Where Have All the Spectators Gone? And How Do We Get Them Back?

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232 – July, 2025

By Caroline Coile

When I was 6 years old, my mother saw an ad in the local newspaper announcing a dog show in the next town. We went. I’m sure she never imagined this simple afternoon’s entertainment would change my life forever. I still remember a kind exhibitor who took his saluki out of the crate for us to see, and the perplexing way he trotted it back and forth to us as though that was somehow important. More important to me was that I got to pet royalty. I left there obsessed with the idea of not just one day owning a saluki, but of owning a SHOW saluki.

When was the last time you saw a spectator at a dog show? I used to see them all the time. By the time I had my first show dog, I was elected to appear on several local television shows announcing the upcoming show. Our club always ran ads in the local paper, and the paper in turn always sent a reporter to record candid shots as well as the big winners. We had signs with arrows everywhere leading to the dog show. We posted notices in local veterinary offices and feed stores.

But these days local television shows are a thing of the past—there’s too much competition from hundreds of channels and streaming movies. Newspapers are either defunct or greatly reduced in size and budget. And there’s no need for directional signs when we have GPS. Corporate veterinary clinics and feed stores don’t have bulletin boards, and most wouldn’t post about a dog show anyway for fear of offending anti-purebred sorts.

Many people made a habit of attending whatever was going on that weekend at their local fairground or civic center, but we’ve moved most shows to centralized locations away from the kennel clubs’ home grounds, and often to weekdays. Nobody’s going to drive 100 miles to see some dogs in a field. And if they do, most only come once, because we offer little to the average spectator.

We’re not totally at fault. Fifty years ago people didn’t have a fraction of the entertainment choices they have today. They can stay home and binge watch shows, play computer games, hang out on social media, or find exciting activities like paintball or indoor skydiving. Dogs trotting in a circle no longer seem so enthralling.

We’re also hampered by the graying of our kennel clubs. Most of our older members are stymied when their traditional advertising outlets are gone, and they’re not social media savvy enough to take advantage of what could be even better advertising means. Some are stuck in our old message, “Come to learn about purebred dogs.” But people want to be entertained more than educated.

How many future purebred dog enthusiasts are we passing over because we don’t know how to attract spectators? A lot. How do we attract them, then? That’s not easy, but here are some suggestions from exhibitors and club members. Keep in mind that what works in a larger city may not work in a small town.

Getting the Word Out

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232 – July, 2025

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Posted by AnthonyA on Jul 19 2025. 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.