!

[Troy08er]

Does it talk about breeding theories, linebreeding on mother lines or sire lines and outcrossing ETC. Thanks

[SCT]

No, just structure.

[Cajun Casey]

Does it talk about breeding theories, linebreeding on mother lines or sire lines and outcrossing ETC. Thanks

For that, I would recommend Pat Craige's book.

http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=dsh134