please can anyone tell me do benching chains come in different sizes? if so what size would i need for a rottie?
sorry if it is an obvious question i am new to all this.
thanks for any replys.

Hi Benny

I have a thick one and a not quite so thick one but they are around the same length.  It needs to be short enough so that your Rott cannot get off the bench or strangle himself.  I often think the cage fronts that go on the benches look safer for the dogs although the owners cannot sit on as well then - if you do a search for Trystorme they make them (they also have Dobermanns so if you find one site the other is attached

i suggest investing i a cage as then your dog is more secure and can rest more comfortably during classes.

what size cage do you suggest? the one i have is to big for the bench, so i have been told by a friend.

Are rotties routinely caged on benches?? It is very much frowned upon within our breed...just wondered which breeds find it acceptable.I undestand small breeds for their safety need to be caged.
Archer

Hi

Yep rotties are caged I personally perfer it as the dog can relax and
you dont have to worry quite so much.
I wouldnt buy a huge cage as it wont fit on the bench.

the benches are usually 2 ft wide by about 4ft deep. When you go to a champ show you will be able to buy one there much cheaper as they are usually on offer and then you can get the size right as most benched shows give the same size area to uput your dog - and in response to archer yes most rotties are caged at champ shows for thier own safety and others, rotties are quite protective of thier own area so its best that jo-public doesn't come along and stick their hands where they shouldn't be- and please don't jump on me i'm not saying rotties are aggressive but i prefer to think about what could happen than wait for it to happen.(my dogs are very friendly but i still cage them at shows)

Thanks Maxisleep and Carolyn...not going to shows on working /pastoral day I didn't know.It seems there are very few hounds that are caged on the bench..like you said maybe its the protective instinct
Archer
bl

Most Akitas are left in cages on the benches. It's so much easier if you have to leave them, you can relax and not worry about them doing something stupid like trapping their feet or taking off with the whole of the bench still behind them!!!

Most whippets are caged on the benches......

Wendy

Don't use a cage but have one of the 2 piece guards one piece goes at the front of the bench and the other on the top. Use it because I have one boy that drops his back legs off the bench no matter how tight I chain him and I don't care if it is frowned upon I would rather that than him hurt himself.

There are at least two other exhibitors in our breed that use the bench fronts.  Only trouble with them is that if you have particularly narrow benches, as some were at Crufts and Manchester then the bench front impinges unacceptably far across the neighbouring bench, I found it hard to get one of mine on and of fher bench comfortably at Manchester.

Now surely it should be possible for these to bedesigned so that they are made of four pieces, two top an bottom that slide over each other so that they can be adjusted to fit from minimum to maximum bech size.  Also what happens if two adjoining benched dogs have them, how does the other person attach theirs.

Next qyestion, anyone any idea what the minimum bech width is for our breed???  I rather think a light and ewsy crate would be a better idea if it would fit.

When I bought the guards Barbara I was asked what breed so they would fit the min size and up to about 5" larger, so if they don't fit may be the bench was too small.

Ah that is it then, as I think everything at Machester this year was very tight!!! :D 

Mind you it was one of the things that convinced me to loose weight, kept blocking the narrow isle!!! :D

Any idea what the minimum bech width is?

Not off hand, but a phone call to Banner and they will tell you. ;)