Crufts

[Arkkorox]

Anyone watching?

I do often ponder when I'm watching crufts whether these dogs are kept in kennels or in the home of the owner. You see some owners hugging and kissing the dogs and you think 'yes, you sleep on the end of the bed and get spoiled rotten' then you see others who just seem distant.

I know if I found myself in the position of knopas owner tonight is be squeezing the life out of him in joy not carefully making sure his beard is perfect. Funny world showing I guess, and one I have no experience in.

The lady who was showing Knoppa wasn't his owner. Probably why she wasn't as affectionate.

His owner was probably just out of shot sobbing uncontrollably. I would be.

Was it the winning scotties handler who combed his hair and then stuck the comb back in her own hair? Yuk.

When my dogs are groomed for show, they're cleaner than most people. I often brush the dogs, then give myself a tidy up. Some dog grooming products work great in human hair as well.

I do often ponder when I'm watching crufts whether these dogs are kept in kennels or in the home of the owner.

I can't speak for all owners, but if I'm home, they're in the house with me. They all sleep in my bedroom (all six of them). I do have a big room they are in when I'm at work (tiled floors, dog beds all around, doggy door out to little courtyard), but when I'm at home, they are wherever I am.

His owner was probably just out of shot sobbing uncontrollably. I would be.

I handled a dog to Best of Breed at Crufts a few years ago, and I was in tears! I turned around to see his owner barrelling across the ring at me screaming her lungs out. It was pretty hilarious. I think I need to go back next year. Wonder if I can find someone who will let me pilot a dog again? Or maybe take my own this time?

Why don't the owners handle their own dogs?

Knopas handler had flown over from America to do it by the sounds of it. She sounded american or Canadian and was talking about jet lag. Is she a professional dog handler?

Didn't she say her Mum was the breeder? I may have misheard, but I think I caught that.

Some very wealthy owners would employ professional handlers - this dog was bred in the U.S. and had a Russian owner so I'm guessing there might be big money for a hobby they take very seriously. Other, more ordinary folk, sometimes find a dog "shows better" for someone who isn't their owner.

Our first dog was a golden retriever, we did a bit of showing and obedience, she was supposed to be MY dog but she decided she was dh's. I did all the training classes and she was brilliant, particularly at obedience so we entered her for a show. The minute I let go of the lead for the 'stay' she was off to the other side of the ring where she'd spotted 'daddy' . We soon found out that If she knew he was anywhere in the show ground she spent her whole time looking for him and wouldn't show at all and would not stay in th ring for obedience. She showed well if I went on my own! It defeated the object of the exercise for us as we wanted a fun hobby to do together . He tried showing her himself but he hated it and was useless so that didn't work either. As I said - we only did it for a few years, our third dog just hated it so we stopped going. She was gorgeous too and very bonded to me, a lovely gentle soul - my children all learned to walk by holding onto her one of those "once in a lifetime" dogs. Her grandfather was Shargleam Blackcap (aka Brett) a Flatcoat who won Crufts in the 80's - he belonged to a breeder, Pat Chapman, with lots of show and working flatcoats, most of whom seemed to live in the house not the kennels, and Brett slept on her bed!

One of things I found interesting during my brief time in that world was the huge difference in attitude to the dogs between different breeds. Jemima Harrison, the TV producer who did "pedigree dogs exposed" - that caused the Bbc to drop Crufts, and made the KC take health seriously - was a Flatcoat owner and runs a rescue (mainly getting black retriever crosses out of Irish pounds before they're pts ) she got a lot of vitriol from some of the people in breeds where looks had become more important than health.

The Scotties handler said the dog was bred in Washington then 'given' to a russian breeder ( who still owns her I think) ,she was shown in Europe and then sent back to the USA ( presumably to this handler) to be shown there . Personally I think of all the finalists she seemed to be the one with the least personality / individuality - didn't seem remotely excited or interested , looked to me like it was 'just another day at the office' - which as a terrier owner I find a bit sad . Obviously a very professional dog but to me a bit of a turn off .

Shout out for all the dog owners who can't watch Crufts because their dog starts bouncing up and down and barking at the tv! Think we managed all of 3 minutes this year.

2 dogs stole my heart and they were the Saluki and Maltese - both with the style, flow and grace of a ballet dancer!.
The Maltese had charm and cuteness too., but looked rather feminine.
Afraid the Scotty did nothing for me and looked rather butch for a female.
Standards dictate that the males must look masculine and the females feminine in all breeds.

There are lots of owners who don't show, particularly at that level. I have often handled for people. I handled for my mum when she was in a wheelchair due to cancer. Lots of elderly exhibitors can't handle anymore, particularly those floor level breeds.

The big rings terrify people. Crufts is massive and it is overwhelming so there can be a fear.
There are a number of people who own dogs but don't handle them.

Most of the time I show my own dogs (unless I've won a couple of classes and need another handler). The group of friends I show with (six different breeds between us) will often swap our dogs among each other depending on who is showing whom, who wins what, and sometimes it's just nice to be able to stand back and actually watch your dog in the ring to see how they perform. We also do it a lot with our puppies because we want them to be able to be handled by different people in case of clashes/challenge line ups/etc.

For Crufts, I was invited to handle a dog for someone, so I flew over. It was a real privilege to be asked to show a dog of the quality that he was, and I was able to show him to best of breed and then in the group ring, which was an amazing experience.

I personally think the Scottie owner looked nervous. Very fiddly and kept checking, rechecking, regrooming. Showing in the main arena at Crufts is very different to a regular dog show. The crowds are loud, the loud speakers, and the cameras all around, the spotlighting and lights which dogs are not used to. And that's on top of all the press/media/photographs before going in, then waiting around behind the stage in the big echoey area, nerves building by the second. All I can remember thinking as I ran across the darkened ring with just a spotlight was 'don't fall, don't fall, don't fall'.

Why did the scottie's handler keep putting her hand over the dog's bottom at the interview with Claire B. She seemed to be pressing at the base of his tail, I wondered if she was trying to stop him having a poo.

To keep her tail up. The Scottish Terrier standard requires the tail to be set well on with an upright carriage or slight bend. She's tickling the base of the tail so she keeps it carried high.

Midnite what dogs to you have?

Must say, I am finding all the chat from ladies who have show dogs utterly fascinating. Thanks for your insights.

My family and our crazy dds will just have to be happy with the pets parade at the local agricultural summer show.

But we love it non the less.

Did anyone hear the interview with the handler of jagger, the Irish setter who died? I think it was radio 5 live, but could be wrong. Totally heartbreaking. ??

Thanks Midnite, poor dog having to put up with that.

Not really ender. It's tickling or patting the base of the tail to get the dog to hold it up, nothing cruel about it. The position of the nail held high like that is a natural position, the dog would hold it that way working or when alert, but a dog standing still is going to relax their tail and hold it down, hence the patting/tickling will make the dog hold it higher.

Glad it's not cruel, although my dogs are v protective of their rear ends and I can't imagine them standing and letting someone do that.

Show dogs have to be examined by the judge, so we spent a lot of time 'going over' them as youngsters. From they day they are born, all of the puppies I breed get their feet played with every day, tails, ears, looking at their teeth, rolled on their backs for a belly rub, tail's touched, etc. It starts out while I'm sitting on the sofa, and gradually moves to the table as they grow up. It's a game, I call it the 'this is mine' and talk to them 'this is my tail, these are my feet, this is my nose, these are my ears' as I touch them, just like any other training we do with them they are praised and rewarded, not different to teaching a dog to sit/stay/come. As they get older, we're always going up to people at shows asking them to go over our dogs to get them socialised and trained with all different types of people to examine them.

Really poor coverage of agility this year. Considering the queues to get in to the arena you'd think they would show more.
My friend had the most remarkable weekend, winning 5 of the 6 events she was in, including the Agility Championship and they didn't show her at all (unless I missed a 5 second clip...)

pseudobadger the agility is live streamed all day on the Youtube channel

www.youtube.com/user/OfficialCrufts

I watched heaps of agility live. But there's lots of replays on the official youtube channel as well.

I know, I saw it all.

Even though I haven't shown for 20+ yrs I still teach my dogs to let me 'go over' them, handle feet and look at teeth etc, it makes life so much easier when you have to go the vets . Just being able to say "teeth" to a dog and then watch the vet check the mouth without any wriggling or grumbles is great. I've watched the footage again and I still the flatcoat or maltese should have got it, the scottie was cute but I really didn't think he showed as well.