Dog shows
 ). Anyway, enough babbling, here is my question. I know that once she gets there, Amber will show us the ropes, but we are there a day sooner and don't want to screw up. Are there particular rules of etiquette at shows? For example, should we NOT be petting the dogs we see? Should be prevent Mady from her usual greetings? Any tips or ideas on what we can expect would be great. We are going to crack open a bottle of wine and watch 'Best in Show' to help prepare. |
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| So are you just taking Mady just as a spectator? Be sure to check the premium list because usually, dogs that aren't entered aren't allowed to be there. If you're there with your breeder the next day it probably isn't a big deal but they don't like people coming in with outside dogs since it's usually crowded and difficult to get to the rings anyway. I'm sure Mady isn't a problem but without that rule, you know people would be dragging all kinds of crazy dogs to shows! Maybe it's different in Canada, though. I know here, no outside dogs are allowed to be there. |
| We checked first and that is why we have entered her as 'exhibit only', so that she is allowed to be there. |
| I don't know if we even have that choice at regular shows here! I suppose I've never looked since I've only actually entered. What does just for exhibit mean? Do you walk her around or get her all groomed up? Is it a benched show? For the most part, I wouldn't let her do any greetings unless it was pre-approved. Sometimes it can't be helped if you're standing butt to face but most show people are so focused on getting the dogs in the ring, they don't want any interruptions or distractions for the dog about to show. Some people get wayyyyy bent out of shape, too, so be careful. It can be a pretty tense environment. Owen and I mostly keep to ourselves but I usually never mind if people want to talk to us while we're grooming. I also don't care if they want to touch him all over as long as we're done showing-- no touches until we're done! |
| We just walk around. We won't do any special grooming, just David's usual 'completely vain about Mady' grooming, like he does if we are taking her out. We just want to see what a show is all about, and mostly to visit with Amber (Mady's breeder), who lives too far away to visit often. We paid for the 'exhibit only' thing, but it was only small fee, $10, so worth it to be able to bring Mady in to show Amber. So no touching dogs without an invitation-it will be hard to do that with the other OES! |
| Sometimes other dogs (and/or their handlers!) can be snippy, so keep Maddy on a short leash at your side. This is also beneficial as a health precaution - we have picked up a bug from shows a few times. Always ask permission before touching anyone else's dog. I use caution about putting my hand out too fast. Some of these dogs are on the road with handlers week after week so you may find a crabby one. Also be mindful of where you are walking/backing up as it is easy to step on a paw in tight traffic areas ringside. I don't know how long you are going to be there, but a collapsible bowl and a bottle of water can be helpful to have. I am also very cautious about where my dog potties due to communicable viruses. I don't do a lot of indoor shows, but they never seem to have enough chairs. If you bring a couple, you can set yours up ringside and use that as your base if you plan to spend more than a couple of hours there. Have a great time! |
WOW! (Tongue in cheek here  )Great advertisement for dog shows...   Don't touch the dogs, they may bite   (their owners/handlers too! ) Be careful about picking up disease... We don't really want you to bring your dog but for a small fee we'll let you... There's truth to all of what's been said. You don't touch other people's dogs, especially sheepdogs, without permission because they may have just spent 4 hours getting every hair (probably laquered or at least teased  ) into place and could have a heart attack on the spot if you muss it up and do you really want that on your conscience? After showing is done most people are pretty nice about it as long as you ask first. Do keep Mady out of other dogs' faces. Frankly, I've never known this to be an issue in our breed. In my opinion if there's an OES out there who can't tolerate another (friendly, albeit it probably borderline rude, as most OES naturally seem to be) dog in its space it's not a real OES and has no business being shown anyway. BUT that doesn't mean you should push the envelope. Just that I doubt that's what's really at stake with most dogs in our breed. Your milage may vary with other breeds. Still, consider that all of the dogs there are there for a specific purpose, they are "working", and just like if you were getting ready to go into the obedience ring or the herding arena you wouldn't want someone encouraging their dog to take Mady's attention off of you. It's a mutual respect kind of thing. Just keep her on a short lead so you know where her nose is at all times, as in not in some unfamiliar dog's face (or butt) and you'll completely avoid any doggie faux paws. As for diseases, Mad's brother once brought kennel cough home. That's the only thing any of my dogs have ever picked up at a show. For the number of dogs out there, the risk of picking something up is fairly low, though a bit higher in puppies whose immune systems are not fully developed yet. I think it's absolutely wonderful that you have a for exhibition only option. What a great way to be introduced to showing! Just find Amber at your earliest convenience and I'm sure she'll introduce you around and show you the ropes. Above all, have fun! Kristine |
| I actually commented to someone the other day "The dog show is the worst place to bring a dog." LOL. It was actually in response to someone saying that people should be allowed to bring their pets to dog shows. Like Kristine said, these dogs are there for a purpose and we want to be able to show as well as we can without too much distraction. The comparison that I made to the person that said it was picture a football game going on but everyone else was allowed to come out on the field with their own balls and mess around while the game took place. It would be a mess! If you stay to the sidelines and don't get involved with the game, everything works a lot better. When it's over you can come out on the field and "meet the players."  |
| We go to the Philadelphia dog show every year, mainly to see the sheepies, and we cannot take Jenny. If they aren't being shown, they can't be there. I can totally understand, though, because it would be major chaos if everyone brought their dogs as this is a benched show and very large - televised for TV, etc. We are always very careful to ask if we are allowed to touch the dogs. Most don't care if it is after the dogs are shown, but some don't want you to touch at all. |
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