Page 70 - Chow LIfe - Summer 2021

This Article Is Not For You
– and –
This Article Is for You
by Sandy Weaver
How do I know this article isn’t for you?
Because you’re reading The Canine Chronicle.
You’re already part of the dog show world.
And how can it be for you if it’s not for you?
Because you love the dog show world and want
your puppy buyers–past, present and future–to
be part of it, too. It’s for you because maybe
you are a bit alarmed by the shrinking entries
and want to help grow our sport to a healthy,
sustainable size. It’s for you because you want
to help educate the public about dog shows and
purebred dogs.
This article is for you to share. Please share it
with your kennel club, breed club, parent club,
local newspaper – wherever you can think
to share it. The wonderful team here at The
CanineChronicle loves to have articles shared
– just include the author blurb at the end and
“originally published in CanineChronicle -
www.caninechronicle.com” and you’re good to
go. So read it if you’d like – please share it if the
spirit moves you. Thanks!
Why Do Dog Shows Exist and How Can
My Dog and I Play?
Showing dogs is about showcasing breeding
stock. Historically, that’s the reason dog shows
exist. They started in the mid-1800s as a way for “campaigning a dog”. It can be expensive, time-
people to show off their hunting, herding, consuming, and means a lot of travel. It’s not
and all-purpose working dogs. They had
a judging process, prizes were awarded,
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and social functions including lavish banquets
and adult beverages followed. Fast-forward to
the 21st century, where earning titles, as well
as breed, group and Best in Show wins are also
important. Because it’s still a showcase for
breeding stock, the dogs must be intact to be
shown in nearly all conformation classes.
Most people involved in the sport of dogs
are there because it’s a hobby. And what a
wonderful hobby – it includes beautiful living
beings who are also loveable! Sure, golf, tennis
and running 10K races are great hobbies, but
can your tennis racket kiss away tears? Do your
running shoes make you laugh when they do
something totally goofy? Can your golf clubs
learn how to roll over or strike a perfect show
pose? I think not! The sport of dogs is unique
because of the wonderful dogs involved in it.
This introduction to learning about
conformation handling will be information you
may know, information you didn’t know, and an
invitation to learn more. It is my hope that you’ll
find exactly what you need to create more bang
for your dog show bucks!
With practice, a good dog, and a dose of
confidence, you can win. Some people might
tell you that the deck is stacked against you
because you’re not a professional handler, and
professional handlers do all the winning. The
people who tell you this are wrong. Don’t listen
to them.
Professional handlers do win – a lot. The
reason professional handlers win so much is
that they work at it, a lot! Professional handlers
make their living training and showing dogs
for paying clients. Sometimes the paying
client is someone who never wants to set foot
in the dog show ring. Sometimes the client is
someone who shows their dogs in the classes,
and will hire a handler to pilot the dog to Breed,
Group, and Best In Show wins. That’s called
something many owner-handlers have the time
or resources to do. Very rarely, under judges