# Have you ever attended a dog show or exhibition?



## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

Have you ever attended a dog show or exhibition?
Your votes, stories and experiences...


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## Gldiebr (Oct 10, 2006)

No, I always find out about the local ones after they're over. Oh well!


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Jesse travels all over the place up and down the US east coast and out to the Midwest. I only follow him to the local shows. At least in conformation, I find the owners very unfriendly, which makes the shows pretty unpleasant. 

It's a different story at hunt tests. The people there are usually very friendly. I believe that is because the dogs are not competing against each other.


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

Most of the shows,have gone to,were in France.
I showed my own dogs,2 Pyrenean Shepherds,2 hovawarts(a blond and a black/tan) and a Tibetan mastiff.
It was great fun with good food and wine.
I went to a show,as a spectator,in NJ and thought it was very similar.The only big difference,was that handlers were showing the dogs instead of owners and no alcool was served.The another big difference are the name of the titles. 
When you buy a purebred dof,in Fr,you get puppy papers.To get yr final papers,you need to confirm/show yr dog or his puppies will not get papers.L


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Maybe that is why I never enjoyed the shows...No alcohol is served!


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## telsmith1 (Sep 11, 2006)

vrocco1 said:


> Jesse travels all over the place up and down the US east coast and out to the Midwest. I only follow him to the local shows. At least in conformation, I find the owners very unfriendly, which makes the shows pretty unpleasant.
> 
> It's a different story at hunt tests. The people there are usually very friendly. I believe that is because the dogs are not competing against each other.


That is why I will never show my dogs, the shows I have been to were very very "stuck up". No urge to join that.


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## JimS (Jan 2, 2007)

vrocco1 said:


> Jesse travels all over the place up and down the US east coast and out to the Midwest. I only follow him to the local shows. At least in conformation, I find the owners very unfriendly, which makes the shows pretty unpleasant.
> 
> It's a different story at hunt tests. The people there are usually very friendly. I believe that is because the dogs are not competing against each other.


You should try hunt tests. The dogs are competing against the rules, and not against each other. Since you're not in competition against them, contestants don't have that chip on their shoulder. So, everyone tends to be very friendly and helpful.

Truth be told though, I've been to a lot of dog events of just about every variety...and most people are very friendly and absolutely love to talk about their dogs....there is of course a bit of back biting. It's funny to see a conformation Lab in a hunt test and hear the whispers about the fat foo foo dog with the rotty head....while it's owners are whispering back and forth about how this dog and that dog aren't "typey". Is typey even a word?


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## goldencrazy (Dec 15, 2005)

I used to show Irish Setters but got out of it when I saw a judge having dinner with the attractive handler that had her ugly dog put up over my beautiful and perfect dog. No, really that did happen - just kidding about my dog being perfect. But the politics and "who knows who" made me realize I was too small time to compete.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

I did a few weeks ago! I got to see the goldens being judged! Wowie, they were so beautiful, especially with their show grooming. Then I got home and poor Augie looked sooooooooooooo shaggy


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I show my dogs, and I love it! We have so much fun at the shows-it's a chance to go and see friends and catch up on all the latest news, as well as a chance to see how our dogs stack up against everyone elses.

It can be quite the eye opener to have the dog that looked so ready and so wonderful at home, enter the ring and look just the opposite! Of course, it also happens that the one that you have been agonizing about at home, enters the ring and just outshines the rest 

I don't show my own anymore as I don't have the knees or the "get up and go" for it anymore. My handler does a wonderful job showing, and her mother is the best groomer I have seen.

It isn't always easy, and yes, sometimes you just have to wonder what the heck the judge was thinking, but it is still fun. 

My friend is going for her judging license, and has judged a number of sweeps. I remember one sweeps with a particularly lovely puppy in it, and almost everyone was positive it would win. We were shocked when she dumped him and put up a dog that we felt was distinctly inferior but handled by a well known breeder judge. We asked her afterwards what the heck she was thinking? Her answer-"I loved that first puppy too, until I opened his mouth. He was missing a tooth and had several misaligned teeth, and I just could not ignore that bad mouth." So, sometimes, what we think we are seeing is not what is actually happening.

Linda
Tahnee Golden Retrievers
Endeavor Golden Retrievers


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

I went to a dog show once to see if anyone was selling grooming equipment.

The funniest thing though was at a county fair, they were doing flyball, and everyone was laughing because the last dog of the run was this tiny little Boston Terrier that could barely make the jumps, mixed in with the Border Collies and Shepherds...lol.

I've seen the SuperDogs too, which are fun to watch.


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## AtticusJordie (Aug 15, 2006)

Good point, Tahne. Never thought of that. Guess what's internal is just as important as external......... (But I bet the puppy was still cute as heck)!

I voted yes in the poll since we've been to several exhibitions (at least that's what I'd call them...) of therapy dogs and SAR dogs. There was competition but only from the standpoint each handler in their particular SAR group was showing the public how their dog(s) were trained to air scent, etc. over a set course.

SJ


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Too many to count- hundreds? I dunno! Every weekend and a lot of week days for a long time... in England and in the USA! Obedience shows, agility shows, conformation shows, sighthound field events... you name it


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

My husband and I were attending the Alberta Kennel Club show and GRCA Specialty since Wiggles' breeder was handling him in the senior puppy class and, 
I found the people handling other goldens to be less friendly than the other breeds when I asked questions, said hi, etc.

I found the people that I asked questions about on Labs and Flat-Coats to be great.

GoldenLover84, they usually do have booths for people to sell and promote items as well. We bought a forced air dryer made by Metro from Pupular Show Products and NeedsNDesires also travels with dog shows. They also had shampoos, scissors, brushes, show leads, etc



vrocco1 said:


> Jesse travels all over the place up and down the US east coast and out to the Midwest. I only follow him to the local shows. At least in conformation, I find the owners very unfriendly, which makes the shows pretty unpleasant.
> 
> It's a different story at hunt tests. The people there are usually very friendly. I believe that is because the dogs are not competing against each other.


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

I have been to some shows-that's where I saw Coach and Oakley's breeder. I always fell in love with his Goldens. And I was so amazed tof ind out that he was located only about 40 minutes from me. I also entered Boomer in some obedience at shows.


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Sorry, I did not mean to post LOL


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## kra (Oct 2, 2006)

Dog Shows just one, "Agility Competition's" to many to count!

I look at it this way, on your birthday or at Christmas when you
recieve a gift. Is it the wrapping surounding the gift, or the gift
itself that you appreciate, value and enjoy?
In less then 10 seconds the gift wrap is off and gone and soon 
resting in a recycle center or landfill. The Agility / Obedence Shows
I enjoy a lot more.


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Gldiebr said:


> No, I always find out about the local ones after they're over. Oh well!


Agreed--I would have to know about them to go--and somehow I am just not in that info loop--


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## hawtee (Nov 1, 2006)

We go to agility, obedience and rally trials.
My one funny story is there was a conformation show going on in Ocala and another side of the city was an agility trial. A conformation person was staying at the same motel as we were. The person came up to me and said what a beautiful lovely color and build on your IRISH SETTER...I calmly looked him in the eye and said yes isn't she. They come in colors from pale golds to deep gold. He did a re-take and apologised for calling her an Irish. Said all he had to do was look at her head and realize he was wrong. BTW he was walking "gasp" a golden. Too funny.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

We go to agility trials, and we've been to maybe 10 that also had obedience and conformation ... sometimes if I see a smaller/lighter/more lively-looking conformation Golden I try to ask the handler who bred it, but the handlers tend to assume I'm not a dog person, and that somewhat annoys me, so normally I just try to find the dog later on the Internet ...


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