Author Topic: Frustrated  (Read 3983 times)

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Offline darcyboy

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Frustrated
« on: February 21, 2015, 07:15:36 PM »
At what point do you know when to give up showing? I know its meant to be a hobby and is not about the winning but its hard when you dont do as well as expected. We have two 9 month old pups (an orange girl and blue boy) and we thought our blue boy was an ok dog and he started out well but at our local shows this month he hasnt been placed at any shows. He is a good mover but he still has alot of puppy fluff which has been painfully slow in coming out. It doesnt help that other pups his age are all perfectly groomed. However everyone keeps telling me that puppies should look like puppies but I think alot of judges dont take this into consideration. Ah well he still is very young and maybe its best to wait to show him when the fluff is ready to come out.

Offline Ben's mum

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Re: Frustrated
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2015, 09:48:15 PM »
I've never done any showing with my boys, so hopefully you will get a response for someone with experience, but thinking back to my horse showing days, it took months and months sometimes of disappointment before a placing, then just when you think you've cracked it's ages till you are placed again. I am wondering if dogs are the same, you have to really love the experience of it, because it's not all about winning, I don't mean that to sound patronising, just that I expect it takes time and experince both for you and your boy.  I would have thought you were better to carry on despite the puppy fluff as each time out gives you both more experience, as you visit different venues, meet lots of others and learn together so that when he is a gleaming beauty and the fluff is gone you will be ready  ;)

Good luck, I am sure you will be fine.

Offline 6thSense

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Re: Frustrated
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2015, 01:33:32 PM »
The thing with dog shows is it is just one opinion (the judges) at any given show. You enter under them & you take your chance accepting their opinion whether you agree or not. Another judge may have a very different opinion. Your dog is only 9 mths, which means you have only been showing 3 mths. Give it time. You can't give up hope so early on. Rome was not built in a day. ;) Does your breeder show? Have you asked their opinion or advice on this? Are you a member of a ringcraft and have you asked for advice there? Dogs mature at different rates, so some may look more mature or some may actually be more mature in the age restricted classes if they are close to the age of crossing over classes. I take it this is your first show dog? You can't expect to run before you can walk. We all started somewhere. Ask for help, take advice, learn from those more experienced and work hard at improving. Even the best dogs & most experienced people have off days. Try not to take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride wherever it may take you. :)
xxxxxx 🐕 Sarah & 'Chamerl' Cocker Crew 🐕 xxxxxx

Offline sueneil

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Re: Frustrated
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2015, 05:56:33 PM »
Patience is needed when you first start showing. There is a lot to learn especially with puppy coats and ring readiness. Even seasoned campaigners like me have our ups and downs from time to time. We can't always win at every show!
A bit of advice- look and learn by watching experienced exhibitors and ask their advice. But most of all never forget that the very best cockers are the ones you take home!

Offline Jane S

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Re: Frustrated
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2015, 09:18:59 AM »
I can only agree with Sue and Sarah - patience is definitely needed when you start showing and the skills you need (handling and presentation) can take a long time to perfect. I look back on when we first started showing and cringe at my trimming back then but at the time I thought I was doing ok - it is hard when the other entrants in your class are all perfectly groomed and you feel the odd one out with a fluffy monster - but some of these perfectly groomed ones have been stripped with coat kings which might look ok now but in the long run can make coats look dull and wavy (so a dog with a naturally hand stripped coat can shine when older). Three months isn't very long in the scheme of things - during our first year of showing, I think we only won one first prize in an AV Gundog class (none in breed classes) but did better at companion shows (exemption shows as they were then). It's like every activity or sport, nobody goes in at the top but we all start somewhere and if you are prepared to listen, learn and enjoy your day out, win or lose, then showing can be a very rewarding hobby :D
Jane

Offline Brimbeck(Dyllan)

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Re: Frustrated
« Reply #5 on: February 28, 2015, 12:03:53 PM »
Do you also enter classes like AV Gundog puppy and the like?

Sorry just realised you have been showing for a while
Sarah Dyllan Tyke and Lance



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