GETTING READY FOR THE DOG SHOW
You possible can't show a pet quality dog. When you just want a dog, you just want a dog. When out of nowhere the very first time that the thought occurred to me, I just want a dog, I didn't much care what kind of dog I wanted. I just wanted a dog. Normally, when this happens, it's either somebody buys you a dog or maybe you yourself buy a dog. Or maybe, you ask around in the neighborhood if there are puppies up for adoption, looking for good homes or maybe for sale. So one just wants a dog and that's it. There are puppies sold at pet shops whether at the malls or along the streets. There are even puppies sold at the public market and off the streets in baskets. Those were the days and even to date, they still do happen. These are the "Askals".
It wasn't until my nanny gave me a dog book did I realize that there were different breeds of dogs. In this day and age, information is accessible. Every kid now knows what a Golden Retriever is or a Dalmatian. Thanks to media. We even have local TV shows featuring breeders and twisting it around highlighting how lucrative it is as a means of additional income or livelihood contrary to cable TV networks: Discovery Channel, the Animal Planet or National Geographic thrust. Even with information at hand, people who just want a dog still simply just wants a dog. So when they want a Golden Retriever or a Dalmatian, like the one they saw on TV or in the movies, they just want that kind of dog. They see themselves mainly as the actors on the screen and expect that the dog would act exactly the way it was presented. Then they start complaining. Or maybe, they just bought the dog and talked to their friends and somebody mentioned about dog shows. And so they go and boom, it hits them! Or maybe they picked up the Sunday newspaper and saw an ad, went to the breeder and bought a dog. Chances are they would have gone to backyard breeders from one to another until they bump into a more reputable breeder and realize the differences of just wanting a dog and start playing with the idea of showing or maybe, oh yes, breeding. They start computing the number of puppies that they saw and multiplying. So if they buy a pair, one girl and one boy, they would get back the money that they initially invested. That's how it usually is ... and bumping to more breeders through their quest, they go getting bits and pieces of information here and there. With the prodding of these breeders they meet, they enter the puppies they just bought. A pup takes home a pink ribbon and the whole family just couldn't stop babbling about the win. They get caught by the bug.
Not all puppies win and take home pink ribbons. Puppies grow up and mature. But all puppies are cute. And with this kind of scenario, most likely the puppies would never even win in their class. And you will then realize that there are differences between puppies just off the block and the ones coming from reputable, reliable, responsible, ethical, show breeders.
Then you decide if it's just a dog you want or if you want to show with breeding still in the back of your mind. It is imperative that when you want to show that you buy a dog of show quality. Little did you know that the male puppy that gave you pink ribbons won't have one of his testicles fully descended at age six months. You've just been had.
What makes a show dog different from just a dog?
Technically, a dog is of show quality when it is a registered purebred that do not possess any major fault or disqualification. The dog should not be excused from the ring by the judge. A dog is never show quality unless it has been shown. But a pet is not necessarily of pet quality either and the only way to find out is to get the dog in the ring, subject it for evaluation before you even consider breeding it. Not all show dogs are breeding materials either. But one should never breed from pet quality stock.
It is pet quality when it obviously have disqualifying faults such as: absence of testicles, cryptorchidism or monorchidism (just one ball descended); lameness which could be an indication of hips dysplasia and for more specifics, refer to each breed's disqualifying traits or major faults. When you hear breeders breeding from these dogs, like let's say the dam of the Boxer pup you recently bought is an albino, it is a clear indication that they know nothing about the world of purebred dog sport. And that they do not understand or are completely ignorant of the purpose or goals of what dog shows are all about and definitely have no clear concept of genetics. But of course, there are those who fancy white Boxers, white German Shepherds and sell them for rare and command high prices for them even.
So if you want to participate in dog shows, you better get yourself a show prospect and stay away from the obvious pet stock (a dog which has a disqualification for his breed). 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. Decide on one whose size and temperament fit into your life. Don't get a Great Dane if you live in a tiny apartment. When you are the type that easily get frustrated, don't go into a breed where competition is tight. Don't get a tiny dog if a high-pitched bark grates on your nerves. Please do some studying about what is right and what is wrong fro a breed that interest you. Read a book on your chosen breeds. Surf the net. Go to shows. Watch the judging. Talk to breeders.
Go to a reliable breeder and tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Tell the reliable breeder that you want to show. Never, never tell a reliable breeder that you just want a pet because for sure, they will really give you one that is of pet quality. A sincere breeder would not sell you an inferior animal if he knows it is 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 it, as for all practical purposes the dog would be lost to the show and breeding world. He would rather sell you a good dog for less money if you promised it would be shown. If he is a big breeder, he can not 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 much better chance of actually getting into the show ring when the new owner has paid something for the dog.
It would be hard to say exactly how much to pay for a show dog, breeding stock and how much not to pay for a pet quality dog. A dog good enough to show and have some fun with definitely commands a higher price than one that simply can not be shown for reasons of disqualifying faults. 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:
1. How many other good dogs has the seller in his kennel? By selling you the only good one, he may be left without anything to show himself and if he wants to show, the price may go up.
2. How crowded are the seller's facilities? If he is overcrowded, he may be willing to sell at a lower price than usual?
3. 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.
4. How many other persons are interested? naturally, if several persons express desire to buy the same dog, the price of that dog might go up.
Remember, the price that you paid for the dog is not the most important consideration.
Here are a few good rules of the thumb:
Pet stock is normally half the price of the show prospect or maybe even less depending on the severity of the disqualifying fault. Breeding stock should always be of show quality, nothing less. Top-winning stock is not synonymous to top-producing although, the more wins the dog has, it usually commands a higher price in its value. A good indication of pricing would be the stud fees of top-winning dogs. A serious breeder would normally charge the price of one puppy equivalent to a stud fee. So if the stud fee is around this figure, it is an indication that the average price for a pup at age 2 to 3 months is equivalent to the stud fee. A promising show prospect guaranteed by the breeder to finish its championship then would be double the price and a pet quality would be half the price of the stud fee.
A word of advice when you want to show, don't just buy a dog and show it. Do your homework and be patient!
I've gone from showing one breed to another, from one group to another and have been accused so many a times by snotty righteous breeders and judges. For them, dog people with more than six breeds are automatically puppy-millers making a quick buck. And just like them who obviously did not do their homework very well, don't be too quick to judge. For all you know, the reason that you've been had is because you did not tell the truth that you wanted to show but asked for "just a pet" because you just wanted a dog in the first place.
To the high and mighty ones up in the pedestal oozing with righteousness, may I ask what do you do with the dogs that you have acquired after you realize that you want to show and breed but can not show nor breed these dogs because you've been had? Do you stop loving and caring for them?
Roger, roger ... I can't hear you, over and out!
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