Please don't shoot me down in flames for sounding dim, but I was just wondering if show dogs are treated any differently to those that aren't in terms of what they can and can't do?
I popped my two on lead the other day as a woman was coming up with a goldie on its lead. As she passed she said "Thanks, I can't let him play, he's a show dog". Is this the norm?

I wouldnt of thought so atall even if i had a dog at crufts id still let mine play, i guess it depends on the owners. I guess some are just worried about there expencive show doggie be stolen or going missing

All the showdogs I know are let off the lead and play, just like any other dog. The day before a show they are often filthy dirty, but a bath and a good grooming sorts that out. And often, after the judging has finished, many of us would take our dogs to a quiet place (by the river at Windsor, for example) and let them all off to play - 30 or so dalmatians all off the lead playing, without a cross word, is quite a sight! Some of the breeds with profuse coats may be slightly restricted sometimes in the middle of the show season, but that isn't now, and a golden retriever isn't one of those breeds! I feel sorry for that goldie you met. :(

In Bedlingtons you can usually tell the dogs who live a normal life and those who don't, those who don't tend to have very full hair on legs/head, those who do tend to look a little less full, people who don't show seem to think that the dogs are kept looking perfect all the time nothing could be further from the truth :D the majority are pets first and romp and play in the fields like any other dog.

If it was last Wednesday/Thursday the dog was probably going to the LKA show and had just been bathed ;) (if you're in britain)

me too, JG :(

Poor Goldie, all dogs should play regardless. You should have seen my American Cockers this morning, three out of the six in full show coat, charging down the beach after my Irish Setter. Soaked to the skin and very bedraggled, but soooo happy.

They've got to have a life too.

Dawn R.

My dogs are first and foremost pets and do everything 'normal' dogs do...romps round the park running through big muddy puddles and rolling in fox mess.
Archer

My rotties and bulldogs run and play as much as any other dog
and I wouldnt even think to restrict them ever.

What a load of Tosh-can't play because he is a show dog. just got back from a show & all my dogs have been skylarking with the GSD as soon as they got home & they are now no longer sparkly clean & by tomorrow my 4 year old will look as if he has never been groomed or bathed, if they were not allowed to play

When I had Beardies my youngest had a bestest friend who he would play with before going in the ring as his friend wasn't the keenest show dog but if he knew his mate was there he would show superbly I always had to regroom my boy before he went in the ring as hs mate was an English Bull Terrier dog who was a very typical Bullie & would launch himself at my boy & they would end up in a heap. LOL good job we were usually in the ring before the bullies ;)

I'm sure that Gwen's gorgeous Dexter an American Cocker who had an outstanding show career(& I mean trully outstanding) was allowed to play at home like any other dog.

No matter how much winning a dog does they should be pets 1st & show dogs when needed a distance 2nd

Mine play and run about and get messy and dirty in mud etc- they are pets first and foremost :)

But we have had someone mention that the kids wont be able to play with them and get them excited when we first started showing

What a shame! I have 2 afghans who are shown, and I let them play in the park, get sticks in their coat, the lot!  This woman just doesnt know what she is doing.

My dogs are shown LOL and worked and they all play like loonies :)

I was out inthe forest the other  day when along came the whitest westie ever trotting along on its lead, when out of the bushes came a very muddy, wet and scruffy westie - mine of course, bet you could tell which one was having the most fun, the nice clean one wanted to play but was pulled away, shame.

I forgot to add at the show today a Ch Sh winning affie bitch in full coat having her feet washed as she had just been running free on the beach vefore the show ! She beach walks everyday & so does the owners other bitch

That wasn't Bridlington by any chance was it MM? I was there with Kayla and she had a run on the beach before her classes than afterwards aswel with 2 other vizzies! I just wiped her feet before she went in the ring and at least she had the chance of some free running on the morning which, on show days, we don't usually have time for.
As has been said, dogs should be first an dforemost pets/companions and anythging else they do is a bonas-what a shame for that dog, exercise builds up muscletone and its fun!!!
Emily xx

It was indeed Emily

I even ended up handling a friend's  Beardie bitch lol she nearly didn't get ger back ;) & I don't do bitches :)

Har Har Har!!!  I think the owner of the goldie was obviously one of those neurotic people!!

My "show dogs" are also my "working dogs".  Last year Chloe (Ch Deep River Walk of Downstream) went out picking up twice a week right through the season and has again this season.

They also get galloped regularly on Newmarket Heath and round the forests.

When they get too dirty they get taken down to the river or have a hose pipe wielded in their direction!!
Becky

Ok, I obviously don't show.. but am I right in assuming scars on a dog will lose points? My 3 year old Shar pei has 3 scars from different dogs that just attacked him out of no where completely unprovoked. Although 2 are quite small they are still quite obvious due to his single short coat. He recently picked up a monster scar on his back which you just can't miss. If he was a show dog would this mean the end of his show career? If so, I can sort of understand why a person might not want to risk letting their dogs off around strange dogs, especially if they were as short coated as mine.

On a Gundog, scars from working are okay. If a dog works in dense cover it is very likely that they will have scars on the muzzle from brambles etc.
The same would be true with Hounds and Terriers.

Snomaes

Thanks snomaes, I'm guessing shar pei scars would be a no no then!

:-)

Most ordinary 'day-to-day' scars will be ignored by judges. People realise that dogs have lives too ...

I used to live beside a gsd breeder/ exhibiter. Her dogs were never allowed off the lead. They weren't allowed to run about or play "in case they broke a leg or something".

She would not walk them if it was frosty in case they slipped.

They were even walked on the lead in the garden for a wee etc.

well sounds like she really knew what the breed needed...

Try stopping Mia - my Sh.Ch. - from not getting dirty or rolling in foxes poo!    This is part & parcel of keeping your dog's as pets firstly & showdogs afterwards and in the case of gundogs breed how else will you get correct muscletone without letting them free run?

There's more to a showdog (Gundog) than excess coat lengths & glamour - I hope!   ;)

I am in complete agreement. My girls, 3 setters are all pets first and foremost then they are showdogs. I get immense pleasure when I take them out and they get their playtime. I love watching them all with their noses and tails going ten to the dozen. I think my favourite time to take them out is on a really cold frosty morning and you can see their breath as they all run mad in and out of bushes and hedges. I don't understand people who have a dog, but won't let them off their leads even if they are showdogs. I meet one man in particular who has never let his 7 year old Gordon off for a run because he is terrified that he won't come back. I feel so sorry for this dog as he is always desperate to play with my lot.
I really don't see the point in keeping a dog and not letting them have some natural free time.

Alli

ROFLOL,  crazy really.

Mines are white and you want to see them after 3 mins digging..  :-))

All dogs are the same.

I had two of mine at LKA on Friday. At the moment they are with the other 2 in the garden, all 4 digging for all they are worth! They are long coated, pale coloured dogs (although most of the time they are pale coloured with dark legs! ;) ) and spend most of their awake hours chasing round, love nothing more than a lovely muddy field or sandy beach where they can roll in all sorts of disgusting things, and do what all terriers love to do. Yes, a few "show dogs" are not allowed much in the way of a life but I believe (hope) most are allowed to do all the normal "doggy" things for at least 99% of the time.

My dogs have done reasonably well at shows, but as I probably only go to around 20 shows a year, you guesssed it the other 345 days a year thay are same as any other dog :D

Flippin' 'eck! Never had so many posts to one of my messages before! :-D

Showing is a possibility with Busby - I keep getting comments about how square his head is - not sure whether that is a plus or not - and asking if we are going to show him. I quite fancied the idea until I came across this woman. Now I know he can definitely still have fun and be a collie whatever, maybe I'll take him along to a beginners' ringcraft class and see how we go on!

Thanks everyone,
Tracy

A friend of the family heavily shows her "small,longhaired" dogs
You are not allowed to pat them as it might knott up their hair,they are forbode from touching grass as it matts up the hair,they are not allowed to play together as it hurts the hair and they may get too rough and produce scars/marks,they had all the carpets ripped up and replaced with tiles because of the static,the list goes on and on but the more i talk about it the angrier i get
The only thing they have seen of the outside world is the show ring and the vet,she says this is not uncommon with longhaired toy dogs who are being shown :(
One day i'm going to sneak round on a rainy day and let them all out in the backyard for a good ol' muddy doggy romp....only joking...maybe ;) To be honest i dont think they would know what to do :( To tell you the truth she has really put me off of the showing world,obviously by all of your replies not everyone puts their dogs in a plastic bubble,thank goodness :)

All  4 cavaliers here are now grey & ruby as they have been digging another tunnel today !& oh joy rain tomorrow ! Lots of lovely wet mucky feet ! LOL

As the owner of a smallish long haired, profusely coated breed, I can say all of our dogs are allowed to play and run free. As Moonmaiden mentioned earlier on this thread, my Dexter (who was black and white with a magnificent coat) enjoyed free jplay, with other dogs, on the beach or field almost every day.  What was never allowed was for him to remain dirty.  So each messy walk is followed by a bath and dry. 
Play and excercise are vital for a great show dog.
bye
Gwen

Had to laugh at this heading :D there are times when people think I`ve only got brown dogs cos they just don`t like digging oh no they`ve got to sniff n dig a bit first then go get wet & then get down to some serious digging business before lieing down in the tunnels they`ve just dug & just for good measure roll over & have a good back scratch. This is serious business for my lot..........when they`re playing they do all that as well but jump in & out the pool & try & get as close as they can to me before havin a good shake:D :D :D

Christine, Spain.

Rose, you can tell your family friend that, as Gwen's Dexter was allowed to play and get muddy then it won't harm her dogs. After all, if it's okay for a Cruft's Reserve Best In Show winner ... :)

My two were covered in mud from their head to their toe after walking/running/splashing and genreally causing mischief over the park this morning. We show both of ours but if the show world stopped tomorrow they'd still be as made as ever running about like two loonies and to be honest I woudln't want it to EVER be any other way!!!!!!!

OOOOHHHH that would annoy me if someone said that.  Let the poor dog have a life!

Some people are just so selfish! they woudl rather a rossette than a happy content dog.

And they're more likely to get a rosette with a happy, healthy fit dog!

lol rose - you naughty thing! But I don't blame you!

Show dogs somtimes get bored if you don't play with with them but any dog would.i know that my  lab bitch got so bored.

                       Hope that helps

Can I just add to this which may be totally off the trail ! :)

My mum has a minature long hair dacshund from a 'reputable breeder' The little 'rat' (we are Lab owners so the joke is to mum that they are rats ! :) ) is a lovely bright spark ! As time went on mum decided to get another after I takked to her .She got another bitch who was a brood bitch who had had a first litter at a very young age (maybe as they are minature ) and she ended up having a CS and she had to be spayed.

Mum has had her now for nearly two years and she still says that 'Woof' ( her name was Ruth but mum decided to change her name}doesn't know how to play !

What I am trying to say is that how can you quantify how many show breeders have the best interests at heart ?

Lucy

Sorry missed the main point ! My mum says that 'Woof' does not know how to play?

Lucy
xx

One of my pet dogs isn't interested in playing - toys have no interest for him at all. Yet he's always been treated as any other pet dog. Some individuals just don't play.

one of our setters doesn't "play" but when she goes outside she comes back muddy!  It's so nice to see her run in the fields like a loony and come back brown (not so nice when you have loads of dust to sweep all around the house!)

Hi,

My show goldies love nothing more than looking like flatcoats they just love mud and water more the better.
Even in the middle of show season :-D
They are bathed and groomed just before each show but once that show leads off
thet run and play in fields,mud,water our Koi pond etc.
The person you met was probably a one off the day before a show and day of show yes I try to keep them clean but they still go out I just dont let them roll in mud deliberately morning of a show :-D don't think the judge would thank me :-)

Briony :-)

I have 3 elkhounds ...2 love to play...the other wouldn't know what play is if it slapped him round the face! Its just not in his character.
Archer