Precisely one of my issues... called for by whom? Some numpty who decides these dogs should be cut in silly styles? I am not stupid and do know that dogs don't use their whiskers like cats - I was a vetnurse - I also don't think they get shoved in a kennel inbetween shows but if you could ask a dog which they would prefer...the time at the shows and the preening etc or the working/homelife they have inbetween I am sure that most of them would prefer the latter.

hi there..
i have Three chinese cresteds,
two true hairless and a hairy hairless,
i do shave the faces, as the hair gets in there eyes and mouths when eating ect etc..
i dont think Any of my lot would let me get nere them with a waxing thing, nor would it Ever cross my mind, its rather sick if you ask me.. and iv never had someone say to me they wax theirs either

my HH, has a line of hair down his back, im not showing him Atm, so iv left it, and guess what, its causing More irratation that if i shaved it off, so hes getting it off in a few days..

i use electric shavers and i go with the hair, so i dont annoy the skin..


ok. as for the showing life..
i show my Great dane, and she would rather be at a show than just doing the homley dog thing..
also my afghan, he is the Biggest poser Ever, he utterly adores the show life(althou hes not show standerd, he goes to companion ones) and loves it..

so thats my take on showing and grooming..

My dogs love showing, They love being fussed, meeting and sniffing other dogs..after shows on the way back meeting up with frineds on a near by field for a good run through the feilds or in near by lakes..Ours honestly love the day out!
we have hear what we would class a perfect example of his breed, he no doubt would do well in the ring, he comes from great lines, moves like a dream, stands like a pro..do we show him? No we dont, why dont we show him? because he HATED the ring..and we wont force it on him..therefore he stays as a pet.
all our show dogs are first and formost our pets, and we wont do anything that seems to upset them.
we do about 5/6 shows a year not alot compared to some showers..the rest of that our dogs live a normal dogs life with our rescues, they get walked everyday over the feild, they roll in fox poo, they swin in the lakes, they cause havoc with other dogs we meet on walks, they come home and they chill..Showing is just a hobby for us and for the dogs, if we get placed great..if we dont so what me and the dogs had a great day out and had a great walk afterwards in new surroundings..which i think you will all agree, is great for young pups and even adults for socalising..

There are alot of breeds that have stuff done to them for the ring, some long coated breeds have there fur back combed, some breeds have faces clipped off, some breeds have other places clipped off..Do i see it as a problem? No i dont, as long as the dog isnt suffering i see no problem..waxing i do not agree with and again as some one around the CC showing ring, i have never heard such a silly comment! I guess people have taken there little stories to far and added extra bits..i can hand on heart say i havent seen or heard of anyone waxing a CC in all the time i have been involved in the breed.

The CC's do beneifit from having there faces clipped due to hair growing into there eyes.

How many people that have just pets shave there dogs off in summer or shave them off because it looks nicer, people seem to point the finger at show people alot for alot of things.!!
If you are not around the showing ring please tell me how you all know what is said is correct?

I do think that this thread has highlighted some of the issues that can occur when showing is brought into it, some of which are thankfully rare now (culling puppies, and not by spay/neuter), and Clo I hope that the breeder I found isn't in the Uk, as this sort of thing, I would hope wouldn't happen here, and as breeders are supposed to have a love for the breed, and the breed also counts as the individuals I would hope that it wouldn't happen anywhere, but America does have some welfare issues in other aspects too, which involve de-clawing and de-barking (although I've heard one state is voting to ban this, and another one has banned de-barking so well done) but thats another thread altogether.

But its not only dogs that can have people showing them who shouldn't, small animals also have this problem, I was talking to a breeder of rabbits, who breeds the English, and she was saying that there is still breeders who will cull the charlies and the selfs in the litter, and aim to have the female only raise a litter of four spotteds, and with these the genetics is generaly 50% spotted, 25% selfs and 25% charlies, and it seems that this practice isn't well known, as many people don't buy from breeders, or don't seem to care , Chinchillas also get a raw deal, I've seen advice on keeping show chins in a small wire cage on their own, as a wire base stops them apparently from sitting in their own dirt (because of cause cleaning out wouldn't) and apparently jumping around or being groomed by another chinchilla could damage the coat of the animal, and it wouldn't be show worthy, so to a active and socail rodent I just find that cruel, and if it were dogs that were kept in small areas on a wire floor and on their own to get them to shows it would be splashed everywhere, but the problem is chinchillas are normally a pet shop animal, and no-one seems to know or care about the problem, and I think that when people do know about the problems that can face show animals thats when they want to know why, and get answers, and do what they can to stop it.

Well my dogs love going to shows. They have a little holiday several times a year! We stay in hotels, camp in our tent, go for new walks and see places we otherwise wouldn't go to. They get liver cake and other treats and loads of fuss.

Today, for example, one of my friends is at a champ show in Wales. Her dog is spending a day in the sunshine with her friends being spoiled and petted. My dogs are at work with me, same as most days. I'm sure if given the choice mine would rather be in a big field being fed treats! Luckily we are going to WELKS next week, so Rio will have her girly day with me then. They enjoy being in the shop, but they get far more attention at a show.

I think some people forget the main reasons some people show..or get the wrong idea all together!

There are a few reasons we show...one because we are proud to have bred, or brought in a pup that is to a high standard, healthy and fit...we want to show that off! because we are proud of our babies..and feel we are doing the breed justice.
Two because showing is a great way for owner and dogs to meet new friends, socalise and to spend time with people enjoying there dogs as much as you do..
You spend about 15min in the ring depending on how many classes you do, the rest of that time is spending time with your dog, playing out side, shopping, introducing your dog to other show people and there dogs, showing your dog off and giving advice to people intrested in showing or buying a pet dog of your choosen breed..Or simple sitting there and sharing your lunch with them.

Of course you want to get placed, but all that does is tell you that, the judge judging that day likes your dog..we all know were taking the best dog home at the end of the day.
I got a first on saturday with our home bred pup at the CC club show..But the bitch that took second to my girl was placed higher than my girl by another judge...

do you even want to start this aruement? leave a dog as nature intended??? you have 2 dogs that are crossed for designer purposes with people paying stupid ammounts of money for them, yet you arent leaving them as nature intended. leaving them as nature intended would be leaving them as a labrador, a golden retriever or a poodle.

my dog acts no different from any other dog, whether it has whiskers or not.

when my dog goes to a show that is what maybe 8 hours of her life? she is with me the whole time. every other single hour of her life she is with me, running, swimming getting dirty, rolling in fox poo, doing whatever she wants to do because she is a DOG she is not shoved into a large arena or cooped up in a cage, and she isnt preemed to an inch within her life. she gets brushed. you do that with your dogs, are your dogs preemed within an inch of their life? didnt think so.dont be so hypocritical.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AllyLambell
Well now I have heard it all - pointless and barbaric to me - what is wrong with leaving a dog as nature intended? It isn't for health reasons or medical grounds and is just sad imo that people are that obsessed about showing their dogs that they shave their whiskers/stubble basically for no other reason than aesthetics

do you even want to start this aruement? leave a dog as nature intended??? you have 2 dogs that are crossed for designer purposes with people paying stupid ammounts of money for them, yet you arent leaving them as nature intended. leaving them as nature intended would be leaving them as a labrador, a golden retriever or a poodle.

If a dog were left as "nature intended" it would not look like a lab. golden retriever, poodle or any particular breed - it would be a total mix.