I know you should do, but how many of you always bench your dog?  Although I didn't go to many general champ shows last year, it didn't seem like many people were using the benches, but preferred to keep their dogs near them.  I know at the Hound show, the majority were in cages round the ringsides.

There is a problem at the Hound Show because the benches are so far away from the rings and if you have 2 hounds entered you can't get back to the benches to change the hound over and get back in time to show them. The field officer is always complaining but I can't see that it will ever change because it is not practical to leave a hound on it's bench add to that the fact that there is no one left at the breed benches to care for the hound that may be left there.

At other shows it depends on the breed I suppose, but I am grateful to have a bench, how else could I get to the toilet or show more than one dog when I go to shows on my own, it is because of this problem that I rarely take more than one dog to open shows.

I always bench my boys apart from when they need some exercise. I think it keeps them 'fresher' than being constantly walked about and they relax more.
Archer

I never bench my dogs & they are crated in my large cage big enough for more than 6 cavaliers,, as fewer & fewer Champ shows are providing cages for the toys & I do not intend buying a brate just for bemcking(at the last three Champ shows my benches were smaller than the KC require so any crate bought for the KC dimensions would never have fitted.