# Seeing a dogs 'Real Shape'



## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

On a Havanese breeder's website they showed all the mommies and daddies all wet down so you could see the actual body conformation. They listed the back length and other measurements of interest. It was really interesting. With a fluffy dog or puppy you really are looking at the shape of the fluff. When they are wet you see the actual body outline, length and straightness of legs, shape of head, etc. Puppies even at 12 wks. of age are going to change a lot--toplines that are down in front can end up straight, etc. So I guess seeing a puppy that young wet down probably wouldn't be fool proof, but seeing their parents that way might be a real nice thing. I don't mean the poor things need to get wet down every time someone wants a baby! Just 1 picture taken during a bathe and posted on the breeders website would be nice.


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

> On a Havanese breeder's website they showed all the mommies and daddies all wet down so you could see the actual body conformation. They listed the back length and other measurements of interest. It was really interesting. With a fluffy dog or puppy you really are looking at the shape of the fluff. When they are wet you see the actual body outline, length and straightness of legs, shape of head, etc. Puppies even at 12 wks. of age are going to change a lot--toplines that are down in front can end up straight, etc. So I guess seeing a puppy that young wet down probably wouldn't be fool proof, but seeing their parents that way might be a real nice thing. I don't mean the poor things need to get wet down every time someone wants a baby! Just 1 picture taken during a bathe and posted on the breeders website would be nice.
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More than likely, if the dog has completed it's championship, it's cut down anyway. I'll bet if more people would just ask the breeder to do a "now" picture, rather than just show one in show coat, you could see the same thing.


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