One of my boys is very sound sensitive ... a lovely gentle easy going dog  and a good example of the breed....but a bit of a wuss when it comes to sudden loud noises. Yesterday he won BOB at our local Open show and as the breed judge was also doing the group we decided to hang on and do the group as well. This was quite late in the day and just as we got in the ring, several trade stall holders decided to pack up VERY noisily - to cap it all as the judge was looking at him some 'kind' soul folded up their crate with a crash just by the ringside - now I'm not saying that we would have done anything in the group but it totally freaked my boy out and he was visibly shaking as the judge was asking us to move :(.

Why do folk do this ? - can they not SEE that dogs are being judged in the ring ? - I do know that not all dogs are worried by sudden noises but I bet I'm not the only one with a dog that is.

Yvonne

Oh how annoying!!! Yes had this happen to me as well in the past.

Was a TAD bit annoyed at this judge as he told us our puppy WOULD have won the class as she was the better looking one but he put character above anything else. So what did she do wrong? She had her tail between her legs when gone over, that's all! :rolleyes: She did not even move a paw and tail came out nicely when she moved. I think you both noticed she was as happy as anything the rest of the time -as was your boy! :)

Luckily my idiots aren't bothered by that but I've seen many who are - it is a shame. :-(

Our boy barks!   I feel really bad, but, mostly people say we must persist and encourage him not to.
Is this a serious problem to others and if so what should we do.
He does settle eventually.
Karen

Personally it's not the noise of other dogs or 'natural' sounds that upsets him but sudden bangs and crashes - he has been very well socialised and goes to training classes to try and get him desensitised to ringside noises but this is still a problem - my point is that I think it very inconsiderate if not downright rude for the stall holders to be packing away when the show is still going on particulalrly if by doing so they are causing problems for dogs in the ring.

Yvonne

my daughter who was 9 at the time was handling her gsd in the ring, now she had won BOB, and groups with this dog and they where a good team, we where at richmond and a pile of cages crashed over at a trade stall, just as she was stacking him, he jumped  with fright and he came up under her chin and knocked her clean out, he then lay downbeside her and licked her i was under the ropes and rushing to her side, she was coming around it seemed like mins but was literaly seconds, she said i am fine got up and started to stack him again to a round of applause, i said i will do him no he is my dog i will manage him, but this spooked this dog so much that she only went to companion shows after this or did obedience or flyball with him which he enjoyed i was so annoyed but did not think to complain at the time, just wanted to get her out the ring and make sure she was fine,
carolann