I have never shown a dog before (only horses) and I am interested in having a go. My pup has been purchased as a pet firstly, but has anyone got any advice? Should I have a go or not bother? and is so are there any shows that we can do that are not as serious as others?

If showing was never discussed when you chose your pup then it will be well worth seeking your breeders advice firstly - particularly if they are a breeder that regularly shows and places puppies into show homes.  They'll be able to give you some good advice about your dog's potential.  They will also be able to help you learn how your breed is presented, what lead to use etc, and which ring craft classes you could attend.

Whereabouts are you and how far do you want to travel for a show?  We could tell you what Open shows are coming up in your area and recommend a ringcraft class if you haven't found one yet

Unless your dog has any major faults then there's no reason at why you shouldn't have a go if you want to :)  What breed do you have? 

There are all levels of showing from the local companion show right up to championship shows, where hundreds if not thousands enter.

Getting a feel for whether you and your dog like dog showing, and great practice for both of you, can be had at the lowest level to start with.
Companion shows are usually local, pretty cheap to enter and although the judging can be a little unrepresentative shall we say, good fun for the beginner.
It also gives the knock on effect of meeting the local dog showing people who can advice on ringcraft (a must) and other local shows.

Our first Malamute was purchased as a family member,we had no desire to show,though often thought about it when we had our GSD boy.Our Mal came from a show home and we were encouraged to show him.We watched a couple of shows at agricultural shows,then entered him in a local open show and he was placed 1st in junior.We went to ring craft and the following year started showing reguarly at both open and champ shows.My OH and I enjoy it from the social point of things and the woos enjoy the company.

Go for it Chilli-dog :-)! For sheer addictive and poverty-inducing fun it's hard to beat. Seriously though, the chance to meet and learn from others in your breed, other owners at ringcraft and at shows is hugely enjoyable. We were new to this just a year ago and without the help, insight and encouragement of the many people who have helped me with everything from learning to trim my dogs to handling I would have really struggled. Match nights at ringcraft classes are very cheap as well as a stress-free way of getting started.

I would check if your dog is of show lines or bred for show... I know that in my breed at least, there is a big difference between show Minis and pet ones. Honestly, I'm not trying to sound harsh, but it will save a lot of heart ache if you really get into it and then hear it from someone else, especially as showing is an expensive hobby.

However, it is a lot of fun and a great day out!

Even if your dog isn't bred for show there's no reason why you can't work with him/her to practice your handling skills. At least you can make an informed decision about whether you really want to commit yourself to the time, money and hard work involved. I don't know what breed you have, but an example of the kind of thing that might influence your decision could be the time and skill needed to maintain a show coat. As others have said, have a chat with your breeder if you can. If you already show horses I guess you know what's involved :-)

I just wanted to say we recently started showing after lots of excellent advice from champdogs (i didn't have a clue about classes, what i should wear, take, didn't know what a gundog slip even was) I am so glad I did.  The people here really are just fantastic and helped me so much.  I was petrified on my first show and we were awful - she jumped up at the judge then refused to have her teeth looked at but meeting people in the breed and their support was just brilliant.  Whether your dog will win crufts or just enjoy his/her days out to local ringcraft match nights & open shows it really doesn't matter.  It's all about meeting up with like minded doggy people and their K9 families and learning more about your breed. 

If your dog is only ever going to enjoy a 3rd place at the local match night then as others have said save your money and don't enter champ shows just practice your handling skills, make sure your dog is enjoying itself and start researching for your next pup.

I've had a great time starting showing, met some brilliant people and am thoroughly enjoying getting to know more about my breed - it really isn't as scary as i thought and I'm so glad i did it

I wish you the very best of luck and please let us know what you decide/ how you get on

My first proper show dog was not really as good as I would have liked, but she was a wonderful do to have round a young family. I showed her and learnt a lot from her. I know now why she didn't win, but back then I thought she was the best. ;-) I learnt a lot more by having a dog that wasn't the top quality and I really don't think I would have learnt as much so quickly if she had won everything. Her younger sister was so much better and when she decided to show would win. Unfortunately she hated it :-( Big sister loved it and wasn't as good, typical.

So I would agree, go for it, have fun, learn what you can, you never know you might have a really good dog. You won't know until you start showing.

What I learnt very quickly was that you can have a wonderful dog but without good handling skills even the best dog will struggle to compensate for you. For the likes of me that takes a lot of practice and even then some days it just doesn't seem to work well, usually because of staying up all night to finish grooming, arriving without enough time to relax and exercise the dog and so on...

The KC seminars movement and confirmation seminar helped me understand how to stack and move my dog better, the hands on assessment helped me to see strengths and faults in my own and other dogs. There's so much you can do to improve your knowledge, which increases your confidence, and the dog benefits from your confidence in the ring. Just enjoy it all and persevere!

Thanks for all the advice. Im definately going to look into it and take her to some ringcraft classes to get some help on how to show her. ll let you know what happens and if I get hooked. LOL!!

LOL if you don't e3nd up hooked they'll probably give you your money back at ringcraft!