# Legend's first "critique"



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I won't bother posting these in the critique forum, he's much too young and they are not the best pics (he either leans too far back or forward). It's hard when you are operating both the puppy and the camera! Even though I take 1000s of candid photos of my dogs, I've regretted not "posing" more photos of Nikon and Pan as puppies for comparison as they grow so I'm trying to do this every few weeks with Legend.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

wowza -- that's one good looking dog


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## pjvie (Oct 16, 2013)

I really can't get over how really really ridiculously good looking that little guy is.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Thanks! Some of the things I noticed already were that I like his earset better than Nikon's, like his eye color better (prefer really dark, though you can't really tell in the first pics with the flash directly on him), and his front legs are straight (Nikon is a bit east/west).

I haven't really been able to watch him move since the weather here has been INSANE and at this age, he's either passed out sleeping or running and leaping around, not gaiting all nice, but I did get these pics the first day I had him


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

He sure is a good looking dog! I just love his expressive face!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

I really like the black & white pictures. This little guy just has a gorgeous coat.
Will look forward to seeing more!


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

His coloring is awesome, no black/white photos, he's too gorgeous.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Wow he is too cute for his own good :wub:


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

He looks perfect!!


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I like the second and fifth picture, man oh man is he stinking cute!!!!


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## Rei (Oct 10, 2008)

You can just tell that he's going to grow up into an amazing dog! What a gorgeous little puppy, he really has the puppy eyes down pat  His ear set really is perfect. And as for the black/white photos, I for one really, really like them. Always a fan of your post processing!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Usually I don't like black and white, but when I'm not happy with the white balance or overall color (and I don't have time/space to bother with raw), I go black and white. I can't get my flash to get the results I want in the room where I was trying to stack him so I gave up and made some of the head shots black and white.


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## pjvie (Oct 16, 2013)

Liesje said:


> Usually I don't like black and white, but when I'm not happy with the white balance or overall color (and I don't have time/space to bother with raw), I go black and white. I can't get my flash to get the results I want in the room where I was trying to stack him so I gave up and made some of the head shots black and white.


It also really helps with overexposure!


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## Rei (Oct 10, 2008)

Oh definitely. I've been able to salvage a lot of bad images by converting to black/white - it's my favorite "cheat"! That said, I'm actually a big fan of a good black/white conversion (although I'm picky about the conversions that I like).


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## jetdog (Oct 9, 2005)

Really loving these Nikon pups - Legend (cool name btw) has the most expressive face. The stacking is impressive I think, especially for his young age. Nice, nice puppy.


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## GrammaD (Jan 1, 2012)

I dub him Grand Victor of cuteness!


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## Andaka (Jun 29, 2003)

He is just too adorable! I want one.........


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

He just finished his first flyball practice! We will be doing recalls on the flat for a loooooong time, lol, but he loved it and everyone loved him.


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## Liz&Anna (Oct 29, 2013)

He is abs. Gorgeous!! Your very lucky


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

how could everybody not love him...I think he knows he is cute!


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## sarah1366 (Nov 3, 2013)

What a cute looking pup 

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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

that pups front is so nice - lots of reach .
sturdy and strong , a mini-adult ,
that pup oozes confidence -- shows his focus 
brilliant ! so what is the pedigree - I mean this is such a nice pup ,


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

You'd probably hate it, he's a show/work cross  The sire is my dog, whom I would clone if I could afford it. A breed-friend of mine bred her WL bitch to him. She's pretty old school, breeds a dog not a pedigree, doesn't use websites and social media to sell dogs, etc. Knowingly took a risk and likely having a lot of variation in the litter to get around a lot of genetic bottlenecking in both lines. I was not planning to get a puppy from this litter, but the other litter I was getting a puppy from has not worked out so I was talked into getting one. So far she said she's impressed with the litter, and she's coming from working Malinois (dogs even *I* won't touch!). She sent me two males to pick from, different but both very nice. I chose my Legend and Danielle on this forum has the other, "Patton".


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## Okie2 (Aug 23, 2010)

Perfect!!! Love the snow pictures.......You just know he is thinking..."Boy is this fun"


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

super photos'! He has great expression and is a very very cute puppy!

Lee


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

no I wouldn't hate it because the reasons for doing it were vastly different than throwing a show line together with a working line for the sake of golden middle -- . Have this scheme in my pedigrees , although I did not do them myself , I am the benefactor. Yeulett's Joan of Arc
"Yeuletts" like your friend has great intuitive sense about dogs -- and even though it is show , insists that the dog can work (which was a requirement of Olympus also - no concessions) , and can contribute a positive attribute to work - which could even be to enervate . This to my male , and then a son of that combination to my female - and you have Journey IPO 1 - high trialing , tracking fiend . Like your friend she has no web site -- has close to 40 years experience .
I would love to see a pedigree of your dog if that is at all possible.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Black Ice from Winter Storm

I really am not sure what it "says". I wasn't planning to get a pup so I didn't think too much of it, probably would not have been THE female I would have chosen for my male but as far as I know the breeder got what she wanted. Since I know the breeder personally and she has seen my dog throughout the years plus has been in dogs probably longer than I've been alive, I deferred to her experience with the breed, both with WGSL and WL. I did start raising a male puppy for a friend that is a half brother to my puppy by way of the females being sisters from repeat litters and he was a very impressive puppy. My male is not as impressive as far as the level of dominance that puppy showed even at 8 weeks but that's not necessarily what I am looking for (that puppy eventually was sold to a working home, dual prospect K9). My male does show the same on/off switch that puppy had. Very neutral and settled at home, more like a pet dog, but also likes to work and train when called for. I told the breeder if I got one of the puppies, that was more important to me than drive. I need dogs that are clear in the head, settled at home, very "collected" mentally and sure of themselves but not necessarily pushy in a bully way or overly hectic with drive and energy. I do not need "extreme drive" to enjoy training and titling my dogs in a variety of venues, even medium to medium-high drive is fine since the breed in general possesses a willingness to work. I don't kennel my dogs and I don't always have hours to spend on training and exercise every day so it's important they can chill out one day but then run around for 12 hours the next day.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

Well, I'm curious to see how he grows up, since I almost did a similar thing in breeding to Nikon. Depending on how my new pups turn out, this may be something to talk about in the future. Best of luck with him.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Bono is your dog , the one you would clone?

He has the show lines -- but very importantly his dam maintains a very strong mother line packed with very important herding genetics !
I would use this male with the right female , also deliberately "built" to conserve herding genetics. 
you may be surprised by this , but I like the sire better than the dam -- but the combination looks best .


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

Gorgeous pup, Lies. :wub: Look forward to watching this one grow!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yes, Alta-Tollhaus Bono is my dog (Nikon). I also like him better than the dam, but I'm slightly biased  But I did like the dam when I met her, no red flags went up and I have to go a lot on instinct. Working abilities are important but for me, I can't see anything that gives me pause as far as having the dog in my home, around my family, little kids, and other dogs and I just got a good "vibe" from her when she came over for the breedings. Also I never know what to think about Zidane in a pedigree, seems everyone I ask either loves it or hates it. It is one of those litters where I was offered a puppy basically free (refunded the stud fee, which was very small anyway since this was a friend) so I decided to go ahead and see how he turns out. Like you say, I've been told many times the strength in my dog comes from his motherline and I agree, I purchased him because of his mother and was always impressed by her. I didn't always care for her looks but I love watching her train and would have handled her myself in a heartbeat. I've taken my male to a local herding instructor that everyone around here recommends and she tested him herself a few times (I know very little about herding, I let her handle the dog and see what she sees) and she was very impressed by him and his natural instinct with herding. I've never pursued it though because we do so many dog sports and the herding instructor always has a waiting list. There is no HGH around here and I am personally against sending my own dog away for training, I would miss him too much!

ETA: I was told by a few people I trust that my male would cross well with certain DDR female pedigrees. I had a breeding liked this planned but the timing has not worked out (yet). That is the litter I'd always planned to keep a puppy from and still hope to see. I want to maintain the size, possibly add a tad more bone, and also feel that some of the DDR lines would maintain the qualities I already like in the male. Not looking to do one of those "working = drive and show = conformation" crosses. If I don't like the temperament and conformation of BOTH dogs already, no thanks!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

I could see Journey IPO 1 Carmspack Sumo (brother to)
Laurel - over to you -


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