Dog show report

[bunn]

So, it turns out that if you are running a dog show with someone who has also never run a dog show before, there are a few non-obvious points.

1) tiny puppies under 6 months are not supposed to be in it.  Who knew!

2) Take a clipboard or something for each class so that you can see the full list of everyone who has entered without scrabbling madly through a notebook.

3) it's PHENOMENALLY DIFFICULT to remember which dog is which and which owner is which when you have 10 classes, most with at least 10 dogs in.

4) Labels for people to write their names on would be a good move.  Or write down the breed.

5) don't dogs come in a lot of shapes!

6) there are more miniature schnauzers in Devon than you'd think

7) it's best not to try to guess if it's a sprollie or a springer.  Just don't go there.

8) you may regret giving a prize to the nice old lady who then yanks her dog away rather too roughly by the collar.

 9) Try to make sure everyone gets a rosette. Having places 1,2,3,& 4 in all classes helps a lot with this.

10) I'm so glad I have a REALLY LOUD VOICE because there was no loudhailer and there was a band playing!

In other news, we gave Best in Show to the big brindle rescue lurcher called Mr Darcy.  Bull mastiff x greyhound x saluki, temperament to die for, my god, he was GORGEOUS.  I got lots of cuddles! 

Comments

[timetiger.livejournal.com]

You are impressively intrepid. I hope you had lots of fun.

5) :oD

[bunn.livejournal.com]

We did, though it was a bit stressful!

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Mr Darcy sounds like a darling!

Oh yes - from experience stewarding at horse shows, a clipboard with a biro attached on a bit of string is an absolute necessity.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He looked very like Brythen, but with a bigger mastiffy sort of head, and that wonderful soft temperament you get in the best greys and mastiffs.

[penichops.livejournal.com]

Oh so this wasn't a 'waggiest tail' kind of dog show?

Nice job being completely biased about the lurcher ;)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was totally a 'waggiest tail' kind of dogshow - well, mostly. There were slightly more serious 'best dog' 'best bitch' etc classes as well as waggiest tail and dog most like owner. But I'm not really qualified to judge anything more than 'is this dog fat?' 'is this dog tangled?' and 'what are the teeth like (if dog is smiling at me!)

It was really mostly that neither of us had run anything like that before, so we didn't really have a clear idea of what we needed to do or write down.

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

When I was growing up, my sister's best friend's family was heavily into the "waggiest tail" sort of dog show circuit. They had Siberian huskies, and later, a Sheltie, and I learned all sorts of things about dog shows. I never wanted to learn that stress-vomiting is a thing--I could have spent my entire life blissfully ignorant of that one.

[howlin-wolf-66.livejournal.com]

#10 - Being able to project comes in handy, then? You might do well on stage... :-)

[natsuko1978.livejournal.com]

I used to love dogs. Nowadays, I'm not much of a dog person - if the dogs are not well-behaved. Big dogs jumping up at me - with my back and crutches - are Not Fun. Small dogs - plus mobility impairment - running between my legs, or apparently actively *trying* to trip me up are also Not Fun. LEAST Fun are small dogs on those long leads winding themselves round my legs or crutches or both and the owners glaring at me as though it's MY FAULT. The number of dirty look I get when a dog decides to tie me, it, and its lead in a knot. *If I could easily get out of the way, I would!*

(Dog-owners are not the only people who seem to think the mobility-impaired should not be on the street. Groups of teenagers are the bane of my life. And how people walk into me when I'm in my *wheelchair* - sometimes at such a clip they wind up in my lap - I will never know. However, parents of children on heelies/scooters/skates/bikes/etc do at least seem to take some responsibility and either yell, "Mind the old lady!" [I'm 38!] or apologise to me on their child's behalf. Dog owners, no. It's my fault for being out and about and crippled.]