Hi

Can anybody recommend any good books that I could buy that would give me info on showing i.e. what classes to enter etc.,  I really don't understand any of it at the moment and want to learn.

Ta much
Annie

Hi Annie,
Save yourself some money - just ask on here!!!

Hi

You'd probably get sick of me!  I just want to know the classes and what they are i.e. puppy, junior puppy, limit, open etc., etc.,

Thanks a lot
Annie

The age-limited classes are:

Minor puppy: 6 - 9 months
Puppy: 6 - 12 months
Junior: 6 - 18 months
Yearling: 12 -24 months

The other classes are for any age but entry depends on how many 1st prizes (other than Minor Puppy or Puppy) the dog has won.

Complete list

Hi Annie,
I think if you look in the schedule, the definitions of the classes are given.

There Robert Killick's book ''Dog Showing from Beginners to Winners''

Dawn R.

I second Dawn's suggestion, Beginners to Winners is a great book. Also find some ringcraft, go along to shows to watch, and of course ask here! :-) Have fun!

i brought that book this year at crufts, and woud also recommend it. i am interested in showing and know nothing about it, but this book certainly helps

becky

You will find the officail descriptions and requirements for each class in the schedule.  Most long time showers rarely red these pages but it is a good idea to recheck the definitions from time to time.

dogdeli1, have PM'd you.

Talk to people on here....

I find show people I know will try to make out it is harder then putting a rocket up in space...they can really like to rub in what hard work it is and how hard they work and that not just nyone can do it and that you almost have to have a showing hons degree before you can even enter a show, and they look down on things like obedience and a good citizen training as though it is ate of time... I train my dogs a little most days in anything I can think of they are Gold good citizens and went to  to obedience twice a week all last year and stareted agility training as well this year and have done well in companions  shows last year...

....and last week I mentioned to a local 'friend' and breeder and conformation show person that I was going so enter them in a show and she said I couldn't do that because they weren't trained   She said I must go to ringcraft training...but I went and they all smoked and offered no beginner training anyway and the classes  clash with agility or obedience or  scouts and she said I must put the dogs first and I can't expet my dogs to prat about all year doing nothing and then be fit for showing!

It makes me mad does this attitude because I work part time from home to suit my dogs and kids and I put a lot of work and love into them and into my kids and I can just only fit so much into our lives! 

I find it very hard to get into showing because as soon as I pluck up courage someone whos supposed to be my friend says something like that and puts me right off! Time and time again!

But you have to start somewhere so I will just learn on the go. l, I want is to show off my dogs and so learn how best to sho them and really just to have fun with them and learn about new activities to enjoy with them and I don't think very serious dog show people who show each week and read all the results know everything and breed lots of in demand  pups should look down of family pet dog folk total  beginners like us and put us down and tell us we will do it all wrong because that spoils the fun and our confidence.  And my son wants to show so undermining a kid like that is worse than anything!  It is not his fault no clubs here train in juniour handling! But they do nit seem to like the idea of kids showing at all. I can't see what the problem is!

Sorry it just gets me mad that some people do not remember people all have to start somewhere and that the peope around where I live try to put us off... and done a good job at it too!

Hi Tenaj

I'm really sorry that you have met with such resistance with show people.  I think in any walk of life you come up against people who become "obsessed" by their hobbies.  There are probably loads of them in agility, obedience and I know for a fact there are loads in field trials.  However, if you truly believe that your dog has the conformation and temperament to be shown then go along to a couple of shows and speak to people in your breed.  Ask them loads of questions (not when they are just about to show though as you may get curt replies!) about their dogs etc.,  Could you not find another ringcraft class.  I've visited a couple of ringcraft classes and nobody there was standing about smoking and talking like that.  Showing, like anything else, is another area to become involved in the dog world.  I've attended shows through my business and also to watch my breed, and I've always found that the majority of people are really really lovely and more than happy to answer any questions I have.  I did this before I got Ruby, my Bracco, and got a wealth of information.  I've also made some lovely friends.  My own Bracco is not show material i.e. she doesn't meet the breed standard, but I knew that when I got her and I am currently training her up for gun work.  Have you checked that your dogs are in fact show standard?  I know that might sound a bit strange but there is no point in you showing a dog that isn't going to get anywhere because that will disillusion you even more.  If that's the case then when you talk to people at shows you can find out which lines you like and make contact with the breeder.  Advise them that you want to show etc., etc., and they will guide you in the right direction if you are looking for a puppy to show.

I have to say that I have received lots of excellent advice about showing from members of the forum and I'm very grateful for that.  If you have some questions why don't you post them and see what the response is?  You don't know until you've tried do you?  Not everybody is like the people you have described and I think in general people want to help if they can.

I hope this helps. 
Kind regards
Annie

Thanks for the encouragement....... I have found people at shows very very helpful and friendly.... so we know  it's just the people I know who put me off showing...they have other breeds and don't actually have a clue about my breed...they can't even get the name of the breed right!  Here the ringcraft have bars and permit smoking...after going the smoke was so thick we had to bath our dogs it was so bad! And we have kids who want to show so that really is not ideal to take them there... also having kids some days of the week are taken up with their activities... they go to one dog training session each each week and can have one club of their own.... so although there are two other ringcrafts they are on 'kid days' ..... as parents the kids are our no 1 priority...but to some people I know this is seen as a total  lack of dedication to the dogs!

Also my other half just started a new job and works 40 hours a week plus 20 hours of open university and the kids have exams coming up in the next year or so so these must be priorities so I can not realistically have  intentions of getting deeply involved in conformation, agility or obedience at the moment even though  I'd really really really  love to.... so for now I'd just like to learn and try the ropes.  My dogs are good examples of their breed... ( lol...very naughty! lol! ;)  )

HI Tenaj

Don't know where you'd find the time to show your dogs!!!  What breed do you have?  It doesn't sound to me as if its a very professional ringcraft.  I would hate to take my dogs to a place filled with smoke like a bar - yuck!!!  Unfortunately, if the others are on night when you have things to do with the kids then things will just have to wait.  Why don't you try just doing some of the training yourself in the meantime.  Most of it is fairly straightforward i.e. dogs being used to having hands over them; mouth looked at; how to stand and stack properly etc., etc.,  Obviously there must be a knack to it but to be honest it isn't rocket science and it is possibly something you could do with the kids!!!!  They might think its fun.

Hope this helps and good luck
Annie

Thanks.  My dogs have done all the good citizen levels and with that they have to stand for inspection and they carry on doing this with them to some extent at obedience class... and we have been reasonably dedicated in training them. Basically I think they will behave or they won't no mattrer how much the are trained it's a lot down to their mood and the atmosphere  so it's best not to get too bogged down in it all and just laugh if they go all silly on us. And no matter how clean I get them there is always a chance they will catch us off guard and  take a little roll in mud..and again''it is just their personality showing through! You never know what a dog will do... combine that with a kid and you have to just try to take it as it comes! 

My son has a place in the YKC training camp so we can all go watch all the different type of activities  there...my son is really keen to show. He used to be very very scared of dogs but has taken over our younger dog.... I get great satisfaction from seeing the kids get more involved in the dogs... even just taking it extra slow  one step at a time it is good to see such progress.

The nice thing about shows is it gets the keen dog people together which is really great to meet like minds... even though we are all at different levels of knowledge, expertise, and experience.

Wow I in all honmesty twll al my obedience freinds that I do 'breed' (how conformation is frefered to by most ob folk) because I am too lazy and inconsistent to train past basic manners. :D

I suppose owning a wash and wear sort of dog (even though they ahve thick coats) does help.

I think most people new to showing in my breed find others all to eager to help with handling tips etc, and breed judges are very patient with obvious novices, as are some of the top all rounders, like Ellis Hulme, Stuart mallard etc.

This year at Manchester Terry Thorne judged our breed and it didn't put him off placdng dog in a large class that was wearing a fat buckle collar, not the usual show equipment, but what had that to do with the quality of the dog concerned.