Dogs at Badminton today...

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Ranyhyn

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I spent some of my time shopping today at Badminton and something struck me very quickly.

I don't think dogs should be there.

I saw too many dogs wrenched by the neck, smacked and dragged around by owners who really should have known better. From JRTs to springers. In the case of the latter the dogs' head was almost pulled off, as his irate, bad tempered owner admonished him for sniffing where another dog had weed(!?)

Dogs sniff, dogs bark, dogs want to smell and meet and play. And if you want to shop, I think those two things don't go together in a lot of cases.

It made me very sad to see little terriers, shivering and crying in the mud, while their owners, trussed up in wellies, waterproofs and hats, ignored them blatantly or when they did look round, made time only to cuff them or scold them.

I must be going soft, but unless your dog is very well behaved, leave them at home - because its no fun being dragged throught the rain and wet, having your neck yanked every five minutes because you are in the way of someone making a dash to the John Whitaker store.

Here endeth my thoughts - anyone else?
 
I took my dog the other year. Left him with OH when I went to the shopping area though - a plan as meant I could shop without his (OH's not dog's) watchful eye.
I agree that its not ideal for dogs, especially in the most crowded bits, and I couldn't take smaller dog (even if not poorly) as he can sometimes be noisy.
 
I personally wouldn't take mine there. Purely because I know they would hate it and also they are far too badly behaved!! I am sure there were people there who considered their dogs and wrapped them up against the weather. In fact I know that to be so because I saw them on TV.
I take your point though. It is a long day for them but there were shots of dogs at the end of the day, off lead and having a ball.
 
My answer would be - it depends on what you are going to do at Badminton :) I went around the trade stands yesterday afternoon, and was dog-free whilst I did so.

Today I spent the first hour with my family :mad: and was quite worried about Flick as she didnt seem her normal happy self, but once I had abandoned the family I walked around the course and she was immediately back to her usual self, enjoying herself and full of energy :) I avoided all the crowded areas around fences too.

So yes, would definitely agree that dogs should not be dragged around the trade stand area, and people should be MUCH more thoughtful about what they are doing with them on the XC course

PS - Flick had her coat on all day too :)
 
I haven't been to Badders for years, and wouldn't choose to go on XC day, simply because of the dogs. Not only do too many owners not pick up their messes, but like you said, they get dragged round, don't look happy and owners get cross cos 'they are in the way'. I am sure many people take dogs simply because of the status symbol, and its wrong. I HATE with a passion dogs who yap, bark or yelp as the horses gallop past and heaven forbid get loose and chase the horses.
I too, think dogs should be banned from Badminton. But in a place where people WILL continue to bring them, some sort of dog creche (I know there is one of sorts) where owners HAVE to put them should be thought of - maybe then they will leave them at home?

Also - I did note (thanks to good TV), WHY did SO many dogs wear coats today?? This not only included a springer, a retriever and several labradors but I swore I saw a 'big hairy' in a coat?? Surely, thats really not needed? They already have their own coats and very good coats too!! One even had a puffa on!!
 
A lot of doggies did have coats on.

Fleece ones, which as most people know, don't do awfully well in rain :s Still there is a huge difference between a happy dog and an unhappy dog, what I'm trying to say is, if your dog is unhappy, for me - thats day over.

YOU brought them and if they are miserable its YOUR fault, take the poor buggers home.

I saw one lovely little JRT being cuffed about the face for barking - yes, she's barking at the furore as everyone leaps into clapping and cheers as someone puts in a good jump, for goodness sake don't beat on the dog, she's likely wondering what the hell is going on and adding her voice to the clamour of everyone elses!!

I think a lot of owners take the dogs in good spirits and then as the day draws on, their patience wears thin and they take it out on the dog. But good intentions aren't enough in my book!

Then spotted a dear chap with his cav in a bag, now thats more like it :D
 
I took my dog to Burghley last year. We camped all weekend, so he went fri, sat and sun.
He loved it and was amazingly well behaved. He was taken into the tradestand areas, where he never strayed from my heel (SU will testify to his good behaviour, Puppy maybe not so much :D).
However, as soon as possible we took him everywhere with us - rugby matches, game fairs, point-to-points, shops etc etc, crowds don't faze him (he loves them!) horses don't bother him, he doesn't bark and has never lifted his leg in the whole time I've owned him! Other dogs hold no interest to him, people are there to be said hello to and then ignored, if they ignore him first then they are definately to be ignored :D
For the SJ, my OH and I sat with him and my friend's dog and watched the big screen, so that everyone else with could go in the Grandstand. They both curled up on the bench next to us and slept (after Otto finished scrounging chips of the people in the row behind us!) :D

I wouldn't hesitate to take him again, however that's not to say I'd take any dog.
 
I was having this conversation with my Mum today.

I understand why people take their dogs with them, for some people its not an option to leave them at home.

However I do not think that Tradestands are the place for dogs, and maybe they should just be restricted to the XC course. Saw very few dogs who enjoyed being dragged through the mud and crowds, being yanked on their lead when they got to close to another dog. And so many leads to trip over when doing shopping.

I do think though that as long as all dogs are kept on leads and well behaved - I see no problem with them going round the XC course.

Ruthnmeg - I also agree with the comment about coats - understand the whippets etc. But I saw some extremely hairy dogs with coats on today!
 
Must grudgingly say that my niece's little cavalier was brilliantly behaved too, she didnt yap at the horses (thank god!) and wagged her tail the whole day :D She is a ruby (chestnut brown all over) but ended up with little brown booties after ploughing through the mud as it stuck to her fluffy feet :D
 
What, the dog was wearing the pink coat? :D The dog was coatless all day, but my niece was wearing a bright pink coat.... and pink leggings.... and purple wellies :D
 
Heh yeah the dog was wearing a see through pink rain mac lol the things that go on!!! I must have spotted the wrong one!!

Saw a nice GSD and what looked to be a hybrid or GSD x husky thingy!
 
Jack comes everywhere with me and has done from a pup and if I go to Burghley or Blenheim this year he'll come too. He's already been to Scope and Weston/Stafford lots. He also goes to every country fair I go to too.....The Falconry Fair tomorrow is his first outing of the year :D

He never lifts his leg unless told he can 'toilet', he sticks very close (unless going past a burger van ;) ) and never barks etc. I keep him clear of overly crowded areas as being a bit small there's a risk of being trodden on but other than that I carry on as normal. If I'm on my own he even comes in the loo with me bless him and sits facing the door :p
 
I thought dogs werent allowed in the tradestands/shopping village. I think it must be a bit boring for a dog to walk round the shops. I can understand the attraction of the food halls but the rest must be a bit tedious for them although I think the Ariat stand would be attractive to my puppy.

As for people unable to leave their dogs at home...well I didnt go because of that reason. It was nothing to do with the rain!
:D


I wouldnt take my dogs to Badminton anyway as they cant do that amount of exercise and also they have problems holding a racquet.;):D

Plus I thinkl we would get as far as the burger van and we would go no further! LOL!
 
I was surprised by the number of dogs yapping after the horses. Surely a lot of these dogs are used to being around horses?

If I was able, I would bring Stella and Prince over to Badminton. As city dogs, they are well-used to large crowds, strange dogs and popping in and out of shops. There's no way I would have dragged either of them around in that weather today, though.
 
Couldn't agree more with the OP - I didn't see one single happy dog today and cannot understand any owner taking a dog to such a busy heaving place.

Also the majority of the dogs were getting either ignored and then dragged along by unnoticing owners or told off for some minor misdemeanour.

Not fair, not fair at all.
 
Sorry but Bob was there today...and loved every minute! He got to say a (friendly) hello to loads of different dogs and people, walked the xc course....didnt bark at any horses and spent 2 hours sleeping in the doggy creche whilst we shopped!
I do agree that there were plenty of people there that didnt seem to enjoy having their dogs with them but me and my boyf werent some of them.
 
Actually, I think my 11 week old lurcher puppy coped very well with his first Badminton experience and thoroughly enjoyed it. Mostly because he spent the day snoring on my lap as I watched it online! I would consider taking a dog to Badminton, but not in weather like that, and not near the very crowded shopping area.
 
Unfortunately for some it's not an option to leave dogs at home, what if you travel many hours to go to Badminton? How could you leave your dog at home if you are away for 12 hours or something, or, quite possibly, for the whole weekend!

Florimell has come to big shows quite frequently, she was in Hagen last week (as good as gold) and she came to the big Munich show last year, no way I would have left her at home.

Gratuitous picture of Florimell 'stewarding' at the Pferd International warm-up arena:
fk9yco.jpg


:)
 
For sure there were many happy well looked after dogs there today. But IMO, more tired, unhappy, wet, bedraggled and much maligned souls who really should have been at home.
 
kirstyhen said:
(SU will testify to his good behaviour, Puppy maybe not so much :D).
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Otto was an absolute paragon of virtue - his owner on the other hand......;):D:D:D

I took St Sweep a couple of years on the Saturday and walked the course with him - never went anywhere the trade stands and we had a picnic in the car and most importantly it wasn't overly hot and he was a young dog - he loved his days and got loads of attention and fuss. He hasn't been for years as he is too old and I worry he will get trodden on or something. He and The Moo stay at home in the garden and just have a big walk before and after I go. I should say that this is Burghley not Badminton so most years it is unbelieveably hot.
 
Ruthnmeg said:
I haven't been to Badders for years, and wouldn't choose to go on XC day, simply because of the dogs. Not only do too many owners not pick up their messes, but like you said, they get dragged round, don't look happy and owners get cross cos 'they are in the way'. I am sure many people take dogs simply because of the status symbol, and its wrong. I HATE with a passion dogs who yap, bark or yelp as the horses gallop past and heaven forbid get loose and chase the horses.
I too, think dogs should be banned from Badminton. But in a place where people WILL continue to bring them, some sort of dog creche (I know there is one of sorts) where owners HAVE to put them should be thought of - maybe then they will leave them at home?

Also - I did note (thanks to good TV), WHY did SO many dogs wear coats today?? This not only included a springer, a retriever and several labradors but I swore I saw a 'big hairy' in a coat?? Surely, that's really not needed? They already have their own coats and very good coats too!! One even had a puffa on!!
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I don't go to outdoor horse events unless I can take my bitches with me. And I take them with me when I go shopping, however, just as I would if I had a child with me, I constantly keep in mind to watch out so nobody walks into them and that they pay attention to when I want to continue to the next stand.
They ignore people unless I say that they can say Hello, but probably optimistically hopes that sooner or later, somebody will walk past and stop and ask if they can say Hello to them, this far somebody always have. And if they leave any "mess" behind, I pick it up and I sometimes wonder why I bother with it, when other people drop their empty drinking cans, food and candy wrappings, chewing gums, cigarettes, broken bottles etc., wherever they are when it is of no use for them any more.


Do you know what I dislike? Sitting indoors in Scandinavium during Gothenburg Horse Show and listening to small children wailing at the top of their lungs, while horses are in the arena! And does the mother or somebody else take them out to the foyers as quickly as possible? Of course not!
Some days I really wish they banned spectator's children, below lets say at least 5 or 6 years of age from horse competitions, what fun does small children/babies get out of being at a indoor show jumping competition anyhow?
"Mum, is it time to go to the shopping area now?", "Mum, can we go and buy candy?", "Mum, I need to go to the toilet" all within 10 to 15 minutes after that they came and sat down in their seats, in the same row as me - with my seat closer to the stairs than their seats, I have more than once wished that they had installed a revolving seat so that I could just swing out of the way...

2246750697_2b54e72f6b.jpg



But my dogs doesn't wear coats, if I tried, I'm sure they would tell me "I'm having a heatstroke... Get Me Out of It!"

:D
 
I love to take one or several of my dogs to Badminton and various sporting and coutry events. However I think sooner rather than later the oppotunity to do so will be a thing of the past thanks to the idiots who do not scoop the poop nor keep their yappers under control. I am not aware of any loose ones this year? But the shrill yapping as the horses went past, both on the flat and at fences with the owner gazing off into the distance with a "it's not my dog barking" look is unforgiveable. I know the horses "should" be used to crowds etc. But from past experience I have had 2 at advanced level who were not dog happy horses and yes it did take their eye off the job for that split second, once resulting in a nasty fall. There was one chap on tv with what looked like a bull terrier x, self black with a white bib and legs sitting barking at the top of it's range as a horse went through to a fence and you could see the horse's ear and head incline in that direction.

Finnishlapphund - ditto on children. My husband now refuses to go to spectate at any equine event unless we are invited to someones private box because of the inane uncontrolled screaching from kids, and them being basically free range wandering everywhere. And another things (sorry to go OT) cameras with flashes, have these people ever seen a horse before they go to these events? I think not.
 
Totally on the fence about this. There were definitely a few dogs there (watching tv coverage) who looked miserable, and some people seemed incapable of stopping their dogs yapping, particularly one in Huntsmans Close:( I have only been to Badminton once, years ago and that was without a dog, and I felt lost walking round. I have taken my dogs to local events and they have always loved it and behaved themselves, and we take it in turn to go in trade stands whilst dog remains outside. If I manage to get to Badminton I would love to take Evie to walk round the cross country, she is used to going to horse shows so wouldn't join in the yapping I am sure, and if she did she would get battered :p . However if I did take her it would mean the tradestands would be out of bounds as I wouldn't subject her to the crowds, which would spoil my fun a bit but would be better for the bank balance no doubt.
 
MurphysMinder said:
I have taken my dogs to local events and they have always loved it and behaved themselves, and we take it in turn to go in trade stands whilst dog remains outside..
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Totally off-topic (apologies) but MM, are there any events in Shropshire that you'd particularly recommend as dog-friendly? Her ladyship's socialisation is coming on nicely and I'm hoping to take her to a P2P (probably Eyton) next bank holiday, just wondering if there's anything else I could set my sights on for educational purposes. :)

I see that the West Mids/Shropshire County show has a companion dog show running in June, not sure if it's a bit soon though and will blow her mind! :eek:
 
I used to go to Sansaw every year but unfortunately that is no longer held, was great cos never too crowded. Evie has gone to riding club shows from about 12 weeks old, but boring if you are not competing. Weston Park is good, there is the 3 day event in October and also the game fair. If you jsut want to walk her round horse shows, Shropshire horse shows at Stanley Park are quite good, lots of space to take her away from the action if she does get a bit over excited.
I noticed that the West Mid/Shrops county is the same day as the proposed AAD meet up, if its till happening, you could go to the show and then go on to the meet up.:)
 
MurphysMinder said:
Weston Park is good, there is the 3 day event in October and also the game fair. If you jsut want to walk her round horse shows, Shropshire horse shows at Stanley Park are quite good, lots of space to take her away from the action if she does get a bit over excited.
I noticed that the West Mid/Shrops county is the same day as the proposed AAD meet up, if its till happening, you could go to the show and then go on to the meet up.:)
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I haven't been to Weston Park since I was knee high, good to know it's suitable as it'll be nice to go again. I have a vivid childhood memory of bumping into a nice lady there only for my mother to hiss "you've just walked into Ginny Holgate/Elliott!" :eek:

I often compete at Stanley Park, it hadn't occurred to me to go on foot - good call! I was wondering about the meet-up, actually, it'd be silly not to go with it being so close to home but I'm equally concerned that she'll go mad in such a large group of dogs. Her focus in the house and in open places with no distraction is excellent, close to 100%, but everything still flies out of the window when loose dogs appear. Group training classes begin next week, I wonder if we'll get anywhere by June... :p

I've just send the schedule for the companion dog show to the OH and I can hear him laughing from upstairs, clearly he doesn't think we'll be ready. :o
 
slinkyunicorn said:
Otto was an absolute paragon of virtue - his owner on the other hand......;):D:D:D
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Oi you :mad: I bite too you know :p

I forgot, Otto's very first 'horsey' outing was to Leominster Horse Sales. He sat on the front row, watched the goings on with great interest, then got bored clambered onto my lap and fell asleep. He got more than a few 'Ahhhhhhhs' as he was sat on my knee with his head resting on my shoulder, pushed against my cheek, snoring :D Unfortunately he has grown a bit since then, doesn't stop him doing it, but just squashes me!
 
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