Showing Dogs

A Show Dog's Life

A line of people are standing and kneeling in grass behind there Havanese dogs in an outdoor show ring.

Best-of-Breed lineup on Sunday, Courtesy of MistyTrails Havanese.

Winning at a dog show with two equal dogs is ALL in how the dogs are presented; the whole picture.

The handler must learn to groom the dog to perfection and they must potty their dog because if it goes in the ring, that shows they didn't properly attend to their dog. In a real dog show, if you had a dog that was a perfect 10, and a dog that was rated a 9, the 9 may win if the handler with the perfect 10 does not do something correctly.

Scenario:
Perfect dog 10 did not get a good night sleep, didn't get pottied, didn't get groomed so well, went in the ring a little grumpy, and didn't have good posture, as the handler didn't perk him up.

Then, the dog that is rated a 9 comes in, groomed to perfection, pottied, fed, and very, very happy, standing tall, and walking with pride, as the handler showed him better.

Most times the 9 will be put as winning dog. Many dog owners do not like professional handlers as the judges put them up, but, they must realize, many of these professional handlers have been showing since they were six years old, and they just KNOW how to present a dog.

In Europe there are no paid professional handlers. All dogs are owner handled. No breeding UNLESS you apply for a permit in Holland. Kind of like building a home and needing a building permit. The dog MUST be a champion, proving conformation and temperament. The dog MUST have genetic testing done as set out for the breed. You apply when the dam and sire are at the accepted age, and you are only allowed so many litters from that dam.

In International Championship, dogs are judged against the written standard (book) and deducted points for faults.

In North America, dogs are judged against other dogs, finding the winning dog as the one that is closest to the written standard.

Some countries have stricter breeding laws than other countries for the purpose of protecting the breeds.

Three dogs are posing in grass and behind them there are people behind each dog and they are helping pose the dogs at a dog show.

Victoria, Toy Specialty, Courtesy of MistyTrails Havanese

A blonde haired lady is kneeling behind a black and grey dog that is posing in a stack.

Toy Specialty Winners (Male)—Sean's Don Diego with Handler Emily Dorma, Courtesy of MistyTrails Havanese

Courtesy of MistyTrails Havanese