Just a quick one.  What do you think is the latest age a dog can start to be shown?

Hi - bit of an opened ended question - to be honest don't know but if you are asking if you don't show as a puppy is it a problem then NO!!

I didn't start Max until he was over a year - I know of a few people who didn't start til 18m - 2 years.

Not sure there is an age limit really but probably best before veteran! ;)

That very much depends on the dog, especially its temperament. No reason why an adult of 3/4 couldnt start to be shown at all.

He's coming up to 14 months old, he was shown a little bit as a puppy but due to circumstances I couldn't give the training etc my full attention and so it all slipped by the wayside.  But things have changed now and want to start again with him.  He's a lovely chap (we all say that don't we!) and I was just wondering really if I'd missed my opportunity with him.  Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Well I think now is a great time to get back into it!  No way have you missed your opportunity - as I said before I didn't show Maxy til just after a year!

Go for it I say!

In my breed lots of dogs have been shown as mature adults when their homes changed on returning to the breeder or the owner got an interest in showing once the dog was older.

Of course in some breeds the show life of a dog is short so that would affect things, but in my breed dos well into veteran do well.

I didn't start showing my first Elkhound until she was almost two, as my son was small.

I dont think there is an age limit, in my breed  due to them being slow to mature, some dont start showing till junior, maybe even post grad. As long as your dog will stand and allow a judge to go over him.

Well Dilita my first Spanish Water Dog was 7 as they hadn't been allowed to be shown before then!  She won several Best import register classes and won Best Import Register at the Leicestershire Top Gundog matches twice on the run with dogs that were more than half her age, so with the right dog you can start anytime!  She was still winning 6 months before she died at the age of 12.