Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:07 am Post subject: Thank goodness I take the best dogs home!!
Hi all
A fab weekend - knackering all round. The weather was cr@p too - thankfully it was indoors.
Saturday at agility went well (ish). One elimination and one round completed but with rather more faults that I would like to admit(6!) but it was all good fun and it was great to watch all the experts doing great rounds and my pals from my club doing almost as badly as I did! Coco did not disgrace herself by having a mardy and attacking anyone else!!
Sunday - loads of traffic, piddling down, parked miles from the place we needed to be, some sod nicked my allocated cage (which I'd checked out from the previous day), met up with someone I know on another forum which was great.
We did pretty badly in the ring, I am ashamed to say - mostly down to me and my inexperience. A stray Gordon Setter dog came in and peed on Blue's head which I was not looking or a split second. The judge took an instant dislike to me and poor Blue was not a happy bunny and showed it. Probably my fault completely as she probably sensed my stress. Judge made a snidey comment about me socialising her better ( a very much older "person" - not entirely sure if "it" was male or female !!) Blue she goes with me when ever I can, goes to dog training, agility shows and out and about - probably a lot more than many other dogs!! Grrrr!!!
Still, prometteur is better than assez bon but not as good as tres prometteur which we got the show before where there was a lovely judge (I am biassed towards younger, female, more sympathetic judges!!)
I must admit yesterday I was all for jacking it in - it was an altogether horrible experience! I have had so many nice comments about Blue, pretty dog, best looking puppy there etc etc but her timidity in the ring and my lack of experience really shows.
What I need is for someone to lend me a really experienced dog that I can handle for a few shows and for someone else to handle Blue. I am sure we did better at Montpellier because I felt much more relaxed and the judge did not seem to be such a harridan!
It is also hard as we travel SO far to each show but can only enter one class! At this rate I shall never have enough experience to feel totoally confident, despite me trying like mad. Maybe I am trying too hard?
I had some interesting comments and feedback, though, from someone I met there who has shown, judged and worked with the KC in the UK. She could quite clearly see Blue was outgoing and relatively confident out of the ring and she said that intelligent dogs are often not all "frou frou" and waggy all the time. Maybe I have a latent genius!! On the down side she advised I should not really breed with Blue because of the dentition thing.
If I can get someone to come with me to the next show I may see if I can take Coco too, as a non competing dog. There is no way I can handle the two of them together! I think too the next one may be outdoors which could also be completely different for her as she is more used to being on grass and outdoors than indoors on carpet!
If I can get someone to come with me to the next show I may see if I can take Coco too, as a non competing dog.
If I could, I would be on the next plane over
It must be a bit of a pain only being able to enter one class, particularly if you have travelled a long way
When travelling, we tend to enter a couple, as we seem to travel a fair distance for Open Shows compared to some
It is probably little consolation to you atm, but Clover seems to have undergone a personality transplant in the ring over the last couple of shows and has become a right wicked little madam (for me at least).
I was horrendously nervous - and it took a fair few pep talks from fellow show people to get me out of this.
I also recognised that when the puppy arrives I will be going to most shows alone so didnt really have a choice but to just think "s*d it" and go with the flow - and the last twice I've handled her we've had a first place (coincidence? I guess only time will tell ")
You have your ATC - you are more than welcome to come and stay and try out some British shows
Quote:
On the down side she advised I should not really breed with Blue because of the dentition thing.
Is the dentition issue hereditary? I thought it wasn't
I don't know Sue, I didn't think it was hereditary either. She reckoned that if pups are sold as show pups they should be x-rayed to make sure they will have full dentition. She also said if Blue could not be confirmed I could ask for half of my money back . It is the law apparently!
Trouble is that there are very few competitors who are friendly, especially in the same breed. As soon as I put my number on they were all buzzing around trying to match us up with the dog in the catalogue almost like they were willing us to fail. I know, I am paranoid!! Paul won't go with me to shows as he has to stay and look after Milly as she is not allowed into the shows being a mere mongrel and Coco has a gammy leg so it would be a waste of time entering her into a class as her movement is really odd. Taking her would just be to see if it made any different for Blue having some company!!
Perhaps I should see if I can take on an older dog, one with a bit of experience on loan!!
She reckoned that if pups are sold as show pups they should be x-rayed to make sure they will have full dentition.
Mmm - interesting - the discussion of dentition for overseas showing came up yesterday it seems complete madness that so much hangs on a set of teeth
Certainly, if you buy a pup in the UK, most breeders are very explicit that there is no guarantees how the dog will perform in the show ring that said, if an X-ray can clearly show the dentition before the pups are sold, then knowing how strict they are over there, you would think it would be a pre-requisite part of the sale contract.
Actually the judge did not even get to look at her teeth! I opened jaw and showed her bite! The last judge had no problem whatsoever but this one...well, there must have been something about her that freaked us both out!
I bought Blue with her breeder knowing I wanted to show and breed. There were no guarantees given or requested by me. I just wanted what she believed to be a show quality pup - after all it is her reputation at stake not mine!
Pups are often sold in France as pets, stated on the receipt, so breeders do not have anything to worry about if dogs cannot be confirmed for any reason (like dentition). Blues breeder has dogs for sale as pets - you can see them on their website "pet dog" etc
any nervousness you have travels down the lead, so for a while maybe, drop all hopes of any placings, try to assume that you are going to be last and anything else is a bonus, and go out and have some fun. Remember it's not the end of the world if you don't do well but showing is a huge learning curve.
If you have fun so will Blue, and that'll help. Also, you may find people at the shows in other breeds are more friendly, as you aren't competition for them .
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!!) Blue she goes with me when ever I can, goes to dog training, agility shows and out and about - probably a lot more than many other dogs!! Grrrr!!!
and has become a right wicked little madam 
(coincidence? I guess only time will tell 
