I'm a bit of a technophobe, but my daughter has given me an advanced tutorial on facebook and I'm tentatively using it.

I notice that show people in my breed people all interact with one another (on facebook) incl. posting photos and show results - isn't this a great bit of subliminal advertising given that some within the groups are judges? but as so many are doing it should I also try to join in and showcase my boy as well as gleaning inside breed/show info?

None of this internet networking existed when I showed before in 2000, am I missing an opportunity?

> I notice that show people in my breed people all interact with one another (on facebook) incl. posting photos and show results - isn't this a great bit of subliminal advertising given that some within the groups are judges?

I was accused of that recently with my dogs and one of my bitches in particular... the next week she went out and won the bitch CC and BOB in the biggest entry of any breed at Midland counties..under a judge who I believe is not even on the internet :-)

Results, adverts and critiques in the dog papers have always kept people in no doubt who wins what.

Some of the really old adverts, where they extol the virtues of their dogs with testimonials from the 'big name' judges of the day, make FB seem like chicken feed :-)

I would wait to befriend someone who is coming up to judge, until after they have judged(unless I was already on their friends list).
Things can be misconstrude by some who might put pics or wins of their dogs but there will always be those types...

Within most breeds these people will be friends and acquaintances anyway - our own breed has worldwide members and it is surely a good thing to know what is going on around the world particularly if your looking to import or go abroad for a stud.

Nearly all of my friends on FB are dog people and mainly in my breed.  I've never ever thought that putting my dogs photo's on my pages would influence anyone and doubt they would as we all have different tastes and everyone in my breed be them judges, show people, pet people etc all know each other and their dogs anyway.

Putting photos of your dogs on can have the opposite effect, especially if it isn't a very good picture. ;-) Any faults can be seen and a 'judge' could then look at that particular fault in the ring and decide it really is a bad fault and shouldn't be place highly. Not that I'm saying it has happened, just that it could.

A good photo is nice to see, but a bad photo can make a good dog look awful.

Difficult to talk for others but I don't know of a judge who would see a picture on the internet remember which dog it was and dismiss it in the ring because of that photo - I can't imagine a judge looking at a good photo of the dog and thinking any more that "I look forward to assessing that if it is entered under me" and then promptly forgetting it and going off to do the washing.

Contrary to what seems to be a common misunderstanding most of us judges do it as part of a hobby and we do not spend our lives looking out for other peoples dogs to like or dislike - we start judging when we enter the ring and stop when we leave, we enjoy it but if is a hobby not a life's work.

Also the long and short of it is if the judge is either honourable or not, if it's the kind who will put someone up cos they're buddies or because they'd like pick of a upcoming litter or would like their judge friend to do them well or they want to knock a dog because it's competition to them. They are either decent or not, regardless or if they have seen a picture :)