Stand ringside at a conformation show and you’ll often hear criticism of the judging. That’s to be expected. Everyone involved–exhibitors, owners, handlers, and judge–is human. All have their own opinions of what the breed in question should be, and all may disagree a little or a lot with what the judge is doing.
Dog shows, in a perfect world, would be so awesome. The weather would always be perfect, the judges would always be courteous and studious, and their rings would run right on time. The members of the show committee would be smiling, helpful and kind, and everything in the vendors’ booths would be on sale.
When you watch a great show dog-handler team, what do you see?
Got a dog you want to show? Before you go to handling class, here are the two basic behaviors your show-dog-in-the-making needs so you’ll succeed.
Crisis happens. It could be a bad accident on the way to the show, loss of life of participants during a show weekend, or a tornado touching down in the middle of the showgrounds, wreaking widespread, devastating havoc. No matter what the trauma is, it touches people and changes lives, even those who weren’t directly involved.
What does the voice inside your head say to you when you’re standing outside the ring, looking at your competition? And if you just thought to yourself, “I don’t have a voice inside my head” that was the voice inside your head that made that statement.
The dog-loving general public has fallen for language that automatically makes purebred dog breeders the enemy of kindness and morality. As the marketing rolls out from animal rights groups into general-population usage through social media, pithy pronouncements like “adopt, don’t shop” take on mythical, magical, and poisonous properties. It’s up to the fancy to clap back on language that makes it easier for people to vote for laws that affect the rights to own and enjoy any kind of dog–purebred or mixed, intact or neutered, and even whether litters of puppies can legally be produced.
Have you had this experience? Your promising youngster turns into a seasoned special who loves to go to shows. Wins come easily, and soon the promising youngster is a Champion, then a Grand, and maybe even climbs the levels of Grand. Meanwhile, you’re bringing on another promising youngster and starting to leave your previous promising youngster home more and more.
By Sandy Weaver When was the last time you saw a wonderful example of good sportsmanship? When was the last time you saw a glaring example of poor sportsmanship? Which do you see more often? And which are you a part of most often? If I told you that being a good sport could be [...]
If you’ve ever planned a dinner party for 12 people, you know that event planning involves a lot of moving parts and many, many things that need to be thought out in advance. First, you’ll need a detailed budget that will guide you in the rest of your choices. You need to nail down the menu early so that shopping and cooking schedules can be calendared, and that special dietary needs can be met for the guests you plan to invite. You need to plan your space well for optimum party flow, taking into account where the drink station/bar will be, where guests will dine, what you will use for dinner service and serving pieces, and how to keep them from clogging up the flow in and out of your kitchen. You’ll need to organize getting your home cleaned and polished up, planning the playlist, DJ, or band, getting the invitations out, reminding people to please RSVP, reminding them again; and of course you’ll have to deal with those people you love who miss the deadline, don’t seem to care about the inconvenience to you, and still expect to partake of your food, beverage, and hospitality.
