# At What Age Does Eastie / Westie Fault Stay?



## cubbysan

Currently we have one of my breeder's puppies staying with us. He has come to visit multiple times in the past six months, for a few weeks at a time. My husband and the whole family have fallen in love with him, and he just fits perfectly with my other three goldens. 

My breeder has been watching him grow out for conformation (his sire is a very popular show dog in the Midwest "Patton"), and has not been happy with a few things, but he is still very much a puppy even though he will be 1 year tomorrow.

At this time, his chest has not dropped all the way, and his feet occasionally go Eastie / Westie - which I know can be common for puppies while growing. My question is - when does the Eastie / Westie stay for good, or is it something we can train his muscles away from when stacking. At this point, he has not had much training in stacking.


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## Tahnee GR

Sometimes it will correct itself when the chest drops and broadens, sometimes it never does. I am usually inclined to think that an occasional easty-westy which is relatively matched on each side will correct itself. One paw turning out very often does not correct itself, and a very marked turning out rarely corrects itself.

I've never really tried to train a dog to stand straight but I imagine it could be done. It might be more difficult though to train it to be a "natural" stopping stance (IE, where the dog stops straight with no easty-westy versus where the dog stops easty-westy and then corrects himself, which will be noticeable to the judge).

How does he move?

Easty-westy is like a gay tail. There are a lot of other things just as bad or even worse, but those two are so very obvious to the eye that it makes it very hard to compete in the tough Golden group right now.


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## Christen113

Cooper turned out ever so slightly as a puppy and I was worried about it but my vet (who shows and breeds) was not at all and my breeder wasn't concerned either. My vet actually told me one of her top grand champions toed out as a puppy. They thought as his chest dropped and spreads, it would correct itself. I have the Golden Retriever Blue Book and actually, it's correct for them to toe out ever so slightly (but land straight) and after talking to a judge, apparently if they're completely straight as puppies they can become pigeon toed once their chest spreads because it causes the feet to turn in too much. She looked at a picture of Cooper's feet at 6 months and said it was exactly what you want...and sure enough now that he's filling out, his feet are straight 90% of the time. I think it probably depends on how dramatic the toeing out really is when they're very young, and also like Tahnee said, probably if it is even on both sides.


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## cubbysan

Thank you!

He just turned 1 this week. I can tell he has grown a lot in just the past three months, plus was doing some off and on limping, on various legs, so we are assuming that was pano - he is no longer limping.

My breeder has not given up on him totally yet and was happy to hear that we were interested in possibly working something out with here - to maybe co-own. He is beautiful, still very goofy, and she has not had the time she usually has with her puppies with him due to family issues - so he is like having a puppy brain, in a very big body. Happiest dog I have ever met. He is going to be hard to show because he is cream colored.


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## Christen113

Do you mind posting his pedigree? I know your breeder has bred to my dog's sire and their lines several times  Just curious. Do you have any pictures?


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