Hi, I'm a new member and have found this debate really interesting. We've been going to companion shows for a year after my Deaf 7 year old got hooked at a Hearing Dogs companion show. We have a working cocker, who doesn't meet breed standards for cocker spaniels and really looks more like a small springer.

Companion shows have given my son so much. He gets a fun day out with his, best friend, his dog. They love the show and the goings on. My son practices his speech in his speech theraphy and the therapist uses words he might say to a judge and he is gaining confidence to speak because of the shows. At school he doesn't achieve much due to his deafness but the shows give him great self esteem as he usually does well - we've never come home without a rosette. Although I'm sure the day will come. He is learning to accept loosing and this is good expereince of life for him also to win. He learns a lot about life from the charity that the show supports as he always asks who the show is helping and we look them up on the web page. (Good literacy work.) As is filling in the entry forms and adding up the cost.

He used to do the AV Sporting or gun dog but because our dog really doesn't conform I have to balance my son's self esteem with the need to learn to loose. It's difficult. He spends hours grooming the dog; has learnt from the other handlers how to handle the dog (a bonus of having expereinced handlers in these classes.) But has never been placed and is now demoralised about these classes and is unable to gets points for his KC certificate as novelty classes like best condition don't count. One recent show had the solution - AV Open Child handler under 12. (This was in addition to the handling and focused on "showing" criteria.) This created a more even playing field for a child and yes there were young handlers that go to open and championship shows but there were kids with pet dogs. And the judge really interacted with teh kids explaining about lines and triangles and how to stand the dog. They also made some pragmatic decisions aboutt eh placing but the important thing was the children felt they had learnt soemthing. Another show gave special rosette to child handlers who showed their dogs well in the pedigree classes.

I feel that this debate should enable us to get ideas for improve future shows. I welcome improvements that would not only bring on promising puppies but also encourage and nurture young child handlers and give them a more equal playing field to win or loose that is not always dependent on the breed standard of their pet dog but rewards their showing skills.

I'm sure others of you have ideas for improvments and perhaps this is the way the debate should go or even a new forum.

I look forward to meeting and chatting to you on Dogsey.