Dog Shows

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moppett

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Hi everyone, another question for you clever, experienced lot.

As I am slowly taming my mutts and getting them out more I was looking for something to do over the bank holiday weekend with them and I found this on Sunday http://www.springwellhorseshow.com/dogschedule.htm

My only question is what does a typical class entail? is it like showing in-hand, walking around, get pulled in, line up, close up pat and then winner picked?

I know its ridiculous but mine don't have a sit (long legs, long necks - luring a sit is impossible and capturing hasn't caught on yet!) so if its required we'd look very silly!
 
Pretty much, usually walk or trot in a triangle (anti-clockwise, dog on your left at heel), individual (teeth, goolie check etc) and then a line-up/placing. No sitting required unless it is part of a novelty class/'best trick' or something.

Your dogs should be used to hanging around/waiting while nothing happens/in close proximity to other dogs.
 
neutered dogs can be entered in local shows can't they?

me and the dogs have been working on standing calmly with other dogs around so i bravely thought we should start somewhere and put it to the test!

i get the impression is a small local show, so do i need anything special? i always walk them in their harnesses so i guess i'd better get practicing with flat collar and lead!
 
No sits required! :)

Typically you will be expected to stand your dog (a nice square stand appropriate for the breed, some will be 'stacked') and the judge will walk down the line to take a first impression, then you chill out a bit while they look at each in turn.

When it's your turn have the dog stood ready again. They will probably look at teeth, run their hands firmly over the dog's head and body, sometimes have a rummage for boybits. It's worth making sure the dog will be happy with all this, some judges can be abrupt and lots of dogs object to the teeth bit if they're not used to it.

You'll then be asked to do either a circle or a triangle then run up and away from the judge, same as horses in-hand really. A final stand as you pull up (make it a good one, have a treat ready to lure the dog into making eye contact with the judge!) and back to the end of the line. Once everyone's done you'll all stand again while they make their decision and pull out the winners. Unplaced dogs then leave the ring during the prizegiving.

Use a plain thin lead and collar appropriate to the breed, nothing colourful and definitely no harnesses or flexi leads.

Then get really uber competitive and begrudge handing back your trophies the following year. :o :p
 
Yes neutered dogs are fine. :)

Be aware that you may encounter the odd 'pro' in the pedigree classes - sometimes legitimately bringing on a young dog before they enter the show ring proper, sometimes a bit pot-huntery IMO. My neutered leaky thicko dog has beaten a few of them so don't panic if there's people in suits with perfectly coiffed poodles!

And of course the novelty classes are just that, can't go wrong there. :)
 
Thanks CC and blackcob - i will need to buy a flat thick sight hound collar and lead before sunday if i decide to go, does it have to be plain i.e. black or tan?

can i have a clicker?

also. class 4 for example which is pure bred junior open to all pure breeds - can i enter one of mine even though hes not papered?
 
I've no idea what sighthounds are traditionally shown in, let's hope a pointy hound person comes along! I would use whatever you have that's plain, a leather collar and lead in whatever colour compliments the dog would be fine.

I wouldn't use a clicker in a group situation in case you cause another dog to react, they're frowned upon in agility queues for this reason. No reason you can't use a verbal cue and make sure you have a pocketful of treats to bribe with for the stands.

They don't need to be KC registered for fun/companion dog shows. :)
 
thanks! just youtubed the crufts best in show for the ibizan hounds and its a round thin leather slip lead so i'll copy that!

i think i'll go and if it all goes wrong or is too busy and stresses them out we'll just pack up, and go for a nice long walk somewhere!
 
We started doing these shows as a way of socialising my speshul dog, he used to find things like that quite stressful and overwhelming but as I wanted to work him he had to get used to it. Now he loves going, we have doggy friends we see year after year - he made some new ones last week, a whole pack of shelties and rough collies, the screaming from all of them playing was unbearable. :p And the promise of an ice cream cone or the bag of treats you often get for a placing doesn't hurt either. He won a 12kg bag of food last year which was handy!

Plus I like rosettes. :o
 
i LOVE rosettes! the two boys are roughly 15 months old and one is a total scaredy dog who used to bark his head off whenever a dog came to close (he still does sometimes, but hes improved lots) and the other is a hyperactive ball of anxiety who has no self control who yelps with excitement! but we're working on it, and dog shows provide things to work towards and if it goes awfully then we can only do better at the next one!

fingers crossed everyone there will take the dog show to be the informal event its supposed to be!
 
blackcob i thought you might like this!

snowdog.jpg
 
I have just started taking my young dog to shows and the ones I have been to have varied.

The first one was very relaxed, entered in the pedigree junior and gun dog class and came out with a 1st in gundog. Other entrants and judge were friendly and only the odd person was suited/booted.

The second show I went to was completely the opposite, I entered into the pedigree junior and gun dog classes but the classes were 30 people strong and only the odd person was like me (in relaxed dress). The others were in their tweed and placing their dogs legs to make them stand better and were obviously seasoned show goers. The judge was also very abrupt and scared me a bit. Well anyway we came out with a 2nd in gun dog and a lot of peoples faces were put out of joint.

Overall I wouldn't worry too much on dress, and my dog had a bright pink lead!

The fun classes are a lot less stressful but can almost get quite personal ;) When entering my spaniel into most appealing eyes, the judge told us she had yellow eyes. And carried on, we didn't get a rossette. But we do normally far quite well in waggiest tail!

Good luck if you do decide to go on Sunday and let us know how you do!
 
Fab pic. :D This is one of my favourites:

EUfLMg6.jpg


:D

Just to demonstrate how fickle the world of showing is, we went to one today that he won the working class last year and went on to get best in show. There were only five entries in the working this year including three other sibes - we were the only ones to leave the ring unplaced! The winner was on a bright green no-pull harness, flexi lead and couldn't be run up for the judge as he was crabbing and pulling all over the shop. :p

Seeing as the judge really didn't like my dog and I'd already entered the best rescue for his second class I asked if I could sub in my other dog, who has a shaven leg from an operation only a few weeks ago and is probably not 100% sound. She also stopped for a pee in the middle of the ring. She only went and came 3rd in a class of about 12. :rolleyes:

Still I now have a sunburn, a belly full of ice cream and two very sleepy dogs so the day was not wasted. :)
 
glad it was a good day out all round. i wonder why the judge didn't like your dog? i mean did he look very different to all the others? i wonder what he saw in yours that he didn't like?
i know judges decision is final, but the winner wearing a no-pull harness?:rolleyes:
 
My friends lurcher went in hound group at dog show at weekend and won!!

It was just a fun show but like others have said there where some people that seemed to be there with proper show dogs xx
 
Oh it's just one of those things, it could have been any number of reasons. It might not be a coincidence that all of the other dogs were black and white (including my lame, shaven third place :p) and the first one I entered is a piebald, white with grey spots - maybe she thought his colour was incorrect or simply didn't like it.

Maybe she's the first one not to overlook his distinctly non-breed-standard tail - though he's very good at presenting it right while standing it inevitably curls back up when he moves. :p

It's fickle and it's silly but it's a nice day out in the sun, his name is on the trophy from last year and we'll try again at another one in a few weeks. :)
 
There's no restricton on colour in sibes for either coats or eyes, piebald is very common as is solid white, red and white, 'dirty faced' without the classic mask etc. No preference should be given to any colour.

418849_4467827371678_816834645_n.jpg


My spotty dog - he does have his faults but colour isn't one of them. :)

(Except that being white he stains his legs when he pees :p)
 
beautiful! i love his spotty coat - i've never seen one like that before.

also, in an attempt to boost my breed knowledge...are all huskeys sibes and all mals alaskan? and vice versa?
 
moppett said:
you get spotty sibes? :eek: i know near on nothing about the breed but i thought they were all black and white?
Click to expand...

From the Kennel Club's Siberian Husky breed standard page ( http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/breed/standard.aspx?id=5141 ):

"Colour

All colours and markings, including white, allowed. Variety of markings on head is common, including many striking patterns not found in other breeds."


There is not that many breeds where all colours is allowed, but Siberian Husky is not the only one, e.g. also Finnish Lapphund (main colour must dominate) and Afghan Hound is allowed in any colour. But even though all colours is allowed, it can still be that some colours are more common, like with Finnish Lapphunds, their most common colour (in Sweden) is Black with pale markings.
Also, even if all colours or patterns is allowed in a breed, it doesn't mean that they actually have to exist in the breed, e.g. the saddle pattern doesn't seem to exist in Finnish Lapphunds, even though (as I understand it) technically it would be allowed if the saddle pattern was in the main colour that dominates this hypothetical dog.

:)
 
moppett said:
beautiful! i love his spotty coat - i've never seen one like that before.

also, in an attempt to boost my breed knowledge...are all huskeys sibes and all mals alaskan? and vice versa?
Click to expand...

Like in all things there tend to be 'fashions', red and whites were apparently popular at one time, piebalds before that. Now they've become popular generally as a breed less ethical breeders seem to be aiming for black/white and grey/white with blue eyes, plus an increase in size, to cater for those wanting a wolfy looking dog. Lots of people seem disappointed by how small mine are but they are actually on the top end of the breed standard, unscrupulous breeders are breeding huge lumbering examples.

There are two separate breeds, the Siberian husky and the Alaskan malamute. Both sled dog breeds; the former is a lightweight sprinting dog, the latter a heavyweight freighting dog. They share a common ancestry and are among the oldest breeds of dogs.

There is also such a thing as an Alaskan husky - a type of dog rather than a breed, a broad mishmash of breeding including but not limited to the Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute, hounds, pointers, collies and even gun dog types. They vary hugely in type and appearance and are bred purely for their performance in sled dog racing - in the same way you get various types of lurchers in the UK, I guess, you wouldn't necessarily be aware of them or their breeding unless you were into the sport. They're very uncommon in the UK.

Have a video of some happy Alaskans :)

[youtube]UDjUkE95oqo[/youtube]
 
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