do others go through times when they loose the enthusiasm for going to shows...? I have been sick with the dreaded flu over the last 3 wks , have a show at the weekend in Scotland so an overnighter.. plus there are a couple more before the end of the year but I just cant bring myself to prepare my girl for the show .
Thoughts going through my head ie: why am I doing this? My girl does well most of the time has a RCC  so its not that we are binned at every show or anything like that..we dont do every single show either I just dont feel like I can <be bothered>

Maybe I just need a long break??

What do others do when they feel like this or is it just me????

Roni

Hi Roni,

I have been the exact same this month.  I decided to have a wee break, not doing LKA, Manchester is being debated and so is Crufts just now. :-)

I hit the " why do we do this" stage recently. :-)

I think its the weather and the dark morning etc. I hate getting up at stupid times to drive 7-8 hours, then drive home again, we rarely do more than 10 champ shows a years, but do support the open shows more, and sometime's I feel I cant be bothered, but I do enjoy catching yp with friends.

The flu is the key.
You need to rest up and recuperate, poor thing.
The last thing you need is an overnighter at a dog show.
Be kind to yourself and shelve those plans in favour of you and then more you.

Karen :)

eta   you will be better for it and raring to go again next year.

Maybe it is the time of the year!

I only just got my girl who had an accident ready for showing again, did one show and she won her class...
After a year of hard work and hoping/waiting to get her back in to show ring I have suddenly started to think about "having a break"!
Maybe starting again next autumn when I have my new puppy to show! I have a dog I have not been able to show and she did so well few weeks ago so why would I need to wait to have the new puppy???
It is total maddness really and I have no idea where I'm getting these ideas!
I have entered her to LKA but am already thinking of not going...

Not so much taking time out, but giving the dogs a rest for 6months or so... possibly till around March...   Plus we are on maternity leave at moment  :-)

In the last couple of months I have had mother and daughter BIS and BPIS at same show.. a RBPIS with another youngester and Ollie gained his stud book No. at Darlington... its been very busy campaining 4 youngsters, plus rotating the 'big uns' at shows.. so I feel a time out is well deserved for all of them..and me :-)

I think most people towards the end of the year have enough !!  With 2 ch shows in jan now, it seems to be non stop x

I feel like this from time to time, especially in the winter months. When I'm feeling jaded I just stay home and do other things with the dogs for a while, over the winter I tend to focus on my gundog work and have no UK shows planned for the rest of the year and haven't given much thought to 2010 either !!

I never stay away long and after a break I enjoy the shows so much more :)

K

We have been enjoying a break, but we have still gone to club shows or champ shows that we were booked into if they are close to home but not to show, just to meet all our friends and let Charlie play with his litter-mates. We don't have to get there as early so have the best of both worlds..... Sleep in/ go to show :-)
not starting again until January and it feels nice.
Paula

Think yourself lucky you have this problem.......I would do anything to be able to show my youngster but have been banned by KC as he had an op after injuring his knee and now would have 'an unfair advantage'.

Im going through this at the moment, now I have the baby its more of an effort to get to shows especially the ones that are a bit of a trek.  I either have to get a baby sitter or be ultra organised, often popping sleeping baby in the car seat and then stopping at services when she wakes up to give her breakfast.  Now if we did well at the shows then it wouldnt be such a problem but we havent had a great year, although Alf got his stud book number back in April since then we have only had a couple of placings so its put me off making the effort.

I do this all the time, often giving up showing for a year or so at a time.
The dogs are still there, the shows still go on and will be there when you go back to it.

> The dogs are still there, the shows still go on and will be there when you go back to it.

I too have been a bit lax with showing and entries...kinda get out of the routine....never ever thought
I'd lose the 'bug' or drive to go to shows!

BUT will the shows still be there? - I'm talking about the general open shows here not the big Ch shows.
Since I started showing oooh 20 or so years ago we've lost quite a few shows here in my 'local' south east area.

Henley now down to 1 show per annum from 2 open shows.
Oxford now down to 1 open show and 1 limit show from 2 open shows.

Lost
Slough DCS 1 open show (they may have had 2 I can't remember now)
Dorking - 1 open show
Alton DCS - 2 open shows

We may have lost more but those above are the immediate ones that spring to mind in my local showing area...
I guess some have given up for lack of committee members/helpers, others not survived financially.
Also lost some of our breed classes at other 'local' shows. So as much as I don't want to go under some judges,
I still want my breed classes...so it's a difficult choice..

I remember Basingstoke having their own show ...... must have been well over 20 years ago now that I went to it.

I think most of us go through this.
I was avid about 3 or 4 years ago but now I think oh well i have missed the entry for that show, never mind. I think as I have only 2 dogs to show & one of them is a veteran which I am now only going to show at breed clubs in veteran classes. The other I am choosey where she goes, this maybe why I am in a lull. I am hoping this may change in the new year/6 months after, if you get my drift.

I got 'it' about 3 years ago and have hardly been to a dog show since.    Most of the time I can predict the CC winners pre-show.  Now doing a little bit of showing with my Selkirk Rex (Cats) where there still is some faciness but not so bad, rosettes are far better though!

i remember basingstoke show to

> have been banned by KC as he had an op after injuring his knee

And I still think that it's been a pretty hard decision by the KC.  If it had been luxating patella, perhaps, but I don't feel that you've been treated fair on this one.

I feel this way a couple of time a year, but as you say the shows will still be there.

My friend moans constantly that she's going to give up - but she never does! I only feel like giving up when it's an early start and the alarm goes off, or sometimes if we've done badly. Must admit I was a bit glum after last weekend when we were last in both classes, not what my boy's used to! But I just do a bit of shopping, or enter another show or two when we get home, and that cheers me up again. :-)

Glad I'm not the only one 'out of the loop'.
My best ever showgirl was doing great up til Welks, then 2 major ops happened within a short time of each other & now I'm just glad she's still here  & has her spirit back although not & ever will be fully recovered. It sounds daft & shallow to say that at first I missed the showing & all the enjoyment we had but now I don't miss getting up at a silly hour & having to make arrangements for the other dogs I leave behind etc etc. I don't know if I can be even bothered with Crufts, it'll be hard to watch what would've been my girls class & I always looked forward to that more than Christmas!

I am just so pleased for you that you have your girl with you, showing dogs is just a pastime given the choice I am sure her being with you is such a joy in comparison.

I love to go to cruft without a dog being able to sit around the ring  with my friend  just watching then get out before all the crowds.

ive had these feelings too especially first thing in morning before a show!

I'm about to have to make the hardest decision with clashes of commitments now - Toy day at Crufts next year is the same day my new choir is singing my favourite work ever - aargh!!! I might just barely make it back for the concert leaving at 4pm but there's no way I would make the afternoon rehearsal! My friends are hoping to come over from America so I could always leave Henry for them to show and bring home - decisions, decisions!!

I had this about a year back. But now I have a new puppy who is doing really well so far (That always helps!!) and i'm also focusing on other things rather than JUST showing my own dogs - Handling for others, learning to hand strip different breeds rather than just my own, getting more involved in different breeds and meeting new people. I think when you get too into your own breed, especially breed politics(!) it does become a bit boring and you start to think 'why do i even bother'.

Careful what you wish for - I'd love to get back in the show ring, but don;t have anything to show :( after loosing a young dog last year and my youngster deciding that he hated showing.  Still trying to find a new puppy, but don't like some of the contracts being used at the moment1Ah well back to the drawing board

I think if you show for long enough, sooner or later you get the feeling of "why bother, I don't need this". Especially at this time of year, when it's dark, cold and horrible when you need to get up in the early hours.
But, like someone said, be careful what you wish for. When I didn't have a dog to show, for quite some time, oh how I missed it! I couldn't wait to get back in the rings.
Of course you can handle dogs for other people, but it's something extra when it's your own dog.
And I love the training bit as well. It's such a positive and happy way of training, all praise and happy talk :-p

I've had a showing break of over a year - but must admit I'm looking forward now to getting back in the ring at LKA - just LOVE the buzz at a big show - love sitting round the ringside 'puttting the world to rights' and enjoying a bit of banter - love watching the dogs and seeing the latest crop of pups and what the latest imports have produced - love browsing the tradestands and dissecting the results with my hubby on the drive back and just LOVE working with my dogs in the ring and the thrill of standing at the front of the line ( sometimes !!! )

it was good to have a break but I'm ready to come back !

Yvonne

I know how you feel I had the flu for nearly 4 weeks and still feel low I take my dog out but dread that now as there is a lady whereI go who hates breeders and show people and keeps telling me to get him castrated even though he is no problem and loves everything. I think the flue leaves you so low as I had never been ill like that before as far as I can remember as you just loose interest in everything.