# Ringside vs. Regular Handling



## Christen113 (Dec 3, 2014)

When you have someone handle your dog ringside, do you generally (always, sometimes?) drop your dog off groomed and ready to go? Is that something they generally do? Is it included in the cost? The ringside handling seems to be more than the regular handling and I'm not sure why.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Ringside handling is less under the handlers' control for how the dog is presented, and every handler has war stories to share about some dogs they picked up ringside. Their loyalty is first to dogs who live/travel with them, both bc the clients are usually regulars with whom they have a longer-standing relationship and because they can control how the dog is groomed , conditioned, even pottied. There are some handlers who do a nice job from ringside and most will pick up ringsides as their schedule allows, but it can be a hard way to finish a dog unless you always use the same handler. The cost of ringside seems like more, but what actually doesn't show in the non ringside is that those owners are divvying up expenses and in some case paying 14 dollars a day for board etc.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I think you are paying for grooming and inconvenience sometimes.... 

I've set up with handlers who are dealing with ringside drop offs...

You have dogs who need a full grooming and haven't even been pottied sometimes....


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Not to mention that I think it's the rare dog who can handle the stress of a ringside pickup. Most dogs are AWFUL if just handed off to someone while mommy waits in the backstage, even if it's someone they know and like. There's nothing quite so aggravating to a handler than trying to make a dog look good to a judge when the dog is frantically looking for mommy. There are some notable exceptions. I know Barb with Tito did this and he finished quickly and they loved their arrangements. A friend down here in Florida not only finished her golden's CH but SHDF with multiple group wins throughout the lifetime of the dog by only doing ringside pickup with a myriad of handlers. The dog was an incredible showman and didn't care, the owner could practically lean into the ring and take pictures and he never batted an eye away from his handler, he was terrific. Those are one in a million!!!


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## Christen113 (Dec 3, 2014)

Thanks for the feedback!

I guess I am looking for the most economical and also efficient way to show him when I use a handler but it's sounding like the ringside isn't the best way to go, nor is it really more economical. I've done ringside once (he did fine but she did tell me that he seemed to freak out some looking for me when we dropped him off and I can believe it because he's definitely a mama's boy-any tips on fixing that?-but he looked great with her and I certainly couldn't tell in the ring and she didn't mention it in the ring either) and regular handling once. I was pretty surprised by the expenses for a local weekend show considering they were split with others. I really do want to largely show him myself but I know that there are certain judges and situations (majors, etc) that would be much easier with a handler. I love the one I've picked out and she was open to ringside, especially if she groomed him before which was my plan...one of my other issues with sending him out is I'll really miss him...mama's boy problem explained


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

I would show him yourself as much as you can now. Get his clearances at 2 and then when he looks great, send him out (if you want).


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## GoldenFocus (Feb 28, 2016)

@kfayard....awesome dogs in that picture there.....had to say that. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I am currently reading a book called "Show Dog". The author followed an Australian Shepherd, its owner ( who did drop offs ) and its handlers. I am learning a lot by reading this book. The dog does do very well this way, but it was discouraged, and the dogs that stay with the handlers do get top priority because the owners are paying like $2500 a month. 

It also goes over the costs of things, what the handlers go through and what the owner has to do. Plus little hints about what kind of shoes to where, and other things I have always wondered about. Great book for a newbie. 

I had my daughter show Sailor three times. All three times I hid, two times I was in the bleachers of the stadium. The first time she spotted me, and started barking. The other two times, Alyssa said her nose was going crazy the whole time trying to smell me, a couple times she thought other women were me and got all excited until she realized it wasn't me. From where I was watching, I could not see any of this.

My breeder always tells me that I am probably going to have to send her to live with her for about a month or more so she is not so attached, but she is our family dog first, and we would all miss her. My 9 year old golden would also miss her a lot.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I read Show Dog too! It's a fun book that really gives some great details.

Up here in Alaska unless you send your dog up here with a pro, we all just do ringside hand offs. There are not enough shows to require a dog to travel with a pro. Sometimes the handler has a grooming location and people take their dog the day before for grooming, it all depends on the breed. When I did the ringside hand offs, I groomed myself. The handler wanted to do only the leg feathers, don't ask me why. So for the show I'd bring my girl by the handler to say hello at her table at the show grooming area. She'd touch up the feathers and that's it. 

If you do this type of hand off ask about conflicts and how many dogs the handler has and what breed. I was lucky, my pro only had 3 other dogs. So she never passed my dog off to someone else because she was too busy. 

My girl's sister was handled by a pro that handled a million dogs and was constantly handing her dogs off to junior handlers. This annoyed the owner tremendously. But her girl almost always at least took the class. So she finished in 3 clusters. I think I calculated it cost her $1300 to finish that bitch, including grooming fees.


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## Christen113 (Dec 3, 2014)

Just ordered the book! I had heard about it but just hadn't gotten around to ordering and I'd forgotten about it. 

Thanks for the feedback!


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