Can anyone confirm the story that someone took a bitch on the point of whelping to South Wales and the poor thing gave birth in the car at the show ground while her owner was exhibiting (in temperatures of 30 degrees ) - if this is true then words fail me - how can anyone risk their dogs for a piece of card ???

No wonder the show world has a bad name  :(

Yvonne

Thats awful :(

I hadnt heard about this but I did hear that a 6 month old Chi came out of the ring and collapsed and died due to the heat :(

As I have a bitch in that condition at the moment I caanot even imagine doing so.  she has been very uncomfortable since thursday.

I also cannot understand anyone showing in whelp bitches.  I would not do so past 3 weeks after mating.  After this they are at risk from any infection they might pick up which is then passed on through the placenta as embryos are then attached and nourished this way.

Also I have never felt a bitch was in show condition past this time.  Even if not obviously pregannat they are softer in conditon and loosign theri waistline and most have a very mumsy mind set.

I know there was someone at Border Union with 10 young puppies still being nursed by their mothers !! They were caravaning but that is no excuse for taking them over 400 miles round trip Their breeder told me so it isn't heresay

I know there was a dalmation left in a car, when i was there on the thursday, it came over the loud speaker.
It was a nice warm day too.

On the saturday it was about 27 degrees and it was constantly coming over the tannoy that people had left dogs in cars and they dogs were in distress

Same on Friday when it was roasting.  We were in the ring at Midday and the two males I handled were panting noisily like bull breeds!

I'm confused by the fact that people who want to show their dogs will know alot about the way a dog should look and stand and walk but cant use their brain and realise that dogs should not be left in cars!!

I often wonder what it is that folk get out of showing that means they put their animals through such discomfort.

You see horses being dragged around showrings or ridden and they are sweating - having spent hours tied up outside their trailers/boxes - and for what? Would a horse choose to do that? No!

You see dogs being dragged to summer fetes and hauled around open fields with no shelter - and then entered in the local companion dog show - and for what??

I honestly don't understand it. If its the social aspect, then just go and leave the dogs at home.

These are obviousy the irresponsible ones Chloe.  My dog is never put in the position where he is uncomfortable.  He has a wet towelling coat and a reflective coat.  He is in the ring for minimal time, when it is too hot we wait in the shade until it is our turn.  The benching areas are cool and have a through breeze. If my dog was hot and bothered he would not show so there would be no point me being there :)

Thats fair enough - but isn't it uncomfortable for you aswell? Horse riding is my passion, but I don't want to go if its hot and sunny - its too uncomfortable and very tiring...?

I, unfortunately for my skin, am a total sun goddess, Saturday I left my boy flat out on his back legs akimbo on his bench and set up camp ringside to catch some rays :rolleyes:

My dogs are also kept cool just ordered some new cool mattresses for the car as well as having AC in the car & crate fans as well. need to get another jif lemon bottle as someone nicked mine at BU :(

As for me I burn so easily I wear the highest possible sunblock & have invested in some of those cool air aerosol sprays(they do work too)

There was a problem at one obedience show in the blistering heat, the KC rules allow the stays to be reduced & four different judges wanted to reduce their stays but the Chief Steward wouldn't discuss any reduction other than the one he wanted ! Now I am a Chief Steward & my Chief Saty Steward has written instructions to go with whatever the judge wants-in my view the judge has seen how the dogs are coping so will know far better than me the reduction required

Most people will ensure their dogs comfort at shows. 

Before going in the ring my own were kept in a nice windy alley and tent shade and also kept cool by wetting from the stand pipes, so the few minutes in the ring weren't going to cause them too much bother.

The panting I refered to was when the judge was trying to go over their heads and check their bites :D

Thing is Trevor...We moan about "pet people" who breed dog A to dog B but at least their dogs normally whelp with home comforts!!!

If this is true then I am ashamed to be involved in dog showing.

There are bad apples in all walks of life ice_queen! :(

I can't believe how anybody could do this, but it doesn't surprise me in this world. 

Hi Yvonne,

As you know we were exhibiting on the Sunday and the talk around all the rings was about events on the days before :(  Allegedly, 1) a bitch whelped two puppies (although we heard this happened on her bench);  2) a dog died while being exhibited (we heard it was a Chow);  and 3) a Cavalier died after being left in the car.

Unfortunately by Sunday some of the accuracy relating to breeds seems to have become vague but the horror stories abounded.  Certainly although we were there between 9-30 am and Noon only, there were constant announcements about dogs being left unattended in vehicles and several announcements about some being in great distress and owners to return to them urgently   It beggars belief they could have been left at all - the thermo reader in our car was already showing 26 degrees when we arrived and no way would it have been safe to leave a dog for even a few minutes in those temperatures.  There was absolutely no shade available at that time in the car park although around 11-00 am John managed to move our car under some trees so that when we returned with our dogs just after our variety was finished being judged (sharp for a change, Noon ;) ) at least our own car was reasonably comfortable and he ran the air con for about 15 minutes before we went in with the dogs. 

It got so hot on the journey home that after only 150 miles (less than half way :( ) we pulled in and booked into a Travel Lodge!   There was no way, even with air con, that we felt it was comfortable for the dogs so stopped overnight and left early hours of the morning and arrived homed just before mid-day on Monday so missed the worst of the heat.   It's certainly not the kind of weather I'd like to travel in again.  Teri

Reading this thread, and remembering the last couple of summers that we did show, I'm now beginning to question the thought that we will do all the summer Champ Shows.   Living in Essex, we are at least 1 hour from the nearest Champ show (and even that means starting out before 6am to be in front of the "usual" M25 and M11 traffic.   Otherwise, we have to look at journeys of more than 2 hours.   That in the morning, going out, may not be too bad - but if we get stuck in traffic as well, on the return journey, is really something that we'll take into consideration.

We've not always found the benching to be as comfortable as it might be - quite often, when we've started opening up marquee sides, an official has come along and closed them up again.   So this means we have to take crates and reflective covers, which we can situate in a shady spot with a breeze circulating.

Maybe next year, we'll enter the early Champ shows (Birmingham, Southern Counties, etc ), just attend East of England Paignton & Bournemouth) - and then attend the ones which are in September (Richmond, etc etc etc)

Margot

Hi Margot,

Because we had a litter in the spring of last year, we didn't go to any champ shows in the summer months of 04 at all.  Quite honestly I'd forgotten how bad it could be - although I do think the weather we're experiencing at present has been even more extreme.   Until about 5 years ago we used to do the summer circuit, taking the camper away for about 2 weeks in July which took in 4 or 5 champ shows if I remember rightly (had more CCs then :rolleyes: ) but I'd not consider doing that again now - if recent temperatures are anything to go by it's just too dangerous :(   Our journey down to SWKA was a nightmare - the first 200 miles we travelled in 3 hours, the next 77 miles because of accidents and breakdowns on the M6 took an unbelievable 4.25 hours    Eventually, for the final leg of the journey the roads were busy but traffic on the move so we only managed to drive at around 30-40 mph max for the last 80 miles or so.   We were well stocked on everything to keep the dogs cool but even so we were genuinely worried when traffic was at a complete standstill that the car would overheat because of the air con going full blast and die on us (plenty others' did :( - but thankfully none with dogs in).

Incidentally we never use benching tents in hot weather - I've always found them to be far too stuffy so our dogs are caged in the shade (with reflective covers if needed).  Like you say, if opening part of the tenting area to allow free flowing air, there's almost always some "jobsworth official" quick to fasten it up again :(

Regards, Teri

Heard several announcements on Sunday asking for certain people to return to their cars,  culminating in the announcement 'can the vet please attend three puppies left in a car urgently'. It's appalling and I wish the KC would ban these people from showing, maybe they would think twice then.

If people are prepared to lodge official complaints then the KC may well do something. If that werte me I would announce that if they do not return to their car within 5 minutes the window will be broken to get the dog out and see how fast they come back then!

Dapple

Yes, they should give them 5 minutes to return or action will be taken. Very good idea.

There has been enough in the press about these incidents at shows for the Kennel Club to sit up and easily take action.
I realise that there is normally a piece in schedules saying remedial action will be taken but how much is really done.
Text should be added on the actual entry form as the exhibitor has to sign it to agree to the other rules set out by the kennel club therefore making a formal agreement.
Adding text saying that if a dog is found to be in distress in a car. The show has permission to physically get the dog out. Then there wouldn't be any decision to make on whether to break a window. Time should be given as I appreciate that sometimes you have to make a number of trips to and from the car with a number of dogs and crates etc. There should be a fixed ban in place for any exhibitor found to leave a dog in distress. Taking the hard line is the only way. I think the people should be named and shamed as well.
Also there are enough gadgets etc that you can now buy for your car that can really make a difference when travelling with your dog.
I'm lucky at the moment I have a dog in puppy, so its in the class then back on the bench with a wet towel. Part of the enjoyment of showing is I like to watch all of the classes in my breed. I last did this at Birmingham National, since then I have done my class and headed straight home, as in my book my dog comes first.
I heard the announcements at South Wales and Paignton and I have to say that these people don't give a damn about there dogs. They have no excuse for what they have done.
If all this is not getting through to the Kennel Club then maybe a petition should be started. I'm sure every person that cares about there dog would sign it.

I quite agree I'll be taking my BC puppy to shows with me & he will either be in the unentered tent or more likely entered as NFC I only do a few shows & after Leeds I won't be at any show until Darlington

Just got my Cool n Dry towels & my coolers mattresses are already soaked & in the fridge for next week, tried one out yesterday & it worked well(it kept my shopping cool that is ;) & is still cool now so off to pop it back in it's plastic bag into the fridge)

I've never come acroos tent's being re-closed.  Infact never come across officials walking round the benches!!!  I find the benches not too bad and have wet towels on the benches for the dogs.  Water always avaliable and someone always with them.  My worse worry in heat at shows is the dogs getting grumpy.  I have one dog who has been really good so far this year, though he might be over his attacks, unfortantly he was not happy at our last show on a very hot day.  Many of the male dogs were getting grumpy because of the heat!

Can't blame them.  Most of the people were moaning that day aswell about one thing or another!

I can't remember whether it was Southern Counties or WELKS where the woman on the tannoy was brilliant.  She warned everyone in no uncertain terms that if they didn't remove their dogs within 5 minutes that they would be removed!!

Everyone was so impressed and we hoped that a number of cars were broken into.  I feel that this is the only way that we are going to stop the idiots who leave their dogs in cars on hot days!

well at a show in cornwall a couple of days ago I saaw 6 rough collies in a car trailer in the blazing sun. Repeated calls for the owner, who was off watching the agricultural show :(  had no effect. the dogs were watered by other exhibitors &  the vet got them out.  Then today at paignton in searing heat, a message on the tannoy for the owner of car registration****** please return at once to the SIBERIAN HUSKY in your car. The vet is dealing with it & the recorded temp. in the car is 52 degrees!!!!!!!
Sorry but they should be banned from dog ownership for life :(

A dog trainer from a nearby city was banned by the KC for leaving his GSDs in a locked sealed trailer in the blazing sun at Newark a few years back They banned him from shows but he was still running his KC registered training club :(  He was showing them in Breed I must add & never worked them in obedience

Its not only the numpty's who leave dogs in cars who should know better some judges could do with a kick up the backside too! At Border Union our judge (in the scorching heat) moved us round the ring continuously, he took us round twice to start with, then your own individual triangle and up and down, he then took them all round the ring 3 times again, then moved us all up and down individually again then asked us to go round together a further three times!! I couldn't believe it, my bitch who normally show forever and is very fit was really feeling it. Bearing in mind this is a predominantly black breed I think the judge was extremely irresponsible.  In fact a very well known all-rounder who happened to be watching my class was apparently disgusted and said the judge should be done for cruelty.

Hi fifi

Not being funny but couldn't you have withdrawn your dog out of the ring if you felt it was getting too much ?

Lucy
xx

With hindsight, Lucy, yes we should have but you keep thinking that surely he wont move the dogs again only to be proved wrong!  My bitch is very fit so although she was warm and panting she wasn't distressed or I would have withdrawn her, but I hate to think how the majority of unfit dogs coped.  After hearing many conversations after judging I think that judge will have a very poor entry if he gets asked again

What breed do you have out of interest :)

Lucy
xx

poodles & bernese, strange combination I know!

fifi do you show your poodles?

yes I do show them

yep Sam - that was Paignton show last weekend - two of those Sibes died locked in that roasting car effectively they were allowed to be microwaved to death by their thoughtless owners - this years tragedies makes me truly ashamed to be involved in the show world :(

Yvonne

I think it was WELKS where the secretary was quite colourful in her description of the idiots who do this. Mind you, I must admit I nearly always leave my dog on the benching, simply because he's a nosy so and so, and even if I cover the crate up, he will be jumping all over the place to try to see what's going on. I find the quiet dim benching tent much better as he will settle down and snooze! I didn't realise so many dogs had died this year, that's awful. :-(

um, I doubt it.......Paignton is on this week....today in fact!

Well I'm confused - I got this e-mail from a friend after the incident had happened

"just to tell you of  yet another unbelievable, inexcusable,
horrific dog show death----at  Paignton I heard the tannoy announce siberian huskies
in distress in closed  car--vet present and temperature in vehicle 52
degrees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
            I was  later told two dogs died in there---I find this so awful
and the owners should  be microwaved--for that is what in effect they did to
their dogs---how can these  people live with themselves??Nothing is worth losing
your dogs for, especially  not a prize at a dog show----these people should
be banned for life---there was  an unentered dogs tent in the car park so they
had no excuse."

She was actually at Paignton show 

Yvonne

I was at a one day agricultural show (held in Sept at the weekend).
It was very warm, I was lucky in that my car was parked on the showground right by the dog ring.
I was showing at the exemption show.
My car was sheeted with reflective sheets, all windows, rear door up etc etc.
Cold towels for them to lie on and frozen water bottles too. My car was much cooler than outside..
I sat in it often :)

Anyhow imagine our disbelief when one of the dog show organisers bought back to the
tent 2 Bulldogs who had been left in their owners car with no shade and windows only open an inch!I think this was at another ring around the showground.
He called the vet who agreed that they were very hot etc.
We all pulled together to cool these hot dogs down, by using cold towels etc.
The owners were most put out and angry that someone had broken into their car to rescue
their dogs! They've had bulldogs & bred them for years and know what they are doing is what they said...........:(
We just stood there dumbfounded...some people just don't realise.

If any of you read dogs world today you will see that this is indeed true.  I could not believe anyone would be that stupid but obviously I am still naive enough to believe that most people have more than one brain cell.

What I don't understand about it is that even if you are not involved with dog's in any way, everyone KNOWS not to leave dogs in cars on a hot day. I don't think it is stupidity, besides all of the show schedules I have seen, and shows we have been to, have all had warnings about leaving dogs in cars, this says to me that these 'dog lovers' are just lazy, too lazy to take their dog's somewhere in the shade, or to keep them with them, in a crate with reflective covers and wet towels and water!

The other thing we always see at shows, (not having a moan, just wondered why) is people who walking to and from places with their dogs nearly pulling them over! I would have thought that if they can keep their dog under control in the ring, they could train the dog to walk nicely anywhere. Maybe someone could tell me why this doesn't seem to be the case?

These people who leave there animals in that condition in cars that are so hot taking ...whelping bitches out should be banned from keeping any animal . Did anyone report this to the RSPCA I would of done next time if you see this and dont like it ring them , look how many people there are here saying that its bad the rspca would have no option but to go sort it . I hear they break car windows to take animals out :D its terrible no excuse for any of that .mabe they have forgoten there dogs have feelings :(

Sadly it does report this in DW, a Tibetan Spaniel was seen whelping, and their owner wasn't even with them, they had to be summoned and asked to leave. How selfish can some people get??? :-(

They should simply be banned from all future KC events by the KC and banned from owning dogs for life by the RSPCA!!!!

It is so disgraceful.  Poor bitch and poor pups.

Natalie,

In answer to your question about dogs pulling, you must understand that some dogs get so excited by the prospect of showing that they just have to pull.  My own dogs can be taken anywhere without pulling but get them to a Show and they are screaming with excitement by the time I park (quiet till they hear the other dogs and realise they have ARRIVED! ;) ) and pull like trains until they are in the benching area and have sight of others in the breed, when they settle and behave normally, they just can't get there quickly enough :rolleyes:  Nothing I have tried has worked so far, and I've retrained a few dogs who pull on the lead.  Thing is, I would rather they were excited at the prospect of showing than bored ;)

Aww that is really sweet :D It must be a lovely feeling when they are that excited :D

Getting back to these people who leave their dogs in the car, I think they should be made to put a furry rug around them, and sit in the car for even 5 mins and see how they feel I agree they should be banned from all KC events and be reported to, well I was going to say the RSPCA, but from all acounts you may as well save your phone bill! ;)

It is sweet that they enjoy it so much, far better than hating it :)

Personally I think it should be 20 mins in the car in the same heat (but without them knowing how long they had to stay there;) )  and then banned for life from having any contact with any pet These people aren't selfish or lazy they are inhuman and have no concept of how another creature might feel, something that they need to learn from experience.  If I were in charge of the tannoy at these shows I would be very graphic about what they were doing to their dogs.

Thinking about it, it would be easy to identify and fine/ban the culprits, all cars need passes to the show ;)  Why not print the ring no's of the dogs on the pass and stipulate that it MUST be displayed to avoid clamping?  That way the owner of the dogs being shown is held responsible and all consequences fall to them :)

I still can't get my head around why anyone would WANT to leave a dog in a car. I can't see all of those people thinking "we aren't ready for that one yet we will leave him here", unless I am very nieve about how the show world works, I thought the whole point of showing dogs was to show them off, and say 'look mine is better than yours' (in the nicest way poss of course!!!) and enjoy being with their dog's, not to easily kill them The other thing as well, is that it must be embarresing for the owners that do get called to their cars, you would have thought they would just save everyone the hassle. BTW I don't mean that the embarressment should be the ONLY reason they don't leave their dog's in the car! Obviously it is bad enough to leave a dog in a car anywhere, but somehow it seems even worse when you are surrounded by dog lovers.