"Overall balance" is what we look for as well. And some puppies at this age have their act together better than others in the same litter so you have to kind of watch them move outside of the stacked/down&back environment to see how they use their bodies.

We've been very fortunate in our picks in general. Not always but more than most. Plus, if you put the puppies in homes where they will get a chance to be seen after they've matured, you'll find your show dogs. Having said all that, nobody can pick a puppy. You give it your best shot at that moment in time and see what happens. We've had puppies with no heads at 8 weeks of age get huge heads as adults. We've had puppies with funky fronts develop perfect fronts when their chests dropped. Knowing the parents and how they developed over time helps to understand what might happen with the puppies. We'll let you know how the "selection committee" picks 'em next week.

Jim