Facebook As A Dog Show Networking Tool

[Guest CaptainCourageous]

Last question:

"I think Facebook is ..." None of the above".

[SpikesPuppy]

I like it

I feel it has brought me closer to some people, especially other dog people from DOL and other avenues.

I have made contacts which may be useful in the future for breeding or importing as well as discussing health issues.

I recently added a judge who had awarded my dog RUIG because someone told me they had a picture of her in their album. I was very flattered actually lol.

Yeah some people post crap or stretch the truth but guess what? The delete button is there and it is very easy to use

As others have said, it certainly shows someones true colors to the world!!

I try to keep my kennel page straightforward and post any results as they are (ie: Ziva CC, BOB. Casey RCC/RUBOB) even if mine were the only ones there because that is the official result.

However on my personal page I usually add a 'we were the only ones there' or similar.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Last question:

"I think Facebook is ..." None of the above".

"Other - please describe in comments"

[Libertybrook]

Having a rare breed of dog it has been brilliant for talking to people overseas, I have made some great friends

from over the oceans, lol ;)

and been able to find out much more from actually talking to people swapping photos etc, than I have ever found out on here for my breed.

I can talk to heaps of friends, not just doggy friends, its a great way to share family photos etc,

and yes we like to have our brags as well, find out who is going where organise what to take to shows, ask for help if needed, advice, and its answered pretty quick too, and with little of the arguing that tends to go on other forums.

I like that fact if you dont like someone or you dont want certain people looking into your business you can delete and block them unlike on say a forum like this where everybody can still see you posts regardless,

and yes it can be useful for free advertising but hey who wouldnt want that?? ;)

I have found I can keep in cocntact with people whom I normally only see at shows, giving the huge distances we have to travel to shows out here, cheaper than STD phonecalls, we have live chat !!

facebook isnt a pointscore, like DOL, so whats the problem?

as for the bragging I love to know who won what where !

[Ashanali]

For me, facebook is a networking tool and while I post stuff about my dogs, I'm not there promoting them because I don't go to enough shows. I simply use it to keep in touch with people.

[Faolmor]

You forgot to add "Bitching about other people/other dogs/judges when their dogs lose."

Oh, and "Thinking other people won't find out when the above occurs."

[SkySoaringMagpie]

You forgot to add "Bitching about other people/other dogs/judges when their dogs lose."

Oh, and "Thinking other people won't find out when the above occurs."

Damn, those are good ones. Might be too late to add them in now...

[espinay2]

I mostly use it to make contact and have more visibility of my breed community internationally. I love being about to keep in better touch with goings on overseas as well as being able to tell/show people what I am doing too. I have been able to access more pictures and video's of dogs than I have from other foums or breed magazines etc. Our breed does have a very active international community and I think FB has only helped to improve international exchange of information and cooperation - or at the very least visibilty of what is out there. It has helped me in regard to making initial contact for dogs to use in my breeding program.

I have only seen one real case of 'sour grapes' aired (in relation to my breed) and unforunately in came from this country (and no I wasn't involved in any way and have no interest in the matter apart from being an 'online observer' to the posts. I was simply disappointed to see it.) I try to keep out of the 'politics' wherever I can.

On a national level I use it to keep in touch with good friends and family mostly including 'doggy' friends and like hearing their news and seeing their photos.

[pixie_meg]

I started a profile for Oberon just for fun. it was a real surprise when a bunch of people i didn't know asked to be friends with him. I don't know most of them but it feels like a great support network. they comment on his photos and on status updates. I can keep in touch with his breeder best this way and i've found his grandfather and great, great grandfathers breeders as friends on facebook. Its a great resource for me.

[SpikesPuppy]

I haven't gone as far as to give my dogs their own FB profile but they are on Dogbook and Twitter

[becks]

I'm going to add that FB has recently been torturing me!!

A breeder friend in Spain kept showcasing the pick of litter who I thought fabulous and he was for sale - just not a good time for me to get a new dog...... so I have got to see him grow on a bit and still look great and he has just been sold to someone else

[jr_inoz]

I think its a great networking tool.

The point about spamming with results and pictures to try and grab the attention of upcoming judges on your friends list is a foreign concept to me. But anyway, isn't this what happens in magazines that most of the judges get for free anyway?

opened my eyes, and explains some of the comments I see on facebook quite often....

me - I use facebook to keep in touch mostly with family - it's where I found out one niece was engaged and the other was pregnant. (Wouldn't have known otherwise - well, not until much later anyway...)

[Wynnlake]

People can say what the like on FB, I'm all for freedom of speech. What annoys me is people who exhibit under judges they have on the FB friends list and have a brag about how well their dogs are doing the week before they are due to judge and post photo's of them with their dogs, knowing full well they are doing it just to grab the judges attention. That to me is no different from emailing a picture of themselves and their dog and a list of recent wins to the judge to let them know who the winner should be. And yes I have witnessed this done also. Sad really that people will use these tools to get further. I much prefer to win on my dogs merits. I'm not well know and I dont talk to judges, every single win I have had with my dogs has been on their merit alone, that is much more satisfying.

[kirst_goldens]

Much more satisfying!!

I figure if they need to go to that much effort to win~~~~~~~LOL

I think at the end of the day we all know which judges listen to the crap and we dont enter under them... simple as that, IMO i do what i think is right so at the end of the day i know mine won cause they deserved it

[2psinapod]

I started a profile for Oberon just for fun. it was a real surprise when a bunch of people i didn't know asked to be friends with him. I don't know most of them but it feels like a great support network. they comment on his photos and on status updates. I can keep in touch with his breeder best this way and i've found his grandfather and great, great grandfathers breeders as friends on facebook. Its a great resource for me.

I made one for Pablo because I needed a 'neighbour' for one of the time wasting, stupid, addictive games

Every time I log on to him, he has 10 or more requests for friends :D