I have always thought about starting to show but wondered how much time does it take up of your lives to what degree of commitment do you show ?

That is at the moment the big thing that puts me off as with work,family and then the girls just as pets we hardly have time to blink or think :)

Had a litter with Mars my first Lab with the help of the Jan Gwinnett of the infamous Glosmere kennels and her marvelous stud Justin Glosmere in Time :) She was very critical of Mars but she was from American lines but she agreed that she was a lovely bitch and suited Justin in the lines etc so they were mated ! An experience in it's self ;) I was then unable to carry on with my dream :(  I have never given up thinking about this need some more of what to expect. I know it maybe a few years before I can but no harm planning :)

Lucy
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There are no rules on how many shows to go to :d  I only went to 3 last year but my first Spanish passed away in the May and I could tell in the Feb. that I wasn't going to show her any more.  I took her to Manchester Champ. Show and she won as usual but went downhill from there.  Then really wasn't in the mood for showing.

I hope, if I can afford it to go to qiute a few this year with my new Spanish boy and who knows maybe by the end of the year I'll have a new little one to show.

It's good fun if you remember that you are there to enjoy the day out with likeminded people and your family.  Always remember that you've got the best dog no matter what the judge thinks :d

But do you have to go to the classes to train them before or can you get away with home grown show training ?

I have taken my girls to local shows in my village and at my mums place and they were all very well behaved and came away with rosettes. :) Even got my nephews to show them for me :)

I must admit I don't think I am a natural shower myself :)

Lucy
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You don't have to go to ring craft if you don't want.I try and take mine as youngsters just to get them used to standing still while someone 'goes over them'. I now take them maybe once a fortnight just as a night out.
I go to which ever shows I decide I want to ...theres no rules.I did 3 three years ago and am planning on doing 10 champs this year if finances allow....with a few open shows in between.
Archer

Forgot to say Lucy apart from it being addictive, shopping for clothes soon stops once you his the show stalls it bags of dog stuff :-)

Another thing I thought of or certainly with me, most of the shows fall between March and October  apart from the odd one here or there so after October you can recover, get your house cleaned and rekindle relations with your family. :-)) LOL

With me being in Scotland I tend to stay over the night before, travel down the night before stay at a travel lodge. I share the room with a show companion and we generally have a giggle.

You are more central so would be Ok up and away in the morning :-)

Lucy,

You only go to the shows that suit. I start the year off fulling my diary or buying the our dogs one, I highlight the ones I am likely to do and ones I would like to do. If you don't go for whatever reason it doesn't matter.

I think youngsters are worth taking to the training class which can be as little as 30 mins a week or fortnight if you like and it is a way of meeting other exibitors, picking up show schedules.  One thing good about a lab if that is what you were going to show is you don't have hours and hours a week grooming to keep them in show trim :-)) 

Pam

Other thing Lucy is you can team up with someone share the travel, have a bit of a giggle going to the shows etc and keeps costs down.

It sounds very much like a hobby where family isn't involved :) Not sure if that will work :( I can't spend that much time away with madam Indigo being so young :)

I think I may have to park this one but perhaps when I win the lottery................................ :D

So annoying as this is my ultimate dream to breed/show/work Labs :) Time is not allowing even a sniff of this at the moment ! :rolleyes:

Lucy
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Children can be very involved from 6 years upwards.  Babies are quite easy at show while they are pushchair bound, but after that you need good Grandparents to take them off your hands.  That is why I had a break and started shwoihng again in 1994 when my son was 3 years old.

Until he was in Junior School I had a show a month, which was my break away from single parenthood.

Now it works out roughly one weekend for me and one or two for the kids, or should I say my son as daughter now at 17 has pretty well her own life.

You can do as little or as much as you like that is what is so nice.

I do roughly 20 shows a year.  I attend between 8 and 10 Championship shows with CCs for my breed, and then the rest will be a combination of thsoe without CCs, Open shows and Exemption (Now companion) shows.

If you really wanted to you could probably find a show to go to a week, or even sometimes two.

I like to do a show a month in the winter months and prefer not to do more than two a month in the summer.

Got to agree with the others it is your decision how many you do.  I go to nearly all champ shows and a lot of opens and I have 3 kids, 4 dalmatians and two businesses on the go but I consider it is not a chore but something I love to do.  By the end of the summer the house is a mess and everything that doesnt need doing immediately gets put on the backburner but I catch up in the winter :)

I always take mine to ringcraft from an early age to get them used to other breeds as much as anything else and also to get used to people feeling them over.

Good luck if you decide to.

Same here...its not a chore...ITS MY HOBBY!!!!!!!! and I love it! :d
Archer

I considered showing Luke, but I'm not confident about driving in strange towns!!! However I would like to be brave enought to have a go - but is it too late now he's 15 months? He did go to ringcraft when he was younger, but then we stopped as it was the same night as obedience. Doesn't the time go frighteningly quickly?

I had a friend who never went to her first champ show until 15 months and got a first.  I am the same as you I dont like driving in strange places but can now make my way to Stafford blindfolded.

I now have a GPS  & s radar detector LOLOLOL so I never get lost & hopefully get warned about traffic hold ups too(as well as being told about radar & speed cameras)

Hi Lucy
We only showed Ella because our breeder asked if we were going to and we thought why not!  I plucked up courage to take her to ringcraft (once or twice) and entered her first show when she was nine months.  We met people at that show who welcomed us 100%, offered loads of advice and have been genuinely pleased when Ella has won anything (not very often with me showing her!).  We had around eight months off because of my accident but went to a show in January and have entered one on Sunday.  As others have said you can do as many as you want.
Basically we see shows as a day (or morning) out and have entered some open shows a little way away just because we know there's a nice walk nearby for afterwards.  Most people you meet are lovely and friendly and, as long as you don't take it too seriously and do a show every week, it is good fun.
Best wishes
Alex
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Because of my son being small my second dog and first Elkhound was nearly two years old before being shown, adn she didn't go to any Ringcraft until a few weeks before her first sshow, but I already had some show expereince with my fiorst dog. 

It is never too late you just have to realise that it may take you a few shows for you and your dog to do as well as you can.

A couple I sold a puppy to didn't shwo him until he was nearly two.  At his first all breed Open show he went Reserve Best In Show, and at his first All breed Championship shwo he won his class, Best dog and CC, and Best of Breed.  He had only been to two club show before that one Open and one Championship.