Why I don't do conformation shows...

[Smudge]

I've got starry eyed delusions about obedience.

People keep trying to pull me into agility, but obedience is just too much fun!

I can't comment on conformation though (I want to be a handler, dangit! It would be so much fun!). Heck, I don't even know who WON half of the time. Somebody else has to tell me.

"But they got a ribbon, doesn't that mean..."

"No, Jessica. They did not win."

 

[labgirl]

Thanks for all the replies.

I think my problem is I don't have the patience for showing, I want to be on the move not waiting in line! I don't think I will ever be a good handler at that and best leave it to others.

Though this was a 'fun' show ie. ordinary people just out for a laugh, yet the judge was taking it extremely serious and anyone who didn't know ringcraft was instantly 'out'. Which seemed a little unfair as people were being encouraged to enter with their pets. Fortunately Cadbury's obedience training meant I could put him in a reasonable stand and walk him nicely.

RonandJan, thank you I went and commiserated with my friends on the agility display team afterwards, who all agreed the judge didn't have a clue! Ah, friendship

Caro, you are spoiling my delusions here! Surely agility judges are unbiased and completely objective? oh dear.

Seems to depend on the type of agility you do (there are different bodies that organise it here). A friend posted a vid of her doing agility and her dog ran off and jumped all over the judge, yet she got a rosette for judge's favourite dog!

 

[k9kreationz]

Caro, you are spoiling my delusions here! Surely agility judges are unbiased and completely objective? oh dear.

I had to kinda laugh at Caro's post too. Mostly because I thought they were all objective too. Until I had this one trial....the judge decided to use the same course for everyone (never came across that before - this is NADAC). And boy oh boy were times LOW to Q. For a Jumpers course, we had to get 25 seconds......for a course with 18 obstacles. Who, wait a sec. Back it up. What? Huh? No way! This is for NOVICE!!! I missed about 5 Q's, because Koji had one slip-up and that pushed him over time for almost every single run. Sigh. Typically, I can have a slip-up and still Q. (by slip-up I mean, he didn't go into a tunnel right away, he missed his weave entry, he went after a fly, etc).

I put her on my "do not trial" list. LOL. I want someone who remembers that this is a Novice class. I do love, however, when the judges will move things to make it easier on us novice's. We like that.

 

[Strider]

For me it isn't about the winning. Oh sure, if Deja grabs a ribbon that is great but to be honest it isn't that big a deal. What I like is the hanging with other sheltie owners and getting them up close with their dogs and Deja. I LOVE watching her run through the ring with our handler. She glows out in front of the crowd.

A friend from the last show told me that her trick to keeping it fresh and fun was the desire to see how the crowd reacted to her dog. Deja is always a crowd pleser and she loves when everyone watches her and claps for her.

I know she has faults and that she isn't the ideal but she is my ideal and I think others see that side of her too.

My DW got very upset at one show because the winning sheltie in every class was a sable. In one of the catagories the sable was not even close to the same league as the tri he was competing against and the judge awarded to the sable.. And Deja had beet the other two dogs in other shows hands down but got third place presumably because she was a blue and not a sable.. Ah well that is the call of the judge. to see my little princess getting the crowd recognision she craves is enough reward for me

 

[sable]

I think it is interesting how they make their choices. After reading some of the breeders thoughts on a sheltie, they have a variety of reasons what they like. Some like long legs, other like shorter bodies. Some like those giraff necks and so on.

When I watch the shows, I think why didn't they pick that sheltie or that setter, gosh they are flashy looking. Then I go back when my father would judge cattle, and he would go through the entire explanation why he picked the animal he did.

 

[Calliesmom]

Seems to depend on the type of agility you do (there are different bodies that organise it here). A friend posted a vid of her doing agility and her dog ran off and jumped all over the judge, yet she got a rosette for judge's favourite dog!

well, obviously the dog loved the judge so it had to be the judge's favourite

 

[SheltieChe]

always loved brains over beauty so "pretty dog" show is not for me, all that hair spray, chalk and eyeliners just do not associate with a dog...
problem with conformation show that you get a dog and that is it- from the get go you have bones, structure and hair and yeah, you could learn better grooming and few new tricks but you end up either playing games or buying new "better" dog. and for many people it becomes a game where perfectly nice dogs get sold, placed because they can not keep them all and they still need that elusive special dog...
with performance events- you can always improve and it is up to you, handler and your PRESENT dog to do it and every performance counts.... more fun this way...

 

[sable]

always loved brains over beauty so "pretty dog" show is not for me, all that hair spray, chalk and eyeliners just do not associate with a dog...
problem with conformation show that you get a dog and that is it- from the get go you have bones, structure and hair and yeah, you could learn better grooming and few new tricks but you end up either playing games or buying new "better" dog. and for many people it becomes a game where perfectly nice dogs get sold, placed because they can not keep them all and they still need that elusive special dog...
with performance events- you can always improve and it is up to you, handler and your PRESENT dog to do it and every performance counts.... more fun this way...

Well said!

 

[Smudge]

problem with conformation show that you get a dog and that is it- from the get go you have bones, structure and hair and yeah, you could learn better grooming and few new tricks but you end up either playing games or buying new "better" dog. and for many people it becomes a game where perfectly nice dogs get sold, placed because they can not keep them all and they still need that elusive special dog...
with performance events- you can always improve and it is up to you, handler and your PRESENT dog to do it and every performance counts.... more fun this way...

I completely disagree.

You will find many show homes do not throw away their dogs like the afternoon trash because they have grown too big, too old, or are not up to snuff with standards.

Skipper, one of Jennifer's shelties, is a performance dog only. He has never been a conformation dog. Skipper is around 10 years old, I believe. Jennifer has had him since he was born.

Rose, another one of Jennifer's dogs, is also older up in age. She was pulled from the show ring years ago because her teeth were spaced too far apart.

Her dogs are not only in the conformation ring, but they are also in agility, obedience, and rally.

Also, you will find some of the people who do conformation have an extra handler. While the owner is in one ring doing something with one dog they have another handler with another dog in the obedience/rally/agility ring.

I hear horror stories all the time on here about show people. I really would like to know where everybody is meeting all of these people, because it is not the case at all where I live. This not only applies to the sheltie people I know, but for other dog breeds as well. They are good, honest people.

 

[labgirl]

always loved brains over beauty so "pretty dog" show is not for me, all that hair spray, chalk and eyeliners just do not associate with a dog...
problem with conformation show that you get a dog and that is it- from the get go you have bones, structure and hair and yeah, you could learn better grooming and few new tricks but you end up either playing games or buying new "better" dog. and for many people it becomes a game where perfectly nice dogs get sold, placed because they can not keep them all and they still need that elusive special dog...
with performance events- you can always improve and it is up to you, handler and your PRESENT dog to do it and every performance counts.... more fun this way...

That's pretty much my thoughts. I want something I can train on and work on, not just say this is my dog, he is an inch too tall, damn he won't ever win!