First official dog show!

[Karlin]

He's lovely!

The IKC I believe do do classes on handling for shows and it would be very wise to do this. I would get there quite a bit before 11 I think -- an hour isn't very much time and most people get there well before that on a day they show, especially at a championship show. Yes you can walk the dog outside but you may want a pee coat to protect his legs and also in case it is raining. There isn't much protection around the show centre.

Also just a question --in the pics it looks like you are trimming his feet; maybe this was a long while ago or it is the just the angle of the shot ; I assume you know that you are not allowed to trim a show cavalier (hair on the bottom of their feet is fine but their slippers shouldn't be trimmed nor hair anywhere else -- that's the breed standard for showing).

[Margaret C]

Also just a question --in the pics it looks like you are trimming his feet; maybe this was a long while ago or it is the just the angle of the shot ; I assume you know that you are not allowed to trim a show cavalier (hair on the bottom of their feet is fine but their slippers shouldn't be trimmed nor hair anywhere else -- that's the breed standard for showing).

Hello Karlin,

Now there is an interesting point.

You are right about the standard saying no trimming........ but you will never see a show cavalier looking like a typical untrimmed pet cavalier that has just walked off the street.

In the UK, where we do not like big fluffy slippers on our show cavaliers, they will all have neat fur round their paws, just long enough to touch the ground. No straggly bits, nothing ragged or uneven.

Many exhibitors will tell you the hair is kept short and even because their dogs run on gravel.

I have not worked out how that also helps to keeps the ear fringes smoothly rounded, and the complete outline of the dog without one hair out of place.......... but I'm sure it has nothing to do with the trimming scissors peeping out of the grooming bags.

All serious exhibitors ( and I was one of them ) 'tidy' their cavaliers. You cannot afford to not do it if you want to win. Many learn to do it discreetly, in between shows, so it does not look too obvious.

Nowadays many of the top winning dogs are so trimmed that nobody could miss the fact that they have been scissored.

It is one of the points in the standard that nobody bothers about any more.

[Karlin]

Hello Karlin,


Many exhibitors will tell you the hair is kept short and even because their dogs run on gravel.

I have not worked out how that also helps to keeps the ear fringes smoothly rounded, and the complete outline of the dog without one hair out of place.......... but I'm sure it has nothing to do with the trimming scissors peeping out of the grooming bags.

All serious exhibitors ( and I was one of them ) 'tidy' their cavaliers. You cannot afford to not do it if you want to win. Many learn to do it discreetly, in between shows, so it does not look too obvious.

Well yes I'd assumed that some of this discreetly happens as they all always look a bit too neat for nature to entirely have taken its course...! But I think feet can look very obvious. I've also heard ths stories of blacking in dogs' noses, etc. All a myth I am sure!

I do have city dogs walked on pavement three to four times a day and have never noticed it affects the length their hair gets too... Lucy walks around on four floor mops it seems if her hairy feet get too long so I keep them neatened but not into the hateful 'cat's feet' look -- I always think they look like bulldogs when groomers shave their feet. But to each his own, some like no hair. I love their hobbit feet.

[Margaret C]

Here is a photo of my handsome boy!

http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w...hoenix0005.jpg

http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w...hoenix0011.jpg

One more question, I was reading that some dogs have picked up Kennel cough from the shows so I was thinking I should get him vaccinated against it? Do most people who show their dogs have this done? He is never in kennels /boarded so that is why he does not have the kennel cough jab but I was thinking he will be around a lot of other dogs. Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

He certainly is handsome, he has a lovely expression.

The subject of vaccinations is tricky, there are so many different opinions and I think we all have to make up our own mind what level of risk we are willing to take ( and where we think the biggest risk lies, with giving the vaccination, or in not vaccinating against disease )

I have never had the kennel cough vaccination for mine. I think I was put off by something I read when it was first introduced.

I would probably only consider it if I was going to show in an area that had a serious outbreak of Kennel cough.

[Brian M]

H Pinky

And well done to you and Phoenix for having a go and seeing that you obviously enjoyed it ,I would be as proud as punch for achieving what you have ,so good luck to the two of you in your future endeavors and always think as you do that your Phoenix is so obviously the best Cavalier In The World..Congratulations

[MARK MARSHALL]

Well done for achieving what you have.

But and there is always a but. Have a visit to other shows and do your homework. You may well have and take home the 'best' dog, but that will not equate to success.

A certain 'type' of dog will invariably win and certain personalitues do win more than others - they are good at producing what is in fashion.

You therefore nead a critical eye and have to look at what is doing well and compare your specimen to that.

Showing is expensive and Champ Shows more than others.

Sincerely, all the very best.

Mark.

[diddy]

Well you did better than I did at my first show. In a Class of 3 we got VHC (5th place). I learnt a lot from the experience though and later used one of that judges dogs on this girl and got some stunning pups.

[sins]

I'm glad you enjoyed your first show, I'm sure it won't be your last.
Sins

[Karlin]

Sounds like you had a great time!

You may well have and take home the 'best' dog, but that will not equate to success.

Yes, this is a useful thing to understand for any of us interested in showing or thinking about it, so as not to take the judgments in the ring as a criticism of one's 'best' dog at home, as we all know ours are! But the flip side is also true: simply because we think we have a lovely dog doesn't mean s/he is top show quality, and not to take this personally. There is often a huge difference between what we see as beautiful and what judges and the show community thinks as the best examples of the breed standard across conformation and personality in the ring.

One thing that generally is very useful for anyone wishing to show is to have one's own dog critically analysed, good and bad, by a very experienced show person or judge privately (if you get involved with the club, this should be easy to do with a friendly, experienced member). Also to find a good show mentor, someone who will sit with you at ringside and explain the positives and negatives of the dogs on show and work with you on all aspects of understanding the breed and showing.

While I think each of my cavaliers is beautiful, only one is really 'beautiful' in appearance in what would be desireable in terms of conformation, and that is Lucy, who is a retired show breeding bitch. She was never really shown for a few reasons but was retained in the breeding programme for her many good qualities in health, conformation and personality terms, and has produced solid show dogs.

When I got my first cavalier, Jaspar, like many new cavalier owners I was sure he must be 'show quality' not least as he had his IKC registration (little did I realise how little this means, though I think it is an important starting point when looking for a good breeder that they have recognised national registration, not the 'other' registries); But of course he isn't at all ; he's a lovely pet quality dog (but the 'most beautiful' of all mine, in my own eyes, as he is just that little bit extra special to me). Over time I have learned to look at him and see what wouldn't be right for the show ring (only an OK head, thin longish legs, not enough 'bone', gay tail etc)... but he is my idea of a perfect dog in personality, looks and health -- a very healthy dog, heart clear at nearly 6, MRI'd clear of SM twice (at 1 and again at 5.5), fit and very intelligent and intuitive (he does better than many collies at agility! ). He is my once-in-a-lifetime dog where we have that special connection, and ribbons, trophies and prizes mean nothing compared to that. But for showing, a person needs to at times be able to separate heart and head and use a cold analytical eye to learn and do well. The same is really true for any area of endeavour of course!

[Cathy T]

all in all I enjoyed the experience

And that's the important thing! So glad you enjoyed youself and learned some things.