Crufts

[thugulike]

Good luck to everyone who's entered. We'll be there on Friday, ring 29 Hall 5 at 9am in Open Mastiff Dog, then at Discover Dogs after judging. Hope everyone who visits has a good time. Remember to wear the comfiest shoes you have, it's a long day.

[rowanwitch]

good luck.... perhaps we'll see you on the telly

[lankeela]

I'll try to get over to see George in the ring, but with two different breeds in two different halls it may be difficult. Might see you later at Discover Dogs, I'll be taking the GSD for a stint in the afternoon. If anyone is going come and say hello.

[lankeela]

Well thats the last two bathed so now I need to dry myself off! Bags to pack and passes to find ready to go tomorrow evening for showing on Friday. Liver in over cooking nicely for bait. Credit card primed and ready to spend spend spend!

[lankeela]

oven of course!

[jules77]

Sprinter, it is a hobby. Have you ever been to a dog show, or Crufts for that matter? We have a good day out with like minded peole and our dogs. We all take the best dog home, but I have the best dogs in the world!

They call themselves 'judges' because they have served a long apprenticeship in the show world, and have probably gone over more dogs than you have had hot dinners.

[barb1314]

Good luck to all. Have a good day showing and spending!

[jules77]

Yes I have judged actually. Me thinks you dont have a clue. By the way, you are missing a 'space'.

[jules77]

There are sick people in all walks of life, but most, although not all, show dogs are well looked after and loved, and a lot live as family pets the same as any other dog, like mine do.

[lankeela]

My dogs this week have been bathed, groomed, nails cut, and are in the peak of physical condition. How many 'pet dogs' have that luxury? Mine won't ever find themselves dumped or mistreated or have coats so matted they need to be clipped off! My dogs all do obedience as well, and two have passed their Good Citizen awards. I am very proud of my dogs especially as two of them were bred by me.
There will be other dogs I have bred being shown and I am pleased for their owners that they are good enough to be shown. They parents have had all the necessary health tests for the breed and lived to 16 (mother) and 19 (father) so I don't think you can say that my dogs have suffered from being 'show dogs'. By the way, they also sleep on my bed!

[RATTER15]

Splinter74 These judges really know their stuff! I also love my dogs, I'm not a lover of the show ring myself and often questioned some ethics involved with the Kennel Club, 2 of my 3 dogs qualified for Crufts, the 3rd (a puppy) not been shown yet, my good lady Carakeel loves to show and I support her but you will never see me in a show ring. By the way! I have the best dogs in the world!!

[thugulike]

Thanks for reminding me Lankeela, I need to defrost his Cumberland sausage. He never gets to eat it in the ring, the smell of it is enough. To those of you who think showing dogs is for the owners, you should see my boy on the day of a show. He sees the show rucksack and sits by the front door so we can't go without him. He absolutely loves it. A mastiff has never been shortlisted in the Group so you're unlikely to see any mastiff on TV. It will be the usual suspects, the boxer, the doberman, the st bernard, the rottweiler, the great dane. LOL, we don't care though.

[Ratty2E]

I have been round the shows since I was young and they can be fun, for the dogs as well as the humans. Let's face it a dog who isn't enjoying it won't show so it would be pointless. But there are problems and the Kennel Club do have to take a lot of the responsability.The breed I had has so many health issues that it was practically impossible to find any truely healthy stock to breed from. Some of these issues are being dealt with but the damage has been done in years gone by. Showing is a hobby that thousands of people and their dogs enjoy and mostly the breeders of today do it responsibly. I am now a pet owner and have two crossbreeds. They are very happy and get 'pampered' just as much as any show dog. And it goes without saying but they are of course the best dogs in the world. Good luck to those of you exhibiting.

[boxtops]

Good luck to you and all your dogs - we'll look forward to hearing all about it!

[lankeela]

Ladbrokes and William Hill are offering odds on which group the Best in Show will come from. My money is on the Pastoral Group (GSD - but then I am biased!).

[ttfn]

I wish you all the best for the show.
p.s. lankeela, am having a few health issues at the mo and would not know the 'peak of physical condition' if I fell over it - do you have a spare kennel? ;o)

[lankeela]

Kennel? wash your mouth out! Mine wouldn't know what a kennel looked like!

[lankeela]

Meant to say hope your health problems are soon sorted.