Just interested to hear your thoughts on this one.

Does "nervous" equal "aggressive" in this poll?

Does "nervous" equal "aggressive" in this poll?

I think most people would agree that taking a nervous dog to a show increases the chance of growling, biting, etc - particularly when the judge approaches.

I've had a few hounds who weren't totally in love with the show game, and with the ever-increasing cost of showing, feel/felt there's really no point if the dog, and so me, don't enjoy it.    I had one who really didn't like being 'gone over' but would go round the ring, tail up, happily.   I put an overseas title on her, and did show her now and then, back here in the UK in Vet., more so people could see the bitch behind my UK Champ than anything else.   Another I showed, and put a RBCC on her before I decided as she wasn't enjoying herself, or doing herself justice in the ring, to abandon any idea of doing more with her and retired her.

It would depend on exactly how the 'nervous' really was, and whether if young, with more experience, building confidence would improve matters.  And of course, whether the dog was otherwise a good 'un even if temperament should count!!

I have one that has nervous aggression around other dogs and although we have worked on this a show ring is too close proximity and a risk to her and others

Also if a dog does well conformation in the ring I believe tempermemt should also  be good so not happy to show a dog with a temprement fault

Agree with mamabas last paragraph

Never shown a dog myself, but cannot see the point of creating a more stressful environs for a dog. I've never trialled a dog that wasn't happy in the trial environs, even if the dog was a good worker in it's natural environs of the "home" farm or farms I was employed to work stock on.

We choose to keep dogs & should have respect for them by not putting them in stressful situations

Another one who doesn’t show dogs, but feel a nervous dog shouldn’t be shown.

Don’t know what breed of dog this is but a good temperament in many breeds is part of the breed standard.

Is the dog currently a puppy? If so could it be going through a fear stage or just generally lacking in confidence which may improve given the correct training and handling? However I do think that an adult dog that may threaten to or try and bite the judge is definitely out of order and the dog shouldn’t be shown however good, for the sake of the dog more then anything else.

I wouldn't show a dog that was likely to be aggressive towards others in the ring. It just is not fair to the other dogs, and you can't always control the environment. I have worked a nervous-aggressive dog in trials, but the conditions there are different and, apart from stays, they are on the field on their own.
To me, nothing looks worse than a submissively nervous dog in the show ring. If the dog was good enough, I might enter a couple of smaller shows, and see if I could make it enjoyable for the dog, but I wouldn't persevere if the dog was cringing.

I don't show and couldn't answer the poll as it's too case by case.

Some puppies are a bit nervous on and off and if you can give them some positive experiences (by which I mean planning out a positive experience for THEM which would almost certainly preclude any hope of a win) might come to enjoy showing. Others are just not suited and could be terrified forever by trying to force the issue. It depends so much what about showing scares them. I don't think I would show a dog who was anxious to the point of growling/barking, but mostly because my dogs don't do that much so to me it's a "last warning" situation.

It also depends on the attitude of the human. If they are being shown up mostly to prove justification for breeding then no, I don't think the world needs 3+ more litters of nervous puppies even with excellent conformation. If the human is showing as a hobby then  I see that as more rational.

1st GSD - no papers - did loads of exemption shows, both he and I enjoyed it. when we lost him the next GSD had papers so we could try 'proper' shows 1st show puppy class  judge stepped towards him and he disappeared behind my legs. Tried another show when he got 4th out of 5 and judge commented that 'he doesn't like this situation' ................. at which point I decided just try a few fun shows ............ similar attitude.
His whole attitude was 'mummy told me NOT to talk to strangers'!!!
We never did any more.

Going through all the preparation needed for a day out at a show, there's nothing worse than having a dog at the end of the lead who really isn't happy, for whatever reason, so you are dead in the water before even entering the ring.   Which is why I always found some ringcraft classes to take a youngster to before getting into it 'for real'.   We'd start these at around 4 months.   Again there's nervous because of being in a situation a dog hasn't been in before, nervous from a previous bad experience in that situation, and nervous because of a weak temperament - which so often can go to fear biting and which you'd never want, with a judge involved!

After all showing is a place where people go to exhibit their stock, and being in the ring with one that's cringing, is just plain embarrassing.   To say nothing of verging on being cruel to the dog.   Fact is some dogs are just better left at home, however exceptional their conformation might be.

I would try to sort the nerves out but if I felt it was turning into aggression rather than nerves NO WAY would I put the dog in that situation.

I don't show either, but I would't do anything unnecessary that a dog wasn't enjoying (or at least okay with).

Nothing wrong with trying to change a dog's mind about something of course if they are just nervous because it's a new thing for them, but why insist on an activity that your dog doesn't actually want to do once they get used to it?

> <br />I think most people would agree that taking a nervous dog to a show increases the chance of growling, biting, etc - particularly when the judge approaches

That would depend on the individual dog and how nervous it is.

My girl I use to show before she had parvo loved everyone and shows, after she didn't like strangers but she would never be aggressive, over the years she has been handled/gone over, touched, stroked and grabbed by strangers and growling let alone biting has never occurred to her. I did carry on showing her and taking her to ringcraft to get her use to being touched by strangers again and she did improve but never enjoyed them again. I don't show her now she just does flyball which she enjoys, although I did take her to a show the other week as I had no one to watch her while I was showing my boy and I was told it's the best she has shown and I could see myself she was much better.

I've known dogs who would growl or bite who were shown or run in sports, I was bitten by one of them at a flyball comp (just left marks luckily no broken skin), in my option the risks an aggressive dog poses is not fair on other people or dogs who may get hurt.

I had a nervous dog and worked hard on his confidence with a trainer and ringcraft. In the show ring he was absolutely fine, a stranger out of the ring he would be wary of touching him so i always said if he wants to say hello he will decide.
In the ring he was totally happy being gone over and enjoyed the ring.
He is no longer with me but a lot depends on the dog in question. If he was backing off from judges and not enjoying it he would not have been shown.

I started out with my GSD who was nervous to start with, she doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body, but with some judges she would take a step back, she didn't want to be touched. So we started slowly at  ringcraft, asking her to stand and allowing them to just stroke her nicely. Now she's happy at shows and still doesn't stand stock still, but instead tries to give the judge a kiss, she's much more confident and happy now, a few judges have complimented her on how happy and confident she is.
I genuinely think she just wasn't sure of it being so new and different and given I was nervous and on my first show shaking like a leaf!

If a dog is nervous, they are not going to show at their best and most showy and confident anyway.  Plus, the purpose behind showing for many people, is to prove breeding stock - and what would be the point of breeding from a nervous dog?  A nervous dog shouldn't be bred from...

> I think most people would agree that taking a nervous dog to a show increases the chance of growling, biting, etc - particularly when the judge approaches.

Hmm I show regularly in the UK and Europe and for most people here it is unheard of to have a dog growl let alone bite etc a judge or any human for that matter, no matter how nervous that dog is.... It is called fear aggression and is the worst possible temperament trait, I can't think of anyone but a complete novice who would bring such a dog out. And even novices learn quickly the first time their dog gets disqualified for displaying this trait....

Or are you talking about companion and fun shows with rescues and mongrels etc?