My quest to find the first show french bulldog pup that will be the foundation of my future show-breeding has started. I thought at first it would suffice to just browse at the classifieds online and look for decent puppies that had potential. It was followed up by inquiring to the two of the best (there are a lot of 'bests' in this group) kennels but kind of fell short, I haven't had any replies yet from them. Am I an annoying window shopper? No, a window shopper yes, but a window shopper that has every intention of getting a puppy that has a chance, that is deserving to be called a Philippine Champion in the future.

Then it came to me, these guys, these dog breeders/enthusiasts has a circle. A circle that at first, was shy to come up to even in Facebook. But hey, I was running out of options. So I talked to a couple of them and sure enough, they were willing to help not only in pointing me at the right direction, but helping me in choosing the right one. They were gracious enough to share some tips about their experiences and knowledge about the breed and what they tend to look for. Sure, their tastes kind of differ a little but the gist was the same. These couple of tips is already common to experienced breeders but to a newbie like me, its gold. and I ain't selfish so here I am sharing what I found out. Posting it for others like me and of course, for myself so I won't forget.

• check for the overall outline/conformation of the puppy/dog.

• bone structure should go with the age of the puppy/dog.

• movement of the dog goes naturally if the dog has correct body structure.

• toes should not be splayed. they should be close together to show strength and balance.

• structure traits depends on the line of the dog. sometimes they develop earlier than some.

• possibly assess 3-4 mos of age before the puppy enters its awkward stage.

• make your puppy pick as early as 2 weeks, if the puppy doesn't change by 4 weeks, there's a chance that good development would ensue.

• puppy should be confident and sociable. frightened and scared puppies would be detected by the judge. socialize and train them.

• be wary of the topline, it should be roached and balanced. (no dip on the shoulders- weak forelegs.

• hindlegs should have angulation, should no be straight.

• bloodline of the dog should be solid, not having a lot of bloodlines. breeder should be very knowledgeable of the lines of his breeding stock.

• if looking for a show potential dog, better go to breeders who exhibit their dogs in shows constantly.

• most of the time, males are 'better' in terms of conformation and posing than females. females are hard to find because breeders usually keep the good ones for breeding.

• look for breedings with good combinations (good sire and dam).

I hope to add to these pointers, so I could share what they shared to me.