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.

Getting back to the title of this thread, I'm happy that any dog who is officially eligable is allowed to compete, & that is the advantage of official KC companion shows. I helped out for several years at an agricultural show that ran a fun dog show. I was roped in by the main organisers who were big in breed showing & terrior racing but had no idea about obedience but ran 5 obedience classes in their show. The judges set their own rounds but there was no limitations on who could enter what & people with obedience champions were entering the equivelent of a prebeginner class. My first action was to put provisos on the classes so that some were restricted by the level the dog was at, some by the owner so only the top class was open to all but obedience CC winners. The only way I can see you could do the same in breed classes would be to ask permission to run a class restricted by wins such as novice, & as in limited shows this would be wins at any show. At our limited show we have several dogs who have won out of maiden & novice at our show but are still eligable for these classes at open & champ shows, All classes equivalent to open be open to all.

In the interests of sharing knowledge, my Defa has a `showing tactic` which rarely fails [ to get a laugh that is, if nothing else :smt005 ]
As soon as the judge approaches he throws himself on his back, squirms to stain his previously gleaming white coat with grass, leaps up, shakes to throw off the `bits` the aforementioned rolling has picked up, makes his previously beautifully groomed coat look like its never seen a brush, then, while grinning [ the demon ], sits perfectly in front of the judge and offers a paw which as soon as its been shaken he sidles in quickly for a body rub and usually slides down the judges legs cos he`s a `leaner` - not quite proper ringcraft perhaps but if its a tip anyone can use I`m pleased to pass it on :smt047 :smt037

Oh and putting flowers in a dogs harness as a bribe for a judge does`nt actually work but its good for giving `em a giggle

Competitive streak ? Nah, its not for me, I much prefer having a laugh

A lovely informative post. It is lovely to see what people and children get out of these shows.

Perhaps it would be nice to put up a new post for ideas for companion dog shows as a lot of us on here help organise them and would benefit from other peoples ideas.

i patch has one of the organisers at the show i aggree with you i go for the fun my dog got 3rd on friday at blackpool so of to crufts we go but i let someone show her at our show and she got a 2nd we then did not go into next to let someone have a go she then got 2nd in junior handling we did not get to do agility has i was busy but i can tell you it was a fab day and all dogs and people there had great fun i have also been to other fun days and not got anything did i moan no the money goes to charity

Welcome to Dogsey

Thank you for such an informative post and showing how beneficial these shows are to you little boy in so many more ways than just being in the ring, you have latched on to a brilliant teaching tool there for so many aspects

megan57collies has now started a Tips and Ideas thread [ thanks for that, you beat me to it :smt058 ]

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=64333

and hoping its ok I have added another dedicated to young handlers in particular

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=64339

i can assure the people that go to these shows with any dogs go to support the said charity and spend money on the stalls i know of a few who parted with a few pounds and did not get anything did they moan no they had a super day like us allll

hi there i am one of the committee for the agility side and i would like to say a great day was had by all i know my dog is a pedigree my friend has as she says 1 crossbreed 1 short legged collie and i tell her 1 pedigree [collie} we all can say would we think but you agree to disagree it was not our dog show but A fun dog show run by INVERCLYDE DOG AGILITY CLUB @ INVERCLYDE DOG TRAINING CLUB . In aid for W.A.G.

i agree there also the stalls you have to put up the setting of rings etc.the running about hoping the weather stays dry and hopeing dogs and owners turn up wither they are pedigree or bitsa better than mongrel bits of this and bits of that ha ha ha we actually lost money in the 3 rings we had so you hope the stalls make money or charity gets nothin but glad to say w.a.g. will be getting a donation from us from one of the so called committee ha ha ha ha i was knacked for the next couple of days BUT we do it for fun did i say fun i must be bonkers my little dog does showing ,obed,when she wants to ,agilty and we are hoping heelwork to music, i have got tobe bonkers all us doggy folk maybe a few not ha ha saffys mum

i agree with you there i see it many a time in the ring i show my lhasa apso and i go for the fun and meeting all my friends i've made i do not care if she gets anything it is nice if she does and i am very proud of her