There was no blog yesterday, due to the fact that I was busy at the back to back dog shows in Thurles, South Tipperary, on Saturday and Clonmel yesterday for the Fermoy Canine Club’s show. I must be getting old, as I never entered the Hound Association Of Irelands show today, and looking at the weather outside at the moment, looks like a made the right decision.
People from the four corners of Ireland, and from further afield,travel to these events, in cars,vans,caravans,campers, a lot using these shows over the bank holiday W/E as part of their annual holidays choosing to stay at local hotels, guest houses and B+B’s and some reverting back to the old tents and camping out.
Most people do it for the love of their dogs, and the social occasion that a dog show in Ireland can be.
Some are on the hunt for the most green stars in the year for that breed, and the accolade of annual champion.
Some dogs get to spend their few days in relative comfort, stretched on the sofa of the owners motor home or caravan, whilst others are crated on top of each other in the back of a van or small car.
Some losers congratulate the winner in their class, others storm out of the ring and bin the placement card and grading.
At the end of the day it all boils down to one persons opinion, that person being at the centre of the ring, the judge.
Whether they be breed specialist or an all-rounder it’s their opinion of your dog on the day and that’s all.
People will say that the lack of consistency is very annoying, when say an exhibit goes Best of Breed (BOB) one day and then second in it’s class the next day, even with the same dogs entered.
All judges will interpret the breed standard differently, some giving more importance to certain area’s than others. Mind you it is annoying to see dogs gaining top honours in their class / breed when the dog clearly has a temperament issue or any other eliminating fault as per the breed standard.
We all say that at the end of the day we bring the best dog / dogs home with us, and as long as were are not kennel blind, who cares what the result was at the end of the day.
If we all know our breed standard, and our dog conforms to same in all areas, then that persons judgment of your dog on the day really shouldn’t matter that much.
To all the winners over the W/E, well done, and to all the rest of us, there is always next week
Ah, the joys of showing dogs !!
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