The epitome of champion quality (retired). Owner: Phyl of Virginia

 Hoo-boy–I was finally going to attend a real, live dog show! After watching these shows on television for so long, I finally found one in my area that didn’t require overnight travel and a hotel stay.

Not knowing what to expect, I kept my eyes and ears open for everything. What I didn’t expect was the need to open my arms too! No sooner did I plop down in my chair (oh yes, you must bring your own chair to these shows) than a panicked woman with five English Toy Spaniels asked me to hold four of them while she took each one in the ring to be judged. Ok-a-a-y, that’s diving right in! Her “help”/handler hadn’t shown up, and one thing is VERY clear at these shows: if you aren’t ringside when called, you can forget about it. All of it. 

However, show dogs are nothing if not well-mannered. So even though I had four 7-pound babies in my arms at once, as each was handed off to be judged (I almost overdosed on cuteness), there was no wriggling, no yelping, no whining and no trying to make a fast break while Mom was in the ring. There WAS, however, a good deal of shedding. Notes to self: 1) black sweaters are not a good idea at a dog show, and 2) do not bring home an English Toy Spaniel unless you plan on installing central vacuuming. 

Soon, my second surprise of the day was at hand: the judging of “my” five and two other spaniels was over in a flash. I mean, it couldn’t have been 15 minutes before books were signed,  ribbons were whipped out, and the dogs whisked away for the next group. The same thing was happening in 14 other rings. When it was over, I was thanked profusely by a grateful breeder/owner, invited to a barbecue and offered candy and free breeding and grooming advice anytime I wanted. Nice, but too bad it wasn’t MY breed…

The Shih Tzu was up next, however, and my expectations were running high. Seven Tzu were listed, and I really wanted to see if these high-falutin’ specimens of canine royalty lived up to the hype. After all, my own Tzu CJ and Kizzie are no slouches in the looks department, even though I don’t show them.  Though only three appeared for the actual judging, they were SPECTACULAR! Meticulously groomed, coats flowing, they floated through their paces, their top knots teased-to-the-heavens and held proudly in place with bows that must have cost ten bucks apiece. Sigh. I was in Tzu heaven: I came, I saw, and I was humbled.

But surprisingly, the Tzu winners were NOT that friendly. Not at all. I tried to approach the owner/handlers, and each time they ignored me. Hmph! Couldn’t they tell I was a newbie? Thankfully, some Tzu lovers who were not showing  took me under their wings and spent some time encouraging me to visit other shows. They took my contact info, and gave me great advice on training CJ and Kizzie. Did you know there is a hierarchy of treats strategy to train your dog (only give the most desired treats for what you really want them to learn and retain)? Wow, these were the dog show people I had always heard about: friendly, sociable, educated, and open to newcomers.

After two hours of walking around and getting to see some unfamiliar breeds up close (the Borzoi is quite a large dog and very elegant; the Tibetan Mastiff looks like a Chow Chow in the face), I decided to do a little shopping. And that’s when the biggest surprise came: sticker shock. Did you know that grooming scissors can cost as much as $579.00? For only ONE pair? Yikes! These show dogs need full-time jobs, if you ask me.

Nevertheless, being at my own (dog) reality show was a good thing. I now know that I could never be around a thousand dogs once a week, no matter how cute, stately, or gorgeous they might be (the dogs, not the owners). RV life is not for me either; you have to travel a LOT. And forking over half a mortgage payment for some scissors ain’t gonna happen, not around here.

Finally, I think I prefer the artificiality and the lights-camera-action of the televised shows. I can see my favorite players every week, call them by their first names, and follow their careers just as if they were in the NFL. They allow me to think of myself as a sports fan. So, if you haven’t already, go to a live venue and get a taste of dog show reality. You’ll come home with a new appreciation for the sport. And for Animal Planet.

Tags: Breeder, Dog Shows, English Toy Spaniels, Shih Tzu, Training