Showing Your Own Dog

By: Jimmy Cox

Who are the people who show dogs? Are they lunatics or fanatics? The dog people have a favorite joke about themselves. They say you don't have to be crazy to enjoy shows, but it certainly helps! This is because they actually go through many hardships and disappointments but still enjoy it and call it fun.

It is one of the fascinating peculiarities of the dog game that the people who are thrown together in the pursuit of this sport are from so many different walks of life: dentists, carpenters, teachers, bankers, housewives, farmers, musicians, engineers, artists, industrialists, young and old, rich and poor. All have the same desire - to take home a blue ribbon.

If you have thought that you might like to get into dogs, but have not yet purchased your first one, let me give you a word of advice. There are so many wonderful breeds, each with its own particular charm, that I'm sure you can find just the right breed for you.

However, decide on one whose size and temperament fit into your life. Don't get a Great Dane if you live in a tiny apartment, and don't get a tiny dog if a high-pitched bark grates on your nerves. Once you have decided which breed you want, please do some studying about what is right and what is wrong for a dog of that particular breed.

When you are ready to buy, go to a reliable breeder and tell him that you intend to show. A sincere breeder would not sell you an inferior animal if he knew he was to be shown. Many people when they are buying a dog ask for "just a pet," thinking they will get the animal cheaper.

A good breeder wants his stock shown and does not want to be embarrassed by having a dog of his breeding with a serious fault show up at a show, and by the same token he does not want to sell a top dog to someone who will never show him as for all practical purposes he would be lost to the show and breeding world.

He would rather sell you a good dog for less money if you promised he would be shown. If he is a big breeder, he cannot possibly get all the dogs he raises to the shows under his own name, and he is always looking for someone to come along who is interested in showing. He will not give the dog away, because experience has taught him that the dog receives better care if he has been purchased and he has a much better chance of actually getting into the show ring when the new owner has paid something for the dog.

It would be hard for me to tell you exactly what you ought to pay for a dog good enough to show and have some fun with. In addition to the fact that prices vary a great deal in the various breeds, and not taking into consideration the actual worth of a dog because of his good or bad points, there are many other things that enter into the price you must pay for a good dog. Here are a few:

How many other good dogs has the seller in his kennel? By selling you the only good one, he may be left without any thing to show himself, and if he wants to show, the price may go up.

How crowded are the seller's facilities? If he is over crowded, he may be willing to sell at a lower price than usual.

Can the owner afford to show? If not, he may sell for less in order to give the dog the opportunity to be shown more frequently.

How many other persons are interested? Naturally, if several persons express the desire to buy the same dog, the price of that dog will go up.

These are some of the first things you need to ask yourself before considering embarking on showing dogs. It is certainly a fascinating hobby!

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