I have always been interested in dog conformation, specifically the Papillon. I have visited a number of local shows as well as talked to some of the breeders there, unfortunately a lot of them seemed snooty and didn't really give me the time of day. I'm young, 21 but I have the means of buying an average show prospect (around the 1500-1800 range). There seem to be limited Pap breeders in Ohio and I have checked in PA also (that's about as far as I want to drive considering travel time with a young pup). I prefer to be able to see it's living conditions and speak with the breeder one on one but a lot of people have said that shipping from other states seem to be the way to go now. On top of that a lot of breeders want co-ops with first time showers. I want a dog to be really mine, not co owned because if I did decide, later down the line to be a pap breeder(determining how well it went in show) I don't want to have constantly refer to the breeder I got him from.

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And yes I know the responsibility that comes with breeding. I have worked at a animal hospital for a few years and have helped deliver 11 rotti pups and paps don't nearly have the litter size of rotts. But keep in mind my main concern right now isn't breeding it's find the right show prospect.

You probably won't find many that will sell you a real show prospect out of the blue. That just isn't the way it works.
Get yourself a dog, it doesn't need to be a high dollar fancy one. Join your local All Breed Kennel Club. Go to handling seminars and fun matches with your dog and learn. Meet people and develop mentors that will show you what it is all about. Then when you are ready that first real show dog will get put in your lap.

I think the key is to keep at it. Join your local kennel club and see if you can find a breed mentor there. Keep visiting dog shows. What I did omce I had a breed narrowed down was to sit ringside with a catalog and observe the judging of ALL the paps that day, marking in the book which ones I liked and why. Over time I saw that most of the dogs I liked came out of one kennel. You may find a handful of kennels first and narrow it from there. Then AFTER the judging, track down the handlers of the dogs you like and talk to them, be honest, ask questions. Especially in a toy breed that has tiny litters breeders are going to be VERY wary who they place there pups with, especially the rarer show-prospect pups. You need to earn thier trust and show them that you are dedicated and serious about learning. Remember that they may have many different spectators who come over to talk to them about "the cute little doggies", you need to be persistent and seperate yourself from the rest. Right now consider yourself shopping for a breeder, NOT a puppy. Once you find a breeder you love, you can wait for a puppy to come available, which may be a year or more. Breeders aren't looking for someone who wants a puppy NOW. While you wait, keep in contact, ask for thier contact info (website, email), ask what other kennels THEY admire, really do your homework. Show up at dog shows just to see who's exhibiting. If you show that you are truly dedicated, you'll break ranks. For most of these breeders, thier lines are too valuable to just let show prospect pups go to every newcomer who asks. They want to be sure your going to stick it out. Also realize that show days can be VERY hectic and busy, especially if your breeder has more than one dog entered or more than one breed. Save longer conversations for the phone or email (Hi, I'm Jane Doe, we met at XYZ dog show this weekend). I would also ask you to rethink your stance on coownership. Truthfully, almost noone will sell you a foundation quality bitch right off. A bitch of that quality people rarely part with. You are a newbie here, realize that first you will start with a nice, finishable pap, but he/she won't be your foundation dog. You need to get experience showing and within the breed before you even think about taking the leap towards breeding, and then you should be glad for any help that can be offered. Start with a co-owned dog (studs are generally a better pick for newbies as well), prove that you can show him to a championship and that you are willing to learn all you can from the breeder. They don't request a co-own because the want to nag you- they request a co-own because they want to see you succeed! And nothing is worse for a breeder than selling off a beautiful dog to a newbie who swears they will be a dedicated show home and then having the dog just drop off the face of the planet (it DOES happen) or having thier pedigrees show up in the lines of breeders that they do not fully respect. By allowing them to coown you accept thier tutelage. It's really probably the best deal for a new owner. I would be wary of ANY breeder who professed to sell you a foundation quality dog or bitch without a coown and/o4r who would sell you one as your first show dog. When you pick a breeder, you are essentially choosing a mentor. Anyone who doesn't provide that sort of support puts up red flags. -Neb

I require a co-ownership on all of my puppies.. I feel it helps with keeping track of them...
contact the breed club..also go to http://www.caninechronicle.com and find the top Paps and contact those breeders... you will have a better chance of getting a good show dog..although that is not always the case...
most likely the snooty people you are talking to at the shows are pro handlers..they can be rude form time to time

As a breeder I can tell you its hard to trust someone to care for the dogs/bloodline you've put so much into. As a show exhibitor I can tell you that a show is not always the best place to ask questions as it is often very high stress. Sometimes offering to buy dinner, or go to coffee is a good idea. Remember there is no rush!! Establishing a relationship is a good idea.

Co-ownership protects the breeder and the dog, that the breeder has been so carefully created, from disappearing into oblivion or being used in a manner the breeder doesn't want it to. How do you expect the breeder to know you are not going to take this beloved pup and turn it into a puppy machine... or that you will take care in how you will place any resulting pups from the puppy (so they don't end up in a puppymill!)??

Most co-ownerships have conditions like "After the dog recieves its championship, has passed all health tests and a puppy back is given to the breeder, the breeder will sign off on the dog."

Quite frankly, keep researching and do whatever it takes to get your hands on the VERY BEST stock you can. It'll save you a fortune in show fees and YEARS of work. (of course, buying a mediocre show dog and attempting to breed up can be entertaining......)

http://www.hawkwindsamoyeds.com/Show/choosing_show.htm is a good look at finding a show dog.

co owning can be helpful. Show expenses are steep and this means that you only pay for half of it. It is more like that if the dog is bred, the co owner will also get half of the profits. However, studing a dog would be easier, so I would start off with a male. This means that the breeder does not need to deliver the pups, instead, they just get half of the money you get paid for your stud. Co Owning isn't so bad, and it can actually be helpful.