Cracklin Rosie

Born 8-16-10 at 6:50pm and is the largest puppy in the litter weighing in at a whapping 17.5 ounces

Rosie's fur is currently a beautiful shade of Apricot mixed with Creme with darker Apricot ears. She has the longest and fluffiest fur in the litter.

Conformation Testing Results- Rosie

In this test puppies are scored on 50 items for girls (51 for boys because of testicles). Puppies are scored from 5 (no deviation from the breed standard) to 1 (a serious flaw). The Hastings suggest that any score below 3 on any item eliminates a puppy from the potential to be breed. Rosie scored all 5’s, 4’s and 3’s on this test. She tested as Relaxed in the Temperament section of this test. She measured 13” x 13” square which is preferred.

Weaknesses: Rosie’s test for her muzzle indicated that it may narrow slightly beyond what is ideal as she grows. Her chin could be just slightly more prominent. Her eyes are not quite as obliquely set as would be ideal. Her back legs toe out just slightly. Her tail has a bit of a curve to it, while straight is preferred. She both bunny hops and trots when she runs as many puppies this age do, but trotting is preferred.   

Strengths: Rosie has a tremendous number of strengths! She tested to be a very well put together girl and holds herself in an exceptionally proud, confident, elegant manner. She has perfect, pure black pigment which could not be improved upon. She has a perfect scissors bite. She has perfect almond shaped eyes, which is ideal. Her ears are absolutely spectacularly long, low set and hang very close to her face- all together this gives her an outstandingly beautiful appearance as her pictures show. Every measurement and angle of her shoulders, front assembly and front legs were perfect and her front legs are very straight. She showed the most firm prosternum in the litter, indicating that she will have excellent depth of chest and very strong and well balanced front carriage. Her topline, ribcage and loin earned perfect marks. Her hocks scored the best in the litter- perfect in every way. She showed perfect fit of knees, tight oval feet, proper shape of pelvis and ability to hold still for this test which indicates good overall balance.   

Rosie shows excellent promise for both show and breeding. The only drawback for show is her apricot coat which has some shading, while clear colors are preferred. However she does have the preferred pure black pigment that would score well in the show ring. Rosie is the alpha of the litter and her confident, proud carriage is what show dogs are made of. She has that “look at me” attitude that will draw attention wherever she goes. She will likely be a very large poodle that is expected to have no trouble with whelping if she is bred. We think Rosie is just spectacular.

Puppy Aptitude Test Results - Rosie

Rosie ran right to the Tester and licked her hands for a score of 2 on Social Attraction. This also shows that she is an extremely confident puppy. When asked to follow the Tester, she pranced her way across the floor and gave the Tester the Poodle slap! This gave her a score of 3. On the Restraint test - where the tester holds puppy on her back for 30 seconds - she earned another 3: she settled and struggled alternately and was completely silent. Mostly she looked right at me imploring me to get this person to let her up!  On the Social Dominance test she left the stranger immediately and ran to Scott giving him a “head’s up” look, eye contact and a laughing expression on the way. Like many of the puppies, we had to score this at a 6, which can indicate a more independent puppy, but we do not agree since she ran to a known person. Instead, we believe it indicates a strong sense of loyalty and also she wanted to play, but was showing preference to a known person over a stranger, which we don’t consider a bad thing. On the Elevation Dominance Test where the Tester holds the puppy off the ground with cradled hands for 30 seconds, she alternately struggled and settled for a score of 3. She was silent but tried pretty hard to use her back legs to get away. On Retrieving, Rosie was our star! She brought the object to Scott, then to the Tester and then to me! She did so with full speed and energy! She’s the first puppy to ever do that!  This earned a score of 3 and show’s high retrieving aptitude for hunting or sports or just playing fetch.  On the Touch Sensitivity test, where the Tester pinches between the webbing of puppy’s toes with increasing pressure, she pulled her paw away after 5 seconds, and started chewing softly on the tester’s other hand at the same time, earning a score of 3. This indicates a medium sensitivity to touch. On the Sound Sensitivity Test, where a spoon is banged against a pan, she cringed just slightly and then walked right to the pan and stuck her face right into it! On the Sight Sensitivity, she played with the pulled object, grabbing it and playing with vigor, but not in an attacking kind of way, for a score of 3. When the umbrella was opened on the Stability test, she cringed just slightly and walked around the room with her tail up, appearing unconcerned, finally investigating the umbrella.  Finally, Rosie earned a 3 on the Persistence test, easily locating a piece of cheese under a cup and thinking about it before figuring out how to remove the cheese.

Rosie earned almost all 3’s on this test, with the exception of one 6 (see explanation above and one two for being so confident in greeting the Tester. According to the Volhards, this indicates a puppy who would be a great match for an owner who has owned a dog before and has some experience with training. She would not be a good match for a first time owner. She is expected to be good with both people and other pets. The results suggest that she will be a high energy girl who may need a lot of exercise and can be a bit of a handful at times. She will respond very well to training.

These results correspond well with our own observations. Rosie is the alpha of this litter - meaning the puppy with the most confidence who is able to take down any of her siblings at will! She was born the largest and so never had any trouble getting milk any time she wanted. She is super strong and healthy and will be a beautiful big girl! We recommend that Rosie go to a home where she will be taken to obedience school to reinforce that she must obey her humans. If not given firm training (and that does not mean corporal punishment of any kind - Standard Poodles are very sensitive by nature and should never be hit) she could end up ruling the roost! As long as one is willing to invest in proper training an alpha can make a great pet. Her mother Chantilly was the alpha of her litter and we have had no discipline problems with her. We think Rosie is the best hunting prospect in this litter and she has the drive and energy to enjoy it. She would also love a home with lots of opportunity for any kinds of exercise: agility, walking, running along with horseback riders, swimming, chasing balls - you name it! She would likely enjoy doing 4 H work with a child as well. We think she would enjoy a home with older children or teenagers who will give her plenty of activity. She’s a rough and tumble girl who enjoys roughhousing. If she goes to a home without children then she will need adults who lead an active lifestyle and want to include Rosie in most of their activities. She would not be a good choice for people who work much of the time or are gone a lot. We think she will thrive with lots of stimulation and will not become overwhelmed - she will be up for whatever is expected of her. She would likely enjoy having other pets in the family to play with as well. Rosie appears to have a great sense of humor and would be a good choice if you want a puppy that can learn tricks quickly and easily.

For general information about this test and how it is scored, click here.

s