i am showing my pointer at gbas champ show in few weeks this is our first ever champ show what do i need for benching and anyother advice please,i do have tie up chain i use for my horse,hector has been tied up few times with it,will we be able to sit at bench etc????

Take a fold up chair and something for your dog to sit on comfortably. If u want to use the bench then u can put the bit of bedding down there for your dog. Personally i never use the benches and just set up camp with my chair and bag near the ring so i can watch everything in comfort with my dog. I usually have someone with me to hold my dog if i need a loo break but otherwise she stays by my side. Have a great day!

thank u i have fold up chairs will also have my husband and 14mnth old son with me,am not sure if hector will stay on bench or settle he loves to watch everything that goes on ,have heard shopping at champ shows are good

You don't really need one, unless you want to leave him there whilst you shop and don't want to lug a crate. I love taking mine with me around champ shows, great socialising for them after the hours of grooming it takes to prep my breed!

what breed have u got??? hector loves shows and getting tons of affection i was at bakewell show we left our chairs in grooming tent and had good walk round,i use to show horses so never got chance to walk round shows was either in ring or stuck at lorry or cleaning harness

I won't say as I'm about to have a litter and not sure it would be abiding by the forum's rules, but it's a small breed so easy to tuck under one's arm if need be.

I love walking about after you've shown and seen some dogs you like, it's just so nice to be around other dog lovers, isn't it?

I take small children with me to shows too! You can use your bench as a useful storage place! :)

Just be aware technically your dog is supposed to be on it's bench when not being shown groomed or exercised.  Once used to it, it is also a place they can rest without being disturbed.

It is useful to teach them to be happy on the bench, most of us do this by sitting in front of them so they are happy with you always there until they are totally happy, and then asking a fellow exhibitor to keep an eye while you pop to loo, show your other dogs etc.

So if you need your hands free, need the loo, change the baby they are safely tethered, as there won't be anywhere else to do this and a crate big enough for your breed would be pretty unwieldy to carry without a pack donkey, and wouldn't fit on your bench anyway.

Also it is all well to be at ringside with your dog, but depending how the rings are arranged there may be very little ringside space, there will be breeds before and after yours in that ring and personal hate is adjoining rings breeds or previous later rings taking up our ring-space when we are trying to get in the ring with our own breed currently being shown (most often small breeds in crates parked there for the day which hopefully being a gundog who you won't have too much of)..

would it be ok to take water ,feed and bed for hector for bench,if hector does not settle i could but my son on bench ,hector and keir are best friends??

>would it be ok to take water ,feed and bed for hector for bench

Most definitely! A blanket on the bench is a must, and a drink and some food all helps to make the occasion less traumatic.

thank u will take treats for hector as well i have open show this weekend and next weekend so it will be good practic run for gbas

The first thing I do when arriving at a show (the moment we get out of the car) is bring sausages, hot dogs, ham, chicken or similar out (not to mention the eternal favourite of liver!) to show the dogs new to showing that "this is one of these nice places were you get special treats!"