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showing standards?

Discussion in 'Show Grooming' started by cait28, May 30, 2010.

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  1. cait28

    cait28 Forums Enthusiast

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    The breeder i bought riley from wants me to go into shows with him, but the only thing is his ears. For some reason the standards for shelties involve their ears being slightly "tipped" rileys are not they are straight up and i love them he's adorable either way, but according to showing standards which i don't agree with and i think it's quite awful they make such unnatural standards. All in all the breeder wants to glue his ears so they are tipped but i feel so awful doing it to him the poor guy doesnt need his ears glued it seems cruel to me. I also don't know how to tell the breeder no i don't want to do that to him since she is so wonderful and seems enthusiastic about the whole showing him thing she feels he has a lot of potential. Am i wrong? what should i do!! has anyone been showing their dogs?
     
    cait28, May 30, 2010
    cait28, May 30, 2010
    #1
  2. corbinam

    corbinam Moderator

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    You'll find that many people on here show their shelties, and even more of them tape or glue their ears.

    If done correctly, taping/gluing your sheltie's ears won't hurt him at all. We glued my first dog's ears, and I am in the process of taping my second dog's. She doesn't even notice that the tape is there.

    However, that being said, if you are really uncomfortable with it, or even more so, if you don't want to get into shows, it's best to be honest with your breeder. She may think you want to, when you really don't.
     
    corbinam, May 30, 2010
    corbinam, May 30, 2010
    #2
  3. tofu pup

    tofu pup Moderator

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    Well, if Riley is registered with you as sole owner, then you are the only person who can make decisions about whether or not to show him, or to brace his ears. If you honestly feel this way, then tell the breeder that no, you don't want to do that to him - that's the end of the story.

    There are a number of people here on the Forum who are involved in showing and breeding Shelties for conformation. I don't want to speak for all of them, but I know that I can tell you (having spent the wide majority of my life watching my mother glue/tape/brace puppy ears) that there is nothing cruel about it. It's no more "cruel" than putting braces on a child's teeth. There is actually a reason for why the Standard calls for tipped ears - they provide better protection for the ear canal against the elements.

    I can sympathize with your breeder, because it is frustrating to sell a puppy as a pet, only to find out later that 1) it has turned out to be a potential show dog and 2) the new owner is not interested in showing. Unfortunately, that's the breeder's loss. Showing your dog is a tremendous committment that you, the owner, need to be 100% ready for, and it's obvious that you aren't keen on the idea.

    I would suggest that you tag along with your breeder to a few dog shows, and take the opportunity to learn more about the Sheltie standard and how shows work. Asking your breeder to tell you more about the process of "doing ears" would, I think, also be illuminating for you. Who knows, you might decide that showing is right for you and your dog - or you might decide not. In either case, the choice (like the puppy) is yours.
     
    tofu pup, May 30, 2010
    tofu pup, May 30, 2010
    #3
  4. cait28

    cait28 Forums Enthusiast

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    thank you so much i will be seeing her soon and i will probably be going to a show with her soon so i can see. I would do it for riley to be fit and healthy because i know shelties need to be active and it would be good for him to do some agility. Thank you!
     
    cait28, May 30, 2010
    cait28, May 30, 2010
    #4
  5. Herd4fun

    Herd4fun Forums Enthusiast

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    out of curiosity why don't you like the standards? I personally don't think they are strict enough. I'd like to see something like the Swedish standard come into play where they are required to be proven defect free before they can earn their Ch. (In Switzerland they can't be registered as puppies unless both parents have been proven defect free, which is one of the highest standards)
     
    Herd4fun, May 30, 2010
    Herd4fun, May 30, 2010
    #5
  6. cait28

    cait28 Forums Enthusiast

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    its more or less because i love my dog either whether he has defects or not and the showing standards i find are just a bit strict but thats just me i could be wrong. My aunt showed her german shepard and their qualifications specify they need a slopped back and eventually because she was bred for the show standards of slopped back, she ended up having major back problems which led to her not being able to walk so i guess it just seems not right to me. We all have our own opinions though, just to me it seems so out there, which is why i most likely will not be showing him, because it's not for me. I have nothing against those who show their dogs though, i'm sure there are extraordinary benefits to showing with socialization and keeping the dog in good shape! I will definitely be talking to Riley's breeder and seeing some shows myself and discussing the health of the show dogs etc. I also just may be an over protective doggy mom!
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2010
    cait28, May 30, 2010
    cait28, May 30, 2010
    #6
  7. Smudge

    Smudge Forums Sage

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    I think it's safe to say that I've never glued Fluffy's ears right. :lol:
     
    Smudge, May 31, 2010
    Smudge, May 31, 2010
    #7
  8. cait28

    cait28 Forums Enthusiast

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    haha awe ! oh believe me i tried to get riley's ears taped by myself with breeders instructions but it was aweful he took off running and would not come out from under my bed for a few hours so i'd rather just have a professional do it for me haha
     
    cait28, May 31, 2010
    cait28, May 31, 2010
    #8
  9. Justicemom

    Justicemom Forums Celebrity

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    I came into showing dogs like you with my first sheltie Justice. His breeder wanted him shown. The ear glue was more traumatic for me than him. He could care less. I didn't do a very good job and his ears barely tip. With my girls, the ears were a breeze. I knew what to expect. They have nice tipped ears and Ember probably would have anyway but we wanted to make sure they stayed that way. Your really not doing anything to the ears just holding them in place. The ears do the work and set with age. Bend your ear lobe(bottom not top and just hold it bent(don't press down) that what it feels like.:smile2:

    I put a Canadian CH and UKC Grand Champion on Justice and discovered I don't like handling in comformation and prefer doing performance instead. Just me. My friend loves conformation so I let her handle my puppy Diva(who she co owns).
     
    Justicemom, May 31, 2010
    Justicemom, May 31, 2010
    #9
  10. mbfrench

    mbfrench Forums Celebrity

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    I'm no pro..but believe me,its not a big deal or traumatic to glue or tape a pups ears.

    I do not show,or do conformation,our shelties are companion dogs.with our second pup,Jasper,we are still gluing.Although even when they are unglued,mother nature has differant plans for the ears.

    It's really for me a matter of,well I gave it my all,and if it works so be it.

    You have to start young with taping,gluing. Jasper does'nt even care when I do his ears.So it really should not be a traumatic experiance.

    There is a great thread here on forum,a good tutorial on how to do them,if you want to take a look at it.
     
    mbfrench, May 31, 2010
    mbfrench, May 31, 2010
    #10
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