Harnessing the Strength of Performance to Enhance the All Breed Bench Show

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84 – August, 2020

By Dr. Bev Sigl Felten

Late that hot, humid, Wisconsin July afternoon, the massive, powerful, Alaskan Malamute in full coat, was on the start line of the Fast CAT track. On signal, with his handler still dressed in glimmering show finery, those first few steps responded to the moving lure with the muscle, bone, and impressive working function required of a sled dog, transitioning rapidly into speed. Earlier that day, at the specialty, he was select dog from the Veterans class, with many exhibitors and spectators watching in a central location on the grounds. The show catalog carefully noted his full AKC name, titles and proud owners’ names. When he responded to the lure, there was no means to communicate to other exhibitors and spectators that this strong example of his breed could do more than look pretty. At the Fast CAT track, hidden on the back far edge of the show grounds, with no spectators, his name and titles were anonymous. His magnificent run went otherwise unnoticed.

Clubs are increasingly adding Fast CAT, Scent Work, Dock Diving, Barn Hunt and AKC Temperament Test performance venues at their All-Breed shows to increase revenue. For best results, these venues require advanced publicity and full central visual access to encourage spectators. When the public comes to watch, they gladly pay admission, check out the food, shop with vendors, pay for parking, and more. Most show grounds have more than enough room to situate performance events for maximum visibility. Performance dog and handler teams can be very entertaining; visualize the handler jumping off the Dock Diving platform celebrating Poopsey making a record jump, or the outstanding full-coated Afghan–a dramatic sight just out of the show ring–flying down a Fast CAT course holding in awe the attention of a crowd of performance-oriented spectators. With a microphoned announcer addressing the crowd, reading the dog’s full AKC name and explaining the performance titles–not just initials–a well-positioned local television film crew will have that dog, and maybe others, on the evening news. The now informed audience can respect the skill, structure, and athleticism of the dogs in action, understand what is needed, get caught up in the fun, start asking about training classes, then maybe take home a club membership brochure.

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84 – August, 2020

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Posted by AnthonyA on Aug 17 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.