i have been told if I wanted to start showing dogs I would be wasting my time as the judges would'nt know or recgnise my face. Is there any truth in this?
Await your valued repies.  Thanks Lou.

Everybody has to start somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have to get out there to be 'known'!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, it should be on the dog, but like withanything, things sometimes dont work out like that.But
It is not a waste of time at all.
If you want to show, get out there and do it :D And have Fun with your 'baby'
(from somone who doesnt show, so hope what I have said makes sense)
Lea :)

Thanks lea,  I want to get into this but I have no knowelge at all of where or how to start.  I dont even have my dog yet (Not for the want of looking)  I spent nearly every weekend last year going to pony shows with my friend who was verrry successful.  I dont have the facilities for ponies myself and want to get into the dogs as an alternative so any advice be welcomed.  Thanks Lou.

We are waiting to show for the first time & just going to enjoy it. If we win great it will be a bonus

Jean

Hope you win..  Can you give me any advice on what preperations or research you done to get yourself to the stage where you are going into the ring?  also what breed are you showing.  Not being nosey just keen to learn.  Thanks Lou.

We have done no research We have always owned a sable rough collie this time OH wanted a blue merle she is very pretty and we decide to show her she comes from very good breeding. Jim joined a ringcraft class when Amy was 12 weeks. He has persevered because she didn't walk on the mat. last night was the first & we are really chuft. Our other breed is westie which we have never shown either. We have gone to shows the folk we have met have been very nice. I have pm'd a lady here who has been very helpful about Amy with the mat & this site is excellent for advice

Jean

Lou if you have any intention of showing, then buy your puppy from a breeder who is consistantly placed in the showring, and tell them that you want to learn.  Now you get no guarantees that at 8 weeks a puppy will be good enough to show but if you buy from a litter who's parents are not shown, then you start at a disadvantage.  Showing is good fun and can also be very expensive, so you might as well have a dog that stands a chance of being placed.
If you go to a few shows and speak to the exhibitors, it's a good way of finding out where promising litters are, and maybe someone will take you under their wing and get you started! ;)

Hello,
First thing I would do is go to Crufts and visit Discover Dogs exhibition. There you will find all the varieties of breeds and more importantly experienced breeders who will advise you on general welfare aspects and whether it is an easy breed to start showing with. I have gundogs and as much as I like them I could never have a westie, as it takes so much time to keep it's coat in show condition. Once you see a breed you think you can cope with. Next step: Do more research! Find out if this is really the breed for you.
Hopefully by now you will be as clued up on your chosen breed as it is possible for anyone to be. So you now need to go to a few shows which are advertised in Dog World and Our Dogs, both newspapers are published on a Friday. Go there and watch the breed you are interested in, make notes on the way the breed is handled in the ring, the type of lead etc which is favoured by the exhibitors. Talk to breeders and owners at the shows.
Now buy your puppy, if you have a good breeder be guided by them as to a pup's show potential, most responsible breeders will not guarantee the show potential but will give you their honest opinion on your choice of puppy. You should have in your research found out where the best local ringcraft club is. These clubs should teach you and the dog to work as a team, to show the dog off to it's best advantage. Once your pup is six months old it is eligible to enter it's first show.
Remember if you have not shown a dog before or have not done much showing, neither you nor your dog will have the experience of breeders and exhibitors who have been showing for many years, so although you  might think you are doing things really well, these breeders have much more experience and can get the best out of a dog. I know this is true as I had a beautiful dog when I first started showing and I thought I was doing really well with him, until one day an experienced breeder took him off him and showed him, then he looked every inch and every hair, a true champion! This breeder had the ability to make my dog look as good as he was, and I realised just how far short my handling was failing us both.
It is true that there are some "judges" who will "favour the wrong end of the lead", but my experience has shown me they are few and far between, what is more alarming is the judge who does not understand conformation, movement and correct breed type, these judges put up badly constructed animals which are then bred from and so breeds are changed at best and ruined at worst.
After you have had your dog and probably owned a few more as well and are doing reasonably well in the ring, then consider trying to offer your services as a steward, and after a few years then move on to being the judge. It is often easy to criticise the judge and their choices, but before you do you should try it yourself! 

You will hear lots of people telling you that judges 'face' judge, but I'll tell you what, if when you have more experiance in a breed you will discover that there is something else about the 'faces' they also manage to have the best dogs, not fair is it. :)

Hi Lou
as said before buy your puppy from a breeder who breeds for the show ring.Chose your breed then go along to a couple of champ shows and speak to the owners.Be honest..express your interest in the breed and in showing.Buy from a breeder whos stock does consistently well at shows and who is willing to talk to you...their help and guidance along the way will be invaluable.
I started showing 2 1/2 years ago.I now have 2 dogs and attend on average 6 champ shows a year and as many open shows as possible.My boys are consistantly placed ,including both doing well at crufts last year and my oldest won our first RCC a couple of months ago.I would say that you might get some judges who will judge the face and not the dog but not all...you will learn.
I owe my success to my dogs breeders who have helped me from day one with choosing my dogs and then advising me whenever needed.
What breed are you interested in..maybe someone on the board can steer you in the right direction
Give it a go...have fun and you never know!!
Good luck,Archer

Depends on the judge entirely
I agree its wrong and should be dependant on the dog and not who holds the lead :(
But even in my breed (SBT) I am told i wouldnt bother as he or she is a face picker .
Lel

Having a consistenly placed dog/bitch doesn't always mean success with its pups and many people have bought what they thought was the runt of the litter and acheived success with that dog. Neither of our bitches parents were great show dogs or from 'recoginsed kennels' but our bitch has so far not been out of the cards in the six shows she has been to. The only way to get started is to buy a dog and enter the shows. The best that will happen is that you have a winning dog and the worst is that you will still have a loving dog who craves your touch and kisses!!!!!! Whether we win a class or come last I always shake the judges hand say thank you and for going over my dog. You will find in whatever breed you are in that strange decisions happen in the ring and as long as you can smile and come back again then it is all worthwhile. Remember the best dog is the one that you take home after EVERY show no matter what they do!

well said luxnallsstaffs!

I will agree that you can get a good show do from parents who arn't showen, but you have more of a chance of getting a show dog from a good breeder who knows what they are doing and also can help you pick a potentuial puppy although a pup can change.

Just get a pup and go into shows and have FUN! and as for people saying judges are facey, this is only a few and only last year was I told that a judge was facey and I would get anywhere in the best in show, and guess what, I did so it proved that even if judges are said to be facey they are not always.

Rox

The point of buying from a breeder who has success in the show ring is that they are more likely to produce show quailty pups and more likely to be able to advise you of which pups in the litter are show quality.
It does not mean that the parents of the dogs have to be champions but that the breeder will know his/her lines and which stud will suit her bitches best.
If you are looking to go into showing it is IMO stupid to buy from someone who does not have the knowledge and experience of the chosen breed.There are good dogs out there that come from pet breeders...but many less than those coming from established,reputable breeders who know how to turn out a show dog.If you are limited to the number of dogs you can keep then you buy the best you can from the best breeder you can...otherwise you end up with a house full of pets(nothing wrong with that) but nothing worth paying to enter a show
Archer

One of the top winning ever bitches in my breed was from a litter that didn't have show success behind it and neither parent was particularly good according to the Standard. I've known a few dogs from 'nearest stud' litters that have turned out very well indeed. But that may be because my breed has a small gene pool and has few 'one off' breeders, so the vast majority of 'pet' dogs & bitches have very nice ancestors just a generation or two back. I suspect it doesn't happen so often in numerically larger breeds.

A problem with the excellent pup from the not very carefully planned litter is that it may not pass on it's qualities. IMO you stand a much better chance of breeding a really good litter from a good but less than spectacular bitch / dog that has been carefully & thoughtfully bred for generations back, than from a superb show specimen with a hit n' miss, mix n' match pedigree.

Show quality apart you should go to an established breeder because they will be able to give you guidance both on rearing your pup so that it reaches it's full potential and because they will be able to help you in your first trips to shows. A benching tent can be a lonely place unless you have someone to indroduce you to people, and that should be part of a good breeder's job.

Most judges are honest and do their best, but I don't agree that facey judging is as rare as some here have said. There are too many facey judges, too many inept judges and far too many backscratching judges. But many accusations come from beginners who show under judges who simply don't like their type, but are doing an honest job. There again, an experienced breeder can help you by guiding you to judges who will like your pup. That way you are more likely to have some good results, and nothing makes the bug bite like some early wins. :)

A good breeder will also send you under judges who will treat a novice puppy (and owner!) gently. They will be able to tell you if your youngster goes through a horrible adolescent stage (most big breeds do) and depending on the breed tell you to hide him away for a bit or not to expect too much for a while. I suspect many beginners are  put off because they do well in puppy classes, but get nowhere in junior /novice. They maybe think it is because of crooked judging whereas their youngster just  needs a bit of time to mature.

Hi Louise,
I have my first show dog (Weimaraner). What I did was once I'd decided on the breed for definite, start looking at different kennels on the computer. I fell in love my dog's sire, thought he was the sexiest looking Weim I had ever seen. Contacted the kennels (originally wanted a bitch puppy) but they didn't have any pups left (all had been pre-booked). The lady was good enough to give me a contact number for a private breeder that had used the stud that I was after on a bitch with good breeding and I then went onto her waiting list. Ended up with a dog instead of a bitch but wouldn't swap him for the world!

When starting to show, it can be very intimidating. Most people are very nice but a few can be pure venom! Take no notice and if anyone offers a snippet of advice, SEIZE IT! Most will try to help and are very sociable, however not everyone's advice is right for your dog, so "mix & match" 'til you get it right ... I haven't got there myself yet so maybe I shouldn't be giving you advice, lol. My boy is an absolute nutter :-D Most of the judges have been very patient, even when being pounded to the floor and slobbered on! Occasionally you will meet a face-judger but I have done mostly Open shows and doesn't seem to be as prevalent there. I would think moreso at Champ. shows. I've only been to 2 so far, 1st was not so good (judge didn't even look at him which I was upset about as it's about the only time he's ever behaved :-) ). The second was at the breed club show, where Sam was an absolute "Pig-bag" but we got 4th in Maiden. Maybe not that fantastic but you'd have thought we'd just won Crufts. The lady there was very helpful (thank you Mrs. Holmes) and very encouraging.

Everyone has to start somewhere and it's a slow (and painful ;-) ) process. However with enthusiasm and patience, what's to stop anyone of us getting there ... apart from a better dog maybe :-D

A bit of topic but often the dog that wins everything as a pup will have a struggle in latter years and the one that did nothing as a pup will come into it's own when it reaches about 2. And a good few 1st time owners/exhibitors have good wins, sometimes really good wins :D  You will also find that you may be at the end of the line for a few shows and then have a run of wins, I can never be sure if it is the dogs on a good patch, or me, or perhaps just the fact that some judges like my dog and others don't. We all have our own idea as to what a good example of the breed looks like, so everyone gets a look in sometimes. But you do get the real flier, the dog that has such ring presents that all judges find they just can't ignore him or her.

Hi there,
Have read the posts about dog showing and all seem very sensible, I have been showing, on and off, for a while so hope this helps. When I started showing I was told that you turn up with the best dog and you go home with the best dog. As long as you believe that you can cope with anything! That was from a lady who had been showing for 55 years, so I assumed she knew what she was talking about, she did and has always been a great help. Lots of luck.

Personally if you wear the skimpiest of knickers you can find and consistently bend over in front of the male judge, that is also a contributing factor as i and my husband found out at the LKA after being seated behind the podium thingy (i don't show as you can tell, but love watching).
But my husband had a good time!
:D

ROFLMAO! Mind you the with the last judge I showed under it might have gone better if hubbie had worn the skimpy knickers ..... ;}

:D Its probably about a year since I attended a show but unless things have changed radically they are very few non-dog specimens in the ring that any judge, male or female, would want to see revealing skimpy knickers.

AS ONE OF THOSE NON DOG SPECIMENS...I have to agree!!!!
Archer

I am sorry if this appears to be slating the dog show world's women (i'm not honestly) but i must say that the majority have never heard of VPL and i saw more VPL's at that show than i care to remember! (But my hubby would care to remember!)
:D

I hold my hand up :D  What is VPL????

Brainless i've been thinking about it and i think it may only apply to the (dare i say) younger generation.
VPL--- Visable panty line.
Thats why thongs are popular, big knickers are a complete no no:D :D

(I think i better go before i upset half the population of women)

And what may I ask is wrong with VPL ?? :D :D Can't see the point of thongs - better off wearing nothing :D Another problem with thongs is that you may not have a visible panty line - but far too often, they have a VERY visible thong line above the trouser waist line :( :(

Daisy - who was so much happier with the thick navy, knickers that we used to wear at school (you can't do PE in a thong :D )

I don't think you can do anything in a thong, can you? Certainly not sit down! (Santa gave me a thong in my stocking, and described it as 'pulling pants'. It doesn't work. ;) )

LOL :D

Oh my 16 year old wears those Fanny Patches with the cheese wire at the back.  I kept telling her that I could see the top of it up her back, only to be told by another parent that they were deliberately worn to be visible, YUK!

Me I am a big girls who wears big knickers, ones that are right up to my waist please.  Well it is my 40th Birthday on Sunday!!!!!!

Also if I wore a thong It might never see the light of day again :D :D :D

Hurrah for Sloggi Maxis!

and Sloggi Maxi Plus :D

Daisy

Sorry to butt in but this conversation is total pants. LOL :-) couldn't resist that one.

harriet, not totaly pants, about 5 posts where not about pants!! :P

Te he he, not bad out of 54 posts! makes good reading though. You people are hillarious. :P

Thank goodness you asked Brainless - I was imagining all sorts of things, but didn't dare :D

FANNY PATCHES???? oh pleeeeease brainless that will keep me laughing for te rest of my life!

When I call them that she gets all indignant and says they are knickers.  Then why will she hide when she has these nickers on.  What do thong wearers do for modesty in comunal changing rooms??? :D :D

Modesty ? that's a very old-fashioned word, Brainless :D

18 year old daughter went to an Ann Summers party on Tuesday - heaven only knows what will arrive in a week or two :D

Daisy

I'm sorry i can't answer you right now brainless i'm laughing too much! Fanny patches omg i will never forget that one in a million years!
You can actually get hipster thongs which are designed not to be shown lol, i think it is the younger younger generation that like to put it on show!

Now, before we big knickered girls go putting ourselves down cos we can't get away with fanny patches (that is sooo brilliant!!!)  I have to tell you that my OH says that big knickers are way sexier :D  Now, he may have said this cos he caught my expression as I demanded to know whether he really thought I should wear an unhygienic bit of string and nylon mock lace but it might really be what he thinks ;)  So come on boys on here, what is it? Big knickers or fanny patches???? :D 

Lesley

Ahem Lesley i think you mean to say........

Belly Warmers V's Fanny Patches

:D :D :D
p.s Very suprised Joe's not here! lol.

Belly Warmers!!  I love it :D  And where is Joe ;)  Remember Joe, think VERY carefully before you answer the question :D

Can't believe he's missing this one lol, i thought he had intuition towards delicate ladies matters?

I've been stripping the wallpaper that I should have been stripping this afternoon but please - carry on.  The conversation is riveting :D

Belly warmers any day My finger would be like a constant hook with the FPs

Jean

Gotta be the FP's here (hipster type of course) :D

For me its FPs (or as parents call them "bum flossers")

Just out of interest, how did a thead about "Judge my dog not me" come to a topic about what underware us girls have!!!

Rox

I think it may have been me saying the smaller the knicker the bigger then chance of getting placed at show
(Joking of course)

Just to catch the judges attention you understand

Jean

But that only works with the opposite sex, hipster trousers then is it, need a new suit ;)

Rox