I should imagine most people start showing in their early twenties, maybe much earlier - especially if they come from a dog breeding/showing background. So, realistically, when would you consider someone to be too old to start out ?

Loads of people only have time when they retire so any age is a good age to start.
I started as soon as I could walk and talk but I know several who made it their retirement hobby.

That is interesting...thanks Tooolz, so 40 is not too late then? ;-)

Hardly out of your teens :-)

If they can move their dog round the ring, they're not too old to show :)

I had celebrated an awful lot of birthdays before I took up agility - and one of the competitors I see at shows is in his eighties and still running rather quick collies  :-)

as long as you love what you are doing and capable of doing it any age i say. i train with ladies over the age of 80 in agility and they love it, i know when i get to old to dog agility and breed showing, i am going to get myself a siamese cat and start showing in the cat world.
So as long as it is something you want to do and enjoy do it.

If you can you can your age matters not one jot. I started at about 50 and am still involved although I can no longer run.

my mum has recently started at 58, I don't think you're ever too old.  Although it helps if you can run your dog yourself to start with....

My husband was 45 first time he handled a dog at a show. A few years later he even got to fullfill his dream of running through the arch into the big ring at Crufts -now his dream is to win a group at Crufts LOL.

You're never too old. We have some pensioners in our breed who can't move their dogs, there's always somebody there to do it for them.

The good thing with showing is there is no age limit...apart from judging..& 40 is deffinately not too old to start....

I started last year at 40 with a bitch that was bought as a pet. Our first show was when she was 18 months old.
At the first show we came 3rd and qualified for Crufts. Second show she won her class, Crufts she won her class and two weeks ago in her and mine 4th show SCGB Champ, she won her class and got the reserve CC!
Not bad for a middle aged lady and her pet ;)

"Hardly out of your teens"...

Thanks Tooolz,  although, I wish I felt that young lol.

Very interesting replies, and so positive too. Not one negative remark so far - I genuinely did think most people would say I had left it a bit late.  I think for me it is a confidence thing, so had it been largely thought I was too old, it would have reduced my confidence further...
But knowing that it is in fact not that uncommon to leave it until later in life has given me a little boost :-)
Mine is a popular breed for showing and I am just worried I might feel out of my depth having left it until now.  But it seems there is hope !

"My husband was 45 first time he handled a dog at a show. A few years later he even got to fullfill his dream of running through the arch into the big ring at Crufts -now his dream is to win a group at Crufts LOL "

Oh wow, that is fantastic !!! :-)

> That is interesting...thanks Tooolz, so 40 is not too late then? ;-)

Good lord no.  Most of the people who have had pups from me that have been persuaded to show were empty nesters, part time parents, or those with children old enough to join in.

I'd say most of the younger people are coming into it through family as the 20 - 30 age bracket are usually not established enough, e.g. still in rented accomodation, two full time wages needed, or with young families and too busy for such an all encompassing hobby, and probably too busy a social life.

If I try to give an estimate for the average age of a cavalier exhibitor I would hazzard a guess of between 45-65.

>Not bad for a middle aged lady and her pet ;-)

Not bad at all!!  :-)  :-)  :-)

>Not bad for a middle aged lady and her pet <

Ow!  As someone ages with yourself, I resent 40 being seen as middle aged!!!!  Don't you know 40 is the new 30 lol;-)

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Ow!  As someone ages with yourself, I resent 40 being seen as middle aged!!!!  Don't you know 40 is the new 30 lol;-)

Ahem - 50 is the new 30 - 40 must be the new 21 ;-)

We showed first time round when we were in our late 20's and started again recently in our mid 40's. I would agree that the average age of exhibitors is around 45 ish with under 10's to over 80's and everything in between ;-) Go and enjoy it cavlover

I was over 40 when I did some fun shows with my BSDx as a youngster and even got a First at the first show - okay it was Best Six Legs lol. Took my rescue girly out last year to fun and Companion shows and even won Best Veteran at one... I also started going to spectate at 'proper' dog shows, first was 2 yrs ago, and last year went to 3 including a Champ thanks to lifts from kind people like our own Merlot.

I have a Significant birthday looming this year, and while I may never own a dog TO show, I will never tire of going to watch... And I have a vague but inspiring wish that I might learn enough to handle other people's dogs, if I don't have my own to show. Fingers crossed I may be at WELKS and National, it can be very hard especially if like me you don't drive.

And I have a vague but inspiring wish that I might learn enough to handle other people's dogs, if I don't have my own to show. Fingers crossed I may be at WELKS and National, it can be very hard especially if like me you don't drive.

With Belgian people always playing musical dogs, I'm sure that can be arranged!

Think there is a Goldmali entered for WELKS, maybe my co-owned import too (forgot to ask), and if you get to the National Rip and Rona will be there with us.

> Think there is a Goldmali entered for WELKS, maybe my co-owned import too (forgot to ask), and if you get to the National Rip and Rona will be there with us.

Yikes! You'd better give me one to handle that hasn't a hope in hell then.... I won't do it any favours! :)

I looked into going to local Ringcraft just to meet people and maybe get some experience; the nearest one can be got to by bus, but the last bus back home is just 20 mins later :(

Hope to see you at the National then xx

> it can be very hard especially if like me you don't drive.

I will be eternally grateful for the lifts I had to shows for 15 years or so, from various fellow enthusiasts, especially when I realise that my Exmoor freind was putting an hout onto her day to do so when her journey each way to shows was already an hour and a half each way further than mine.

I tell hubby I only married him to get a dog show driver.

If yoru ncoming to Bath I have two bitches in Open bitch, was going to ask secretary to call for a Junior Handler as volunteer, if I can't find an empty pair of hands in the breed.

>With Belgian people always playing musical dogs, I'm sure that can be arranged!

I have a feeling I might be doing that tomorrow, I have a nasty idea that Ellie's Beginners and Novice obedience classes are going to clash with Lottie's Minor Puppy class - eek!

You're never too old! Give it a go! :) I started at 25 with an 8 year old dog who had never been shown before and he's done brilliantly! :D

I tell hubby I only married him to get a dog show driver.

Snap LOL. I got lifts to cat shows but never to dog shows, so could only do local shows. Hence when I met my husband, that's when we started showing a lot.

You`re never too old...I started showing at 38 years old!...This year with a young bitch I had only owned for 12wks went BOB at Crufts!! Oh just to add I`ll be 41 on Sunday ;)

Yikes! You'd better give me one to handle that hasn't a hope in hell then.... I won't do it any favours! :-)

Won't have one at the National, it being one of our rare shows with tickets :) but I'm sure there can be other times.

Thanks for all the inspiring replies :-)
I definitely agree with some of the comments that 40 is not middle aged these days ;-)
I am definitely fit and able and in truth don't feel any different from when I was in my twenties, but it is more the idea of it being hard enough being a novice, without worrying that people might have thought fancy leaving it until now to start showing ! It seems that fellow exhibitors wouldn't think that way at all as it is common enough to start later in life.
The earliest I would potentially have anything ready for showing would be November, so I have plenty of time to do more homework, because whilst I have attended shows in the past with enthusiasm, there are still some things I am unsure about (Experience wise I have never ventured beyond ringcraft).
I had a great uncle who successfully bred and exhibited dachshunds (think he judged at Crufts) and a great Aunt who bred and exhibited cocker spaniels successfully. So, it is in my genes somewhere, albeit with different breeds!  This is why I love to come on this forum as the vast majority of you guys are very successful exhibitors.
One thing, as I have a busy family life and I am a coward when it comes to motorway driving (My poor husband has several times had to use up a couple of days holiday from work, in order to drive me to a stud dog), I could realistically only enter shows once every month or so. Would it still be worth doing?

Thanks again to everyone who has replied.

Cavlover dont worry about the age bit. I start last year (50 + !) ok we havnt got far because dometic happenings got in the way but I still intend to go back to it. It really never crossed my mind about age I was so busy worring about my pup lol
Imo any experience is good expereince and wouldnt hesitate if you could only do some here and there. Ok you may never get o th edizzy heights of crufts but then its the fun in the way that matters not just the end result
Give it a go have fun

Ah thanks furriefriends for the vote of confidence :-)
Lol I imagine I could possibly end up thinking my age was the least of my worries, but if I try not to take it too seriously and try and have some fun, it should be ok.

"I tell hubby I only married him to get a dog show driver"

They do have their uses don't they lol ;-)

You can go to as many or as few shows as you like. You could get a sat nav and tell it to avoid motorway routes, of course it will take longer but it's an option. Or you may well find that the more shows you do, the more used you get to the driving! Good luck and come say hi when you start showing, I'm guessing we're in the same breed. :-)

As others have already said you will find a wide range of age groups in the ring, and all with different levels of experience.

I have had dogs all of my life, but only showed when a certain moderator took me under her wing many years ago with a golden retriever.  It was during that period that I first met my current breed, but had to wait many years to be in a position to do justice due to work committements.

I'm also in my 40s and have a family, also live on west coast of Wales so geographically challenged!

The shows have become our holidays, we take the caravan and hubbie can watch TV etc while we all enjoy competing.  We take part in showing and agility, and similar to you are restricted in how many shows that we can attend.

All I can say is,if you don't try you won't know.

There are car share forums, so if you found someone close to you they may be able to help with the driving/car share. Or ask at ringcraft, or even your local shows, to find out if there is anyone who would be glad of the company on th elong drives to faraway shows ;-)

I can only afford to go to one show a month, unless I go to a couple of open shows. The cost of travel far outways the cost of entering the dog(s), though I do tend to car share with a couple of friends on long hauls.