Showing..what motivates you? ...

[JaspersMum]

When I got my new pup earlier this year, I had intended him to be a pet, and (when he's old enough and steady enough) to do some agility with him, and to see if he would be accepted as a Pets as Therapy dog.  However, he is the first proper, KC reg, pedigree, cocker I've had and (never thought I'd ever say this ) I can see the difference between him and my rescue dogs.  So I started on the slippery slope to showing him - first we went to ringcraft classes, to test how good he might be, and also to get him used to being handled by different people so that if he becomes a PAT dog he will be used to it.  He managed to win 2nd place in the "baby puppy" class on his first match night   .
I'd never expected that.  (He also benefits from socializing with other breeds.)  To cut a long story short, he is now entered in his first "proper" show later this year.  I don't intend to breed from him: if he does well in the show ring I'm happy for his breeder to get credit for him, but I'd like to see just how good a cocker he is (probably absolute rubbish when compared to other show dogs, but if we don't try we'll never know - and he already gets top prize for puppy cuddles every evening!   ).

Charlie is also a Pets as Therapy Dog - being used to so many people touching him and busy places certainly helped.

[grracee]

I got into showing when I first got Charlie, although it was only small local fun/companion dog shows. I only started going as it was getting me out the house, as I had bad anxiety, so it was somewhere to go and socialise with other people and gain more confidence along with having a great day out with the dog. Charlie never really enjoyed it though, he liked the day out but not the showing part of it. Then when I got Toby I had intentions of showing him at the bigger shows, my breeder, also a good friend helped me when I went to pick a pup from the litter as to what she thought was the best pup for showing. We don't show big scale, I have at the moment just done open shows every few months, Toby has been well placed and I'm hoping in the future I can enter some of the Champ shows. At the shows I've attended (with Toby and also just as a spectator) I have met so many friendly and very helpful people who just like a good old natter about cockers and give alot of good advice, which I'm very grateful for as have only been showing Toby about 12 months. Like others have said, there's always going to be the odd few people that make bitchy comments but you just got to ignore them. I find it a really enjoyable experience anyway

[piph]

Thanks everyone - these are great replies, and hopefully helpful to those who fancy a go, but so far have not had the confidence to try showing their dog. 

[LynneB]

Just to add.......everyone who shows does not want to be first in the ring......sound familiar?? I now do not care and march in first lol

[kaycee]

I have been showing now for just over 10  years, my conclusion to showing is , i have met some nice friends and some that have turned out quite bitchy which did surprise me but i appreciate the genuine ones. I take the good days as a privilage and the bad days as a learning curve.I decided to have my dog castrated after he had a nasty accident and got permission from the kennel club to continue to show him, i also chose to have 'falsies' put in so that he was looked at and appreciated the same as any other dog, after all it wasnt his fault he had to be castrated so why should he miss out, i took him to champ open and companion shows and he was reguarly placed nobody noticed he had false testicles. I did this because he enjoyed his showing and was able to paticipate with us and the other dogs, to be honest i dont see why this cannot be made possible as many dogs go through the pain of pinning after bitches at home and loseing weight etc. I had the falsies removed last year and at the age of 6 1/2 he is retired and clipped, all the time he was showing his coat did not change until last year. I loved the time we had with him showing and dont regret it at all.I have noticed a lot more singular, non breeding owners are taking up the hobby of showing and hope they do not get put off, it can be fun,but there are  serious breeders out there who will always do well with their dogs and enjoy  the showing as much as we do, i also think that everyone has preferences and will like different types of cockers, so if they dont like mine tough because i love them!!!!

[Bibby]

Sounds like a good, balanced view kaycee!