After being at the world show and seeing what a champ show in this country could be like without benching, I am very glad we have benches!

I always use the benches, as does everyone else in the breed, because we are usually late in the ring.  The ringside will be full with the other breeds before us.

This year at our breed champ show we won't have benches for the first time - to help reduce costs.  Its going to be interesting as think most people bench in our breed.

And if I am honest not looking forward to it it means another thing to put in the car I (we are usually pretty full as is!) only have one metal crate and a particularly useless soft crate! but guess can use the car if the weather is ok - either not too hot nor wet.

Can imagine a bit of chaos will be underway!

> After being at the world show and seeing what a champ show in this country could be like without benching

The benching at the WDS this year was not the usual continental benching style, maybe for France, but generally you cannot move the individual "cages" around as they are fixed together and in neat rows! 

I love the European benching system, saves me having to haul crates into the shows like I do here as the UK benches are totally unsuitable for our breed.  And also they are too far away from the rings here to be used if you have more than one dog to show.  I am certainly not leaving my dogs unattended here on benching in a tent out of site while I am in the ring with another dog.   Richmond, Windsor, Leeds, SC, WELKS, just to name a few the benching tents are way too far from the rings to be used.  You cannot even see our rings from the tents at these shows.  Nope complete waste of money for us.

> Richmond, Windsor, Leeds, SC, WELKS, just to name a few the benching tents are way too far from the rings to be used.  You cannot even see our rings from the tents at these shows.

I think the benching debate is going to be a 50/50 split, there will always be people for & those against.
You say these shows you are too far away from the ring however for me I've not had that problem, at SC I didn't have to move from the benching only to enter the ring as we were right next to it.

The only show I've ever complained about was SKC and I think all most every exhibitor disliked the SKC bench/ring system, however I was delighted at SKC May this year to see it all changed & rings were next to benching.

Our breed are always benched far from our rings, always get the feeling they think ah well only get around 40 entries so won't get as many complaints.

I agree Gemma.

When I showed boxers I put them on the bench and knew no one would be able to just take them......"distrustful of stangers"
now I have Cavaliers I keep them with me...." friendly - affectionate"....its all there in their breed standards.

Very good reasons for the split opinion........Again horses for courses!

> The Regulation has been changed as follows:-
>
> FROM:
>
> 17.  Exhibition of Dogs.
> a.  Championship, Open and Limited Shows (Benched):-
> (1)  Dogs must be present on their benches at all times except
> (a)  When being judged.
> (b)  When being prepared for exhibition and/or being exercised for a period not exceeding 30 minutes.
> (2)  Dogs may be removed from their benches by order of the Veterinary Surgeon, Veterinary Practitioner or Show Management.
> TO:
>

> 17.  Exhibition of Dogs.
> a.  Championship, Open and Limited Shows (Benched):-
> (1)  Dogs should be present on their benches at all times except
> (a)  When being judged.
> (b)  When being prepared for exhibition and/or being exercised.
> (2)  In certain circumstances dogs must be present on their benches at all times if required by show management.
> (3)  Dogs may be removed from their benches by order of the Veterinary Surgeon, Veterinary Practitioner or Show Management.

All that has changed is the time dogs may be off the bench, they are still required to be benched, but there is no time limit set for them 'being excersised'.

The bane of my life is exhibitors in adjoining rings, or due in before/after us blocking ringsides/access to rings, as they don't want to use the benches.  This has been especially the case with trolly and cage fulls of toy dogs at Windsor and Richmond, where on several occasions our coated breed has had to roast in the sun while the only shady sides of our ring were blocked by trollies and other breeds whose judging was finished/not started, or not even due in that ring.

Dogs should be trained to be happy resting on their bench, be that in a crate, or behind a benching guard (if they guard their space) or attached to benching chain.  I find my dogs much more rested at benched shows than they are at some of the overcrowded open shows where space is so cramped they are forever being trodden on, as often there is not enough room for crates..

>> Richmond, Windsor, Leeds, SC, WELKS, just to name a few the benching tents are way too far from the rings to be used.  You cannot even see our rings from the tents at these shows.

Cannot understand why they can't do them like they have been the last few years at Southern Counties, Three counties, and Even Bath have the benching and rings closer, but not such an overall good layout.

HAVE TO SAY i LIKE SOUTHERN COUNTIES LAYOUT of the last two years THE BEST FROM THE SECURITY ASPECT if it were tweaked it would be possible to make the benching exhibitors only as it is all in the centre, a bit like at Rabbit shows when held at Agricultural shows.

> Personally I think a cage area would be better and less expensive for the organizers. Then if you wish to you can take your cage and set up your camp as you want it.
>

That would take up a lot more space, as most people would not put their crates cheek by jowl with the neighbouring one. 

How would they calculate benching cover?

At the moment they know how many dogs they have, and how many benches that needs based on the required minimum bench sizes.

      "Dogs should be trained to be happy resting on their bench, be that in a crate, or behind a benching guard (if they guard their space) or attached to benching chain.  I find my dogs much more rested at benched shows than they are at some of the overcrowded open shows where space is so cramped they are forever being trodden on, as often there is not enough room for crates.."

So Agree with your comments, my benched/caged dogs just go to sleep as they know the routine.......
Much better in my opinion than being taken round the showground.

> "Dogs should be trained to be happy resting on their bench, be that in a crate, or behind a benching guard (if they guard their space) or attached to benching chain.  I find my dogs much more rested at benched shows than they are at some of the overcrowded open shows where space is so cramped they are forever being trodden on, as often there is not enough room for crates.."
>
> So Agree with your comments, my benched/caged dogs just go to sleep as they know the routine.......
> Much better in my opinion than being taken round the showground.

My point all along is that I use the benches - and the dog/s are quite happy on them - but that I don't, and won't, leave them unattended.  If that means I hop up and down, waiting to go to the loo, til someone is free to watch them then so be it :) 

I'd hate for benching to be removed and replaced with cage areas - with benching you generally get to know your neighbours!!

Over the years, I've seen some dreadful accidents and near accidents occur to dogs left unattended on the benches, and personally had a dog inside the tent when it partially collapsed at a Champ show (in the 1980s) and because of that, I wouldn't leave mine completely alone.  I've lost count of the times I've had to rescue dogs, supposedly secure, panicking because they have fallen/jumped off their benches and are strangling themselves.  I also won't bench my dog on a bench with a gap in it if I can help it, after a friend's dog, thankfully not unattended, became trapped in the gap between two benches causing injury.  I've seen almost a dozen incidents over the last thirty years.  That's not counting the passing toddler that nearly got bitten by unattended dogs flying off the benches many years ago, or the hole in my cardigan that was silently chewed through when I stood next to an unattended bench to look over and see where the judging was up to (my fault - he obviously felt I was too close for comfort).  As to dogs not being stolen, I thought there was an incident some years ago where local children were discovered attempting to steal dogs by passing them under a fence?
That said, I think there is an enormous difference between going away for a few minutes to use the loo or buy a meal, leaving your dog with a trusted fellow exhibitor, and disappearing for hours at a time, as some people do.  At most shows you will be asked to keep an eye out for someone for a few minutes, and you can ask them to do the same.  Dogs may be fine alone for a short while, but many dogs left for a long period of time will become increasingly distressed.
Benching alongside your ring is the answer, where someone can keep an eye and still not miss all of the judging.  There are bound to be more people coming and going that will see if anything untoward is occuring.

Quite, with multiple dogs and multiple rings over a large show ground like WKC if you have more than one dog it becomes impossible not to leave one on the bench.

I even had to leave the pup yesterday chewing a bone (asked someone to watch her, and where I was going) in order to compete with Mum in the main ring in stakes.

We our lucky in our breed that even if not asked we automatically look out for each others dogs.

For the last two years I ahve foudn Southern counties the easiest shwo to have dogws becnched within reach fo your benches and to easily get to main ring for stakes and still not be far away.

Havign all the becnhing as an Island in the middle makes the dogs more secure with the Trade stands being the outer perimiter and rings around/and at the bottom of the benching.

> "Dogs should be trained to be happy resting on their bench, be that in a crate, or behind a benching guard

Fine saying that but benching guards are not 100% secure.   You are not allowed move the benching partitions to put bigger crates on there, if you do you are told to put them back to the standard width.  What about the x lg breeds who the size of the benching is totally inadequate?  Some breeds cannot physically fit on the benching and no allowance is made for these larger dogs at all, and even if they were wider there is not enough depth the the standard benching size to accomodate them.  Many dogs are happy resting on the bench but what happens when the next door dog is not secure, or left on too long a line and can get to the neighbouring dog which we witnessed at SKC this year.  Or the dogs (seen it happen a few times) that are secured by benching chains and are normally 100% happy and safe get agitated for some reason, a wasp sting I have seen twice be the reason, almost end up with a broken neck.  It only needs to happen once for permanent damage to the vertebrae in the neck.  Saw this at SKC (again in May), and at Crufts, and numerous times. 

At the houndshow for example it is impossible to use the benching anyway as it is in Bingley hall with most rings outside.  Leeds for us the "grooming area" is too far away from the ring to be used, and the walkways between the rings at Leeds is crammed with toys and terriers and anything that uses a crate, a grooming table, and a suitcase per dog so you cannot access the grooming area at all between classes.  Why is it the smaller the dog the more baggage it needs (bar Afghans & poddles who seem to come with an artic load of kit in tow)?  SKC did make an effort in May with a better benching - ring locality, and Bath and B National is usually logical.   Maybe they should ban seperate grooming tables for a start?  But still most benching was unused.  WKC yesterday was impossible to use the benching as it was way too far from the ring.  Not even within earshot.

> WKC yesterday was impossible to use the benching as it was way too far from the ring.  Not even within earshot.

Yes, I dislike the venue and if it wasn't for having a new puppy adn the judge, I eould not ahve entered there.  I am bitterly dissapointed that SWKA have moved there.  Tradionally thsi was seen by people in teh south West as a local enough show for them. 

Was happy with the change of date to October, as July is so congested with shows, but not the change of location from South Wales to Builth, so genertally I do one or other show now.

With the major cost of shows for us being Fuel, I prefer to do fewer shows and enter more than one dog if classification allows, so this does mean needing somewhere to leave the other dog/s.

Benching isn't ideal but better than the alternative, (as said at Houndshow you can't use the benches so have to lug in crates, which then often have to be left away from the rings anyway, so security still an issue, but it is rare for there to be no-one at the benches if a dog gets into bother, or has too long a benching chain etc.

As for Giant breeds, I thought that benching sizes had to allow, though the depth is an issue. 

> As for Giant breeds, I thought that benching sizes had to allow, though the depth is an issue

A very very few shows do (or did) make a slight allowance of about 3 inches for giant breeds.  But like at WELKS nothing at all and the officials there are particularly zealous in making sure you do not try and adjust your partions even by one slot.

At southern counties we are up one end and benched 2 thirds of the way down, was a right trek with more than one dog.

> Yes, I dislike the venue and if it wasn't for having a new puppy adn the judge, I eould not ahve entered there.  I am bitterly dissapointed that SWKA have moved there.

And it can be SO cold in October, and those indoor rings are drafty, the end we are always at has leaves wafting through the whole time.  Noisy, poor lighting.  After the trawl home yesterday from Builth with Friday traffic it made my mind up not to enter SWKA, nor WKC next year given our judge allocations for both shows.

>At southern counties we are up one end and benched 2 thirds of the way down

That was a shame as they do try to get the breeds close to the relevant ring.  Were you benched near a numerically very strong breed?

We seemed to be amongst everything, shih tzu's, shibas and kessie's. Fortunately being in the end ring the grass next to it was empty so we stuck our trolleys under the tree, I do like southern counties though one of my favs even without tickets, worst show for me is LKA that walk from the car park is hellish and were always last in the ring.