Many, many years ago, when I was first showing I used to buy Dog World because they sold it in my local newsagents, and now that I'm back to showing again I'd like to get one of the papers (mainly to see the critiques if I'm honest - I can get most of the news I want by other means).  I'd love to hear what you think the main differences are between the two and what your preference is (and why) before I pay for a subscription!

Hate to say it but for critiques you really need to take both. Sometimes a critique only appears in one paper, and not infrequently when it appears in both, DW has trimmed it down whereas the one in OD will be unedited.

I gave up on both :(

The critiques for my dogs were rarely published,  I had a subscription to OD online so that I could catch the ones they published.    But a complete waste of money.    Maybe it's just our breed?   

And the ones that did get published were often up to six months after the show!

Many years ago I used to have both, then went to just Dog World but changed to Our Dogs around 18 months ago, one reason being because they dont edit the critiques like dog world do!!!

I've always got DW, I like the articles as well. Might need to switch to both - are the articles in OD interesting, I've never actually read it!

I have online subscriptions to both, but I prefer Our Dogs

I subscribe to Dog World (have done for 20 odd years) like to have the digital for a quick peek on a Wednesday, prefer Dog World as a paper to read on the kitchen table, I generally look for any critiques relevant to my dogs, then breed notes for my breed and then other breeds that I'm interested in, the remainder of the paper is read over the next few days. Also have just the digital version of Our Dogs so I don't miss anything!! In Our Dogs I only check the critiques, read the breed notes and have a quick scan through. If I had to choose I'd choose Dog World.

Very lucky that for me I can use terrier world website, where all the critiques seem to go in almost instantly.

I subscribe to both our dogs and dog world for critiques. This week in our dogs they have done a piece on my son who is off to welsh junior handler of the year just before crufts. And in dog world every fortnight they do a section on paws for youth for juniors.

well i didn't know that dog world edited the critiques! how unfair not to get the whole wording, it can make such a difference. Don't think I can afford two papers.
Its totally nonsense that you pay to enter your dog at a show and if you get a good placing you have to pay again to see what the judge has said, it should be free and included in the show entry that if you are fortunate to get a critique this is made available to you at no extra charge. Maybe on the show website that you entered or by letting you know which paper to buy to see the critique. More work I know for judges and show organisers but if they want to keep attracting exhibitors then they do need to offer something.
we all pay up £25 for champ show entries plus parking, you can't speak to the judge or get any feed back at the show then have to pay to buy a paper every week just incase your critique is there and see what has been said as feed back to work on.

Some clubs stipulate in the judges's contract that critiques are sent to OD, DW and the club secretary. Personally I think that should be standard, and if the club is receving the critiques they ought to have a website on which results will be published.

I only occasionally judge at open shows, and I am more than happy to send critiques directly to people showing under me if they let me have their email addresses.

Do you offer this at the time of judging or only if they ask? Lets hope more judges follow this, its such a nice thing to do.

I spoke to exhibitors after I'd finished judging and offered my email address with the idea of forwarding their critiques (places 1-3) by reply.

the way forward for sure.

I saw a judge at a show on New Years Day who'd given us BOB in November (she came up to commiserate that the January judge hadn't placed us highly!) and I said the paper appeared to have lost or failed to print her critique (I'd emailed and been told they hadn't received it), and could she send me a copy, and she said of course so I gave her my email. Still waiting.....

I think it's good practice for new judges--I only started 18 months ago and I am grateful for any practice I can get in critique writing, so exhibitors get the critique whether or not papers will print it (which I hope they see as a good thing).

The thing I like about dog world though is that they publish critiques online as they get them instead of just once a week like ourdogs, also for the past 2 years ourdogs have not published many for my breed at all.

Our Dogs publish their critiques online as well. They go back to 2002. Edited to say: it also seems to be more than once a week, you can click on the "updated shows" button.

Whereabouts do you find the critiques that are publishes online? I can only find the online digital edition which is basically the same as the published newspaper.

ETA: Found them! :)

When we were still showing I subscribed to Dog World, mainly because to me, Our Dogs was slightly more slanted to the North.   Maybe just because my breed correspondent in DW was based in the South!!   For sure DW edited critiques, which really teed me off when I'd forwarded critiques for publication.   Editing them could alter the whole emphasis of what I'd written.

I'd suggest it's swings and roundabouts - if there are contributors to other aspects of the dog showing world that are better covered in one, or the other paper, then go for that paper.

Not showing or breeding, or judging now, I cannot justify the expense and I'm not paying DW's fee for reading it all online either!!   So I have to be content with the weekly online Newsletters.

No it is only once a week, they use the updated sections for shows that have many different judges etc. Yes they are online but like i said they are slow and also hardly any japs ones get published with them lately within the desired one month schedule. My only annoyance with Dog World is the editing but they have not done that many times to the japs critiques.

Thanks all.  I also get cross that we have to subscribe to get critiques, but that wouldn't be so bad if they did actually publish them all (or that at least the show secretaries should ensure that all the judges send them in to be published).

I'm going to do a trial subscription to Our Dogs online and see how that goes.