# Wow! Times Have Changed



## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I have been going to the shows in Boston that were at the Bayside Expo since 1992. All 3 of my obedience girls, Sally, Laney, and Cookie showed there. all 3 of my conformation girls showed there. One year Samantha made the cuts from Open Bitch classes that had 20 plus open girls. The weather can be iffy this time of year, I have often driven home in a snowstorm... It's normally about an hour and one half drive and one year, it took ten and one half hours to get home!! (think ice storm). Several years ago, the shows were moved to RI and it certainly discouraged me from going... because that makes it a 3 hour trip at the time of year with iffy weather. So I was looking at the entries this year: a show that in its' day would have close to 100 golden entries, now draws entries in the 20's. Total bitch numbers range from 8-10, which is less than 1/2 of what the Open Bitch entry was in its' day. Is it economy? Location? Lack of interest?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The shows in this area seem to still be drawing pretty big numbers. This is a 4 day show, but it's in 2 different locations. I think the shows that run many days seem to draw more entries.

Saturday 64 GOLD RET 21-29- 9-3
Sunday 64 GOLD RET 23-27- 10-3


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

This is a four day venue as well. This show used to draw 20 plus Open Bitches on Thurs and Friday.


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## golden_eclipse (Apr 1, 2011)

I think part of it has to do with competition in shows; like CKC, UKC and other venues people who are into conformation but don't have a lot of money, but want to compete can take their dogs. The AKC seems out of range for a lot of people who don't have a ton of money to spend on competitions.(Like I have heard an AKC CH, for goldens usually runs near 10k but can be much more depending almost completely on luck). The current economy doesn't help. Personally I want to show in the AKC, but only made that decision after Sam's success in the CKC. I just didn't want to throw a ton of money in entry fees and traveling, and never get anywhere (not that I don't love showing for the fun of it). I have limited resources and chose to wait on the AKC till I knew he would be competitive. I think this reasoning a lot of people might use, has also caused the AKC CH, to be a lot more difficult to attain, as majors don't happen that often and when they do, all the dogs are very very competitive. (Not saying it wasn't competitive in years past as I am too young to even know, but from entries being lower you now have less chances overall at a major).


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

Sallys... we used to do the Boston shows as well but havent done the providence ones... I think that when they moved out of boston they lost alot of the people and many have opted not to do them any longer as its just to far... .I do know that entries are down in general but I think that the change of venue really hurt this show not to mention that they didn't even have the show for a few years. I know that when I look for shows I generally don't even think about the shows in RI, I actually forget to check for RI shows... this was the first year I had considered doing them but there was hardly any wolfhound entry last year so I didn't bother... 

I think there are a few issues with this show now... I really liked it when it was at bayside... I would go even if I wasn't showing just so I could do some shopping .


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Could it also be that parents have less time? ( I am sure the economy is the number one reason. )

I think a lot more children are involved in sports and music, and this takes up many weekends now. In the early 90's, there was not as much oppurtunity for girls sports as there is now. I know that is how weekends are now being spent, and my kids are less involved in extra curricullar activities than the average child.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

I wonder if Eukanuba being in FL has impacted the numbers for the RI shows. It could be that more east coast exhibitors are making the trek down there so they are either showing somewhere on the way this weekend or not showing this weekend at all to prepare for traveling. Our Long Beach shows that used to precede Eukanuba are typically are 4-5 pt majors and are barely 2 pt shows this year. Not sure why they scheduled them on the same weekend as Eukanuba though....


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I liked the Bayside venue and loved the vendors. I have shown at the Providence Civic Center both in conformation and obedience. There's never any place to groom your dog, or place a crate, or park... I have also shown indoors in Warwick, RI as well as outdoors at the National in 1999. I have been at it close to twenty years and my kids are 19 and 17, they never stopped me!!! I think that the last time I showed in Boston was when Emmie was a 6-9 month puppy bitch and Cherie Berger put her up over 4 other puppy bitches. Emmie is now 4 1/2, so that was 4 years ago.


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

goldenjackpuppy said:


> I wonder if Eukanuba being in FL has impacted the numbers for the RI shows. It could be that more east coast exhibitors are making the trek down there so they are either showing somewhere on the way this weekend or not showing this weekend at all to prepare for traveling. Our Long Beach shows that used to precede Eukanuba are typically are 4-5 pt majors and are barely 2 pt shows this year. Not sure why they scheduled them on the same weekend as Eukanuba though....


Actually the Eukanuba has little appeal for many of the pros... first it being so far... but also because the real dogs defeated points are more at the regular shows. I think the owners like the Eukaneuba' because they think its an honor but I know many handlers who just skip it... I tend to think its more of a venue issue... Bayside was always a fun show... I haven't gone to providence but I have been hearing entries are way down anyway... the economy and gas prices certainly don't help. 

I remember the first year Meghan got invited to euk... I was so excited... she got invited every year... then the year we went to Westminster she had done a couple small shows and the garden... and then retired and had a litter and wasn't shown at all after that... in July or August we got the card that said Congrats your dog is in the top 25... etc etc and that is when I started laughing... well honestly how many flat coats are campaigning... 25....


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

I think alot has to do with the economy. People just dont have the extra money. When you are worried about heat bills, food, gas and christmas. I can see alot of people not going to a dog show but wishing they could.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

So the Boston shows which used to be majors when in Boston, were 1 point on most days!!! In Providence. Like I said, times have changed....


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## hvgoldens4 (Nov 25, 2009)

Sally's Mom said:


> I have been going to the shows in Boston that were at the Bayside Expo since 1992. All 3 of my obedience girls, Sally, Laney, and Cookie showed there. all 3 of my conformation girls showed there. One year Samantha made the cuts from Open Bitch classes that had 20 plus open girls. The weather can be iffy this time of year, I have often driven home in a snowstorm... It's normally about an hour and one half drive and one year, it took ten and one half hours to get home!! (think ice storm). Several years ago, the shows were moved to RI and it certainly discouraged me from going... because that makes it a 3 hour trip at the time of year with iffy weather. So I was looking at the entries this year: a show that in its' day would have close to 100 golden entries, now draws entries in the 20's. Total bitch numbers range from 8-10, which is less than 1/2 of what the Open Bitch entry was in its' day. Is it economy? Location? Lack of interest?


 
Yes, times have changed. Being the conformation statistician for the GRCA for waaaayyyy too many years now(lol), the entries are down everywhere. I do think part of it is the economy because people have less disposable income and are being choosier about where and when they are showing their dogs. The bigger clusters do seem to still draw good entries but not in the numbers that they did 5 years ago.

The Eukanuba shows do take away a lot of the handlers. I was at the Cleveland shows for the last 4 days and those shows used to be consistantly 5 point majors and Ohio has one of the highest point schedules in the country. They were 3 and 4 point majors this year. There was an entry of about 50 goldens at the Eukanuba shows this year.

A change in venue will also hurt a show if the exhibitors don't like the new site-futher to travel, less grooming area, smaller rings, etc.

It's tough out there right now!!


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## JessiesGirl (Dec 8, 2011)

Dog News recently had an article about the AKC's attempted suicide because they are pushing for the smaller shows to cluster. I think the biggest issue is distance and availability of shows, when I was little I remember my aunt dragging me to about 5 local shows that now no longer exist. She is a Belgian Tervuren person so majors were hard to come by but since there used to be a good few Tervs in the area competing they were picking up 1 pointers and then entering Cannfield, Cleveland, Erie, or WPKA (Pittsburgh) to get the 2 majors for their CH. Smaller shows were good incentive for newbies to try their hand and for some breeds it would be smack dab in the center of a large number of a breed (like Bull Terriers at the Laurel Highlands show- a few local breeders with tons of progeny and green owner/handlers entered to let them try it out), since the AKC is pushing for them to cluster it is harder to find local shows.
Eukanuba did have an effect on Cleveland this year, one of the chairs said that they lost a good $2000 in entries. I know a few people who went to FL instead of Cleveland even without the terrible Cleveland weather they usually get.
Not to mention the bad press dog showing has gotten, everything from 'Best in Show' to Disney's 'Life is Ruff' where show people are portrayed as ignorant snobs who are obsessed with their dogs and "attack" the newbies. I take every chance I can to invite people to a "real" dog show so they can see how nice and fun the handlers really can be.


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