While conformation has it's place...drive, nose, work ethic, hunt, heart, etc. have more to do with it than conformation. Conformation is nothing but how a dog stacks up against it's breed standard (and the standard for a particular breed can change from time to time). Matter of fact, I'd put structural soundness ahead of conformation as well. My 2 pennies...
This is the double edged sword of conformation... "Matter of fact, I'd put structural soundness ahead of conformation as well."... if your breed's standard doesn't describe a structurally sound animal, then there is something wrong with your breed's standard and conformation is less important. If your breed standard does describe a structurally sound animal, then you should breed to the standard.
