What does it really mean when a dog has Champion blood lines?

[momof3disneyholics]

The breeder I got my standard poodle puppy from yesterday said she has "champion blood lines". I remember when I got my pug the breeder said he was "show quality". I looked at both of their AKC information last night and it just mainly has their family tree info on there.
What do both of those terms mean, and how loosely are they thrown around?

 

[JoyLuck]

Basically nothing. This is from the AKC:

Well they are from "Champion Bloodlines". That's pretty good, isn't it?

Not really. When someone uses the term "champion bloodlines" it normally means that the sire and dam of the puppies has never been shown at all. If the sire and dam had been successful in either the performance or conformation arena don't you think the breeder would be happy to mention it? Should this make a difference to you? Is there any reason you should care if the sire and dam were successful in competition? See above. Success in competition helps you evaluate the health and temperament of the puppies, but is no guarantee. The main advantage of looking to success in competition is that the qualities are evaluated by a more neutral party than the breeder. If there is no objective evaluation you will have to come up with another way of evaluating qualities that are important to you.

Someone who uses the term "champion bloodlines" is suggesting that you should be pleased about it. A knowledgeable breeder would know that it isn't very meaningful and would explain how they have evaluated the sire and dam in the absence of competition. Usually they will also explain why they have not been competing.

The "champion bloodlines" might be of some help in evaluating the puppies if most of the recent generations have such evidence of success. The thing to know is that nearly all litters have at least some puppies that make wonderful pets but can't be successful in competition. If you are looking for a pet what you want to know is if it makes a difference to the health, and temperament of your dog, or any other qualities that might be important to you. Some parts of the breed standard don't affect the health of the dog, others might. It isn't always obvious which is which. So if the breeder doesn't know this information and you want one of their puppies it will be up to you to know what is important and what is not.

HTH

 

[bekkiz]

Well, I can only tell you what I know from my experiance w/ my mini schanuzer, so I'm not promising this is right.

In dog showing, each breed has very specific standards. For example, mini schnauzers have to be between 12-14 inchs tall, have black or salt and pepper coloring, cropped ears and docked tails and about 100 other specific things. If they don't meet these standards, they can't or shouldn't be shown.

Good breeders obviously want to develop puppies who will meet (or in the best case, exceed) the show standard. They do this my breeding dogs who have success in the show ring to try and get those same qualities in the puppies that the parents have.

Dogs who win dog shows (I think it's a certain number) are given the title Champion. So when a dog has champion bloodline, that means at some point one or more of the dog's ancestors have been called a champion. This term can be a bit misleading, b/c it could be a great-great grandfather.

Show quality means that pup meets the breed standard for showing. Doesn't mean he'll win, but he can at least be admitted to the ring.

My dog is kind of an interesting case. His father was the top mini schanuzer in the country for like 4 years in a row (mom was a champion too), BUT he's too tall to be shown, which is why the breeder was willing to sell him. The other two puppies from the litter went on to be shown. But, thankfully for us, genetics prevent Indy from being a show dog!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Dogs who win dog shows (I think it's a certain number) are given the title Champion. So when a dog has champion bloodline, that means at some point one or more of the dog's ancestors have been called a champion. This term can be a bit misleading, b/c it could be a great-great grandfather.

Show quality means that pup meets the breed standard for showing. Doesn't mean he'll win, but he can at least be admitted to the ring.

I think this part of the previous poster's post best explains it.

A dog doesn't have to be "show quality" to be a great pet or to show in obedience. I had a sheltie who went oversize so couldn't be shown in conformation. (I always thought of it as the "beauty show" part of competition.) But he did well in obedience and was a wonderful pet.

The other problem is that with some breeders and breeds, there is a lot of inbreeding to get the dogs to win in conformation and that leads to health problems.

 

[JLKennedy]

As it has been stated, champion bloodlines mean SQUAT!

How long since the "bloodline" produced a conformationally sound "champion", and is this a US Champion or Int'l (the 2 vary greatly).

I'm sorry to say, but that is a "selling point" to sucker people into buying their dogs. True champion bred dogs and their breeders, seldomly, edit that...rarely sell to someone they don't know intimately (they typically have waiting lists for people interested in their dogs). They want to ensure that you don't ruin their lines by becoming a "byb" (backyard breeder). Another over-used selling point is, "AKC registered"...so what who cares? The AKC governs nothing, they don't stand up for conformation or health testings/screenings. A reputable breeder will also demand a contract being signed between the 2 parties stating that you cannot breed the dog (especially if it is from champion lines as claiming) without consent from the breeder and then typically the breeder will get a pup of their chosing to continue in their breeding program.

I have 2 Great Danes (1 from "champion bloodlines in Oklahoma we're in NJ), so I paid a great deal (let's say the price of a used car) and shipped him. His sire and grand sire were US Champions, his mom was not. We intended on showing him, but he is not happy in the ring, so my 'champion bloodline' dog is nothing more than a couch dog.

To end, I don't mean to come off as harsh or crass, but this topic really hits my nerve. Please take time to visit a friend's website, she has information regarding purchasing a purebred and what you should look for and run from. The owner of the site is a friend as is the author of the list (she's a teacher too).

http://www.danemist.com/ABCs/BuyingaPurebredPup.html

 

[mookie]

You know it's funny you mentioned the whole AKC registered thing....

Our Lab is 8 mos old now, and I keep forgetting to register him. Dh is driving me crazy about it, but I just haven't....mainly because I can't figure out what crazy 3 word name I want to give him for the papers. I don't really think it's that big of a deal, but DH is just worried sick that we haven't registered him yet.

 

[JLKennedy]

Yeah, it's really no big deal....give my some of the names listed in his pedigree and I can play with names, if it matters that much. You're paying an "agency" to tell you that dog 123456ABCDEF is registered as being a purebred Lab...nothing more.

IMO, the AKC is one of the biggest scams in the world.

 

[mrsv98]

For us, it wasn't so much for showing but to get the kind of Lab we wanted. There are two types, bench and field. We wanted a field lab, smaller, sturdier and good trainability. Our girls both have Field Champions in their lines, less about the "beauty" part and more working dog.

Of course, there are so many variables, those lines don't gaurantee anything but it is a start.

 

[mookie]

For us, it wasn't so much for showing but to get the kind of Lab we wanted. There are two types, bench and field. We wanted a field lab, smaller, sturdier and good trainability. Our girls both have Field Champions in their lines, less about the "beauty" part and more working dog.

Of course, there are so many variables, those lines don't gaurantee anything but it is a start.

That's so funny - we went looking for the same reason....except we wanted the bench lab!!!

 

[DVC Sadie]

$$$$$.


The biggest difference we have found in championship bloodlines is the cost depending on how far back those lines go. If the sire and dam both are champions then those pups will cost a lot of money just because they can get top dollar in the event that those puppies will be "show quality".

 

[Pam]

It's kind of like stating that your child is "gifted."

 

[Jynohn]

Many back yard breeders will use the phrase "champion bloodlines" to make themselves sound more legitimate. All ilt means is that somewhere in the pedigree, there was a champion. That champion could be several generations removed, and if the remaining ancestors were all poor representatives of the breed, the one or two "champions" in the line means very little.

 

[Jynohn]

Many back yard breeders will use the phrase "champion bloodlines" to make themselves sound more legitimate. All it means is that somewhere in the pedigree, there was a champion. That champion could be several generations removed, and if the remaining ancestors were all poor representatives of the breed, the one or two "champions" in the line means very little.

 

[CathrynRose]

It's kind of like stating that your child is "gifted."

Oh now stop. There are far more gifted children, obviously, then Championship Bloodline animals!!! Its quite apparent!

I dont know what it means. Im just butting my head in here - and saw the snide comment.

I dont care what Charley is - he could be some pure bred something, but he's just a snuggle bug/wonderful dog/companion/footwarmer to us.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Oh now stop. There are far more gifted children, obviously, then Championship Bloodline animals!!! Its quite apparent!

I dont know what it means. Im just butting my head in here - and saw the snide comment.

I dont care what Charley is - he could be some pure bred something, but he's just a snuggle bug/wonderful dog/companion/footwarmer to us.

CathrynRose, That is why your dog wins the "Best of Breed". Charlie looks like a white Boxer in his photo and Boxers are the best snuggle bugs and companions in the world.

 

[DrCavin]

It means your paying for a Lexus, but getting a Camry

 

[daisax]

It's usually a red flag that the dog isn't that well bred and the seller is using the attributes of some distant relation(s) of the dog to market it (though it could just indicate a novice breeder that really doesn't understand that it's poor terminology.) The dog has champion parents/grandparents or it doesn't.

If you have the original pedigree, the champions in the pedigree will appear in red ink (they will also say Ch. Kennel Name Dog's Name).

Note that champions don't necessarily denote superior quality or health -- there are some champions I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole and some non-champions that for some reason or other were not shown/finished and are superior animals and worthy of breeding. Generally speaking, though, the more champions in the pedigree, the more carefully the dog's ancestors were bred over the years.

The purpose of dog shows is to "prove" the worthiness of breeding stock by getting impartial (!) judges to evaluate and reward dogs that exemplify the standards for the breed. Get enough wins over enough # of other entries under different judges and you have a champion. It is much harder to get a championship in some breeds than others, and harder in some areas of the country than others.

Even in good pedigrees, not all the dogs listed have to be champions -- sometimes there is a color or marking issue or an injury that keeps a dog from having success in the show ring but doesn't reflect its ability to contribute genetically. However, generally speaking, a good breeder is actively proving her animals against competition, generation after generation.