Petting Dogs At A Dog Show.

[gone]

not a show person ..

Just a suggestion to educate and inform - have a few signs at the show for the general public :

keep it short a sweet

[Hello,

• Please respect our space and dont crowd us,
  
• Please dont pet us without asking my owner FIRST,
  
• Please dont be offended if our owner says NO,
  
• We might not be good with strangers or groomed for the show ring
  
• If you are allowed to pat us, please just on the side of the body and make sure all hands are clean ( kids especially! )
  
• Our owner is happy to chat about our breed as long as we are finished in the show ring
  
• Thanks for visiting and supporting pure breed dogs.
  

[/b][/b][/b][/b]

and then each exhibitor can have a " PLEASE DONT TOUCH - IM GETTING READY TO BE SHOWN" sign too

might be helpful to get the general public to understand ?

[SparkyTansy]

I showed my sisters Old English for a while, and we attended several Royals together.

Now, if any breed was well equipped to handle that kind of attention, it's the OES. People swarm to them - the shear size and coat is enough to attract anyone - the fact that they are white and clean, makes them even more appealing to cuddle. People, for the most part, are ignorant about dog breeds and showing. they don't know you are preparing them in a very specific way to go into the ring, they don't know that having them on the grooming table isn't for their own personal access. If you can't handle this kind of ignorance based on the sheer excitement people get out of seeing a dog, they should try to keep the dog back, or not enter at all. I have found it is very easy to explain to people that it is not the time for them to have a pat. It can take up to an hour to get an OES ready before going into the ring. Most of the time, though, it's easier to tell people where they CAN pet them, while continuing to get them ready.

for the most part, one of us always has a dog available for the public to touch. We are always around to keep an eye on the interactions and ready to jump in if the dog becomes stressed.

My Weimaraners on the other hand handle public interaction less graciously. They are not an outwardly friendly breed and can take some time to get used to people. I keep them benched most of the day but rotate them into a crate to give them time out. If people are really interested in them they will ask questions about them and this way it is easier to lead into an explanation of their aloof nature with strangers, or direct them or their children on the best way to approach them to pet them.

At royals, while the showing is a regular part of it, I am there first and foremost to promote and talk about my breed to people. Myself and other club members go armed with pamplets and make ourselves available to talk to people interested in the breed. I get that is not what others expect the royal show to be, but that is what it is for me, and that is why I put my best attitude on to face the public.

[Shaar]

I have a Chinese Crested so naturally EVERYONE wants to touch.

He adores people, but he hates the cold so I have to say no to pats before he goes in the ring just because cold hands on his little body starts him shivering. Our Royal is in October, still pretty cold in Tassie.

My usual response is something like "Sorry, we're going in the ring soon but you're welcome to watch and come back for a cuddle after we have been in".

It's not really hard to give a polite no rather than bite someones head off, the general public are just there for a good day out and don't understand that touching is a no-no. Education is fine, education is encouraged, but there is a right and wrong way to go about it.

[Sheridan]

I have a Chinese Crested so naturally EVERYONE wants to touch.

He adores people, but he hates the cold so I have to say no to pats before he goes in the ring just because cold hands on his little body starts him shivering. Our Royal is in October, still pretty cold in Tassie.

My usual response is something like "Sorry, we're going in the ring soon but you're welcome to watch and come back for a cuddle after we have been in".

It's not really hard to give a polite no rather than bite someones head off, the general public are just there for a good day out and don't understand that touching is a no-no. Education is fine, education is encouraged, but there is a right and wrong way to go about it.

We actually tell people here to go to a show to meet the breed they're interested in. The general public don't know how dog shows work. They don't know not to bother people before they go in the ring. How would they know when an exhibitor is going to go in the ring? Do they even know to ask? Probably not. They don't know not to touch the dogs. Snapping peoples' heads off isn't going to endear people to pedigree dogs if their owners act like arseholes.

[Dogsfevr]

I would say the greater majority of people do it all the right way.

I also hear young children who have been taught dog education in school say to there parents that isn't the correct way to touch a dog & often these parents ignore there children comments which is very sad BUT you get to make the child feel special for being right .

When we sell our puppies our folder contains the Vic Govt pet education section on how to pat,approach & when not to ,has pictures & is ideal ,Some adults may see it kids stuff but the reality is its very plain & simple.

Parents think its wonderful because it is so colourful & easy to follow .

Although i still have fond memories of the lady who went hysterical in the Show pavilion because one of my dogs slobbered on her child,i was abused no end because i should have taken better care & controlled what my dog did.

Both sides are guilty of saying things .

The general public often have no clue how hurtful some of the things they say are yet all of us sit there & take it because for the small few there is a greater number of great people.

I feel for the poodle people who get all sorts of horrible things said about the trims,top knots ,that there poofy dogs & the list goes on.

In my breed you get those who ask why you would own something so stupid,aren't they thick .

You do sit there being polite & its hard work sometimes .

There are lots of junior handlers out there who also get these comments said to them kids aged from 7 upwards ,you get the nasty comments made from the people outside the ring .

I was 10 when i started & had joe public asking why i showed such stupid dogs .

So my biggest comment to anyone attending shows would be ask politely to touch & if you have a comment that may seem funny to you just think the owners may not see it the same way .

[Blackdogs]

I would say the greater majority of people do it all the right way.

I also hear young children who have been taught dog education in school say to there parents that isn't the correct way to touch a dog & often these parents ignore there children comments which is very sad BUT you get to make the child feel special for being right .

When we sell our puppies our folder contains the Vic Govt pet education section on how to pat,approach & when not to ,has pictures & is ideal ,Some adults may see it kids stuff but the reality is its very plain & simple.

Parents think its wonderful because it is so colourful & easy to follow .

Although i still have fond memories of the lady who went hysterical in the Show pavilion because one of my dogs slobbered on her child,i was abused no end because i should have taken better care & controlled what my dog did.

Both sides are guilty of saying things .

The general public often have no clue how hurtful some of the things they say are yet all of us sit there & take it because for the small few there is a greater number of great people.

I feel for the poodle people who get all sorts of horrible things said about the trims,top knots ,that there poofy dogs & the list goes on.

In my breed you get those who ask why you would own something so stupid,aren't they thick .

You do sit there being polite & its hard work sometimes .

There are lots of junior handlers out there who also get these comments said to them kids aged from 7 upwards ,you get the nasty comments made from the people outside the ring .

I was 10 when i started & had joe public asking why i showed such stupid dogs .

So my biggest comment to anyone attending shows would be ask politely to touch & if you have a comment that may seem funny to you just think the owners may not see it the same way .

What breed do you show?

[TheCheekyMonster]

I havent read the other responses, because there are many but!, I am new to the show world and I GET SOOOOO FREAKING EXCITED when i see breeds iv never seen in person and i always ask if I can pat them, if people say no then i guess i could understand but for me its just pure joy seeing dogs and I always want to pat them and its a great chatting point for me, because i like to learn about other breeds......but i always ask first.

[Dogsfevr]

Irish Setters which by many folk even on here are considered stupid & people do like to tell you that even though they have no clue

[rusty&biscuit]

showdog, I do agree that there are those in the public not-so-nice. At one show someone came up to my mum and I sitting with Biscuit, very glumly mentioned it's a schip and he likes them better without tails. Although it's nothing, mum however did get offended and said, "well I like his tail", to which he replied "does it ever wag? Cos it's not now", to have her snap back, "well it's because he doesn't like you"

There are a lot of "anti-showies" who nit pick too. I remember at one ag show a woman patting Rusty, then snapped at me "His nails are way too short!". I smugly lifted up the coat on his paws to reveal the rest of his normal length tails, and mentioned that the coat is just hiding it. It's fair to say she seemed fairly embarrassed.

But yes, I find majority of the public and showies alike to be great, and I love the ag shows so people get to interact with my breed, and get educated :D

[LizT]

showdog, I do agree that there are those in the public not-so-nice. At one show someone came up to my mum and I sitting with Biscuit, very glumly mentioned it's a schip and he likes them better without tails. Although it's nothing, mum however did get offended and said, "well I like his tail", to which he replied "does it ever wag? Cos it's not now", to have her snap back, "well it's because he doesn't like you"

There are a lot of "anti-showies" who nit pick too. I remember at one ag show a woman patting Rusty, then snapped at me "His nails are way too short!". I smugly lifted up the coat on his paws to reveal the rest of his normal length tails, and mentioned that the coat is just hiding it. It's fair to say she seemed fairly embarrassed.

But yes, I find majority of the public and showies alike to be great, and I love the ag shows so people get to interact with my breed, and get educated :D

Funniest thing I've heard of is a member of the General Public berating a rider for riding a "heavily pregnant Mare".!!!!

It was a gelding and not particularly fat either, just a round cobby breed! :laugh:

[SparkyTansy]

Oh yes plenty of nasty comments to my dogs too - not sure where people get off telling me that my dogs look sad/stoned/bored... people that quite happily say to their friends how ugly or dumb your dog is while you are sitting right there (showdog the dumb comments are definitely not limited to the Irish!). The number of people that comment under their breath about the "poor dogs" when looking at Old English, whilst they stand there happily wagging their tails, completely comfortable and blissfully unaware that their showy owners are mistreating them by subjecting them to a world of being regularly brushed, clean and well exercised/fed... it really can wear you down...

[Dogsfevr]

Having owned various breeds its very interesting to see how the public judge each.

When we had our show greyhounds many years ago it was interesting to see parents allowing there kids to pat them & then ask what breed & have a total panic attack because they kill things .

When i had my GSD who was very dark masked you would get the whats a little girl doing with a dog like that .

Within the Setters it varies greatly

I guess many people don't think but the greater majority do now what there saying & i often wonder what response they actually expect .

When they are being disrespectful & wanting a reply you have to be the better person but i will be the first to admit i rarely reply to obvious people making a scene & when i do its usually im sorry i didn't realize your where talking about my breed & how many have you owned yourself ??

You can pick the people guessing a breed or asking a comment that is part of the human nature rumour mill & wanting to now if its fact or fiction & i am happy to educate these people & there children

r.

[BigDaz]

I think it is polite to ask if there is someone around.

Years ago I went to the Melbourne Show and they had Great Danes there. There was a dog sitting in the boxes they sit in and there was no one around, so I gave him a nice chest rub.

I turned to walk off and someone grabbed my shoulder, I looked over my shoulder to realise it was a pig paw sitting there, apparently the Great Dane hadnt quite had enough of the chest rub.

I think it is polite to wait until someone is around before touching their dog.

I would suggest dont leave your dog unnatended if you are that concerend about your dog. The Royal Show is (or was) a pretty open area with the dogs sitting about 2 feet from the public walkway

As I show at the Melbourne Royal I know the set up very well. Unfortunately I do have to attend the ladies from time to time and if the person I asked to watch my dog is distracted, like untangling another dog caught up in the tether, it does mean my dog is left exposed to people like you who have the hide to think it is a petting zoo and you can do what you like. Extremely rude behaviour.

I just loooovvveeee Greyhounds too, so watch out next time, I may be patting your dogs while your doing your business!

[BigDaz]

May i ask if a dog did bite you what would you do??

Keeping in mind your selfish act means that dog is wiped out for 6 months through someones selfish need at a show.

In public it could end up a declared dangerous dog or PTS .

Have you ever considered the otherside of what you do or does that not matter ??

If a dog bit me and it was at fault, I wouldn't tell anyone. I couldn't live with myself if a beautiful animal had to be put down because of my stupidity.

You take your dog out in public, if you have not worked out human nature by now you need to look at yourself not everyone else. I wont encroach on someones personal space, I wont go near a dog in a cage, but if a dog is out in the open unattended and I can read the body language positively.............well, if you don't like it, stay home.

[Jumabaar]

Usually before shows the exhibitors all look busy and stressed so I never ask to pat dogs before a show. After they have been in the ring if I want to pat a dog I always ask first. I was at a Royal once where I was standing back admiring a line of beautiful Dobes after they had been in the ring and the breeder came up to me with a smile so I asked if I could pat the dogs. She was happy to chat to me about them while I fawned over the beautiful creatures. I think for shows like the Royal where the public is so involved and up close with the dogs its important to be friendly and promote your breeds. I would totally understand if showies didn't want anyone near their dogs in smaller, more private or important shows though.

Just on that- the royals are some of the most important shows in the calendar along with breed specialties etc. That is probably also why people are more uptight at a royal.

I am lucky with the Kelpies so not much in the way of grooming. I usually have my Lappie on show for people to pat until she gets tired.

That being said my biggest concern is people feeding the dogs rather than touching them! Diarrhoea due to someone giving them a shmacko is not the best 1am wake up call after a royal

[Sayly]

It does go both ways. By the end of your 3rd day at a Royal with constant rude comments about your obviously blind dog, your ugly dog, your poor dog because you chopped it's tail off, or the endless people who pat without asking over the top of benches behind your backs, the kids who run in and grab your dog around the neck before you can do anything, the constant worry that someone will steal/poison/injure your dog. It gets a bit tiring and some people get snappy by the end of the day or end of the Royal.

There are rude people who show, just the same as there are rude general public. What is described in the OP is rude and weird, just as many of the comments from the general public are.

I love Royals, and I love having my dogs/breeds out there for PR. We spend a lot of time with them out on display and interacting with the public, but it is long, tiring and stressful.

[Fit for a King]

May i ask if a dog did bite you what would you do??

Keeping in mind your selfish act means that dog is wiped out for 6 months through someones selfish need at a show.

In public it could end up a declared dangerous dog or PTS .

Have you ever considered the otherside of what you do or does that not matter ??

If a dog bit me and it was at fault, I wouldn't tell anyone. I couldn't live with myself if a beautiful animal had to be put down because of my stupidity.

You take your dog out in public, if you have not worked out human nature by now you need to look at yourself not everyone else. I wont encroach on someones personal space, I wont go near a dog in a cage, but if a dog is out in the open unattended and I can read the body language positively.............well, if you don't like it, stay home.

Seriously??? So you have no respect for anyone else's feelings or concerns - you want to touch so you do? What are you 5 years old? Bloody hell - do us a favour and don't come to Qld.....

[Rebanne]

May i ask if a dog did bite you what would you do??

Keeping in mind your selfish act means that dog is wiped out for 6 months through someones selfish need at a show.

In public it could end up a declared dangerous dog or PTS .

Have you ever considered the otherside of what you do or does that not matter ??

If a dog bit me and it was at fault, I wouldn't tell anyone. I couldn't live with myself if a beautiful animal had to be put down because of my stupidity.

You take your dog out in public, if you have not worked out human nature by now you need to look at yourself not everyone else. I wont encroach on someones personal space, I wont go near a dog in a cage, but if a dog is out in the open unattended and I can read the body language positively.............well, if you don't like it, stay home.

you mightn't tell but someone else might so the dog still pays for your stupidity ( your words ). Dogs are behind barriers at the Melb Royal so not left out in the open and you are indeed encroaching on some ones personal space. There is no where else to leave our gear and personal belongings. Public are told not to go behind the barriers. But you keep doing it because you know so much better then anyone else and when you are patting a dog you shouldn't be and the person next door discovers some lowlife has pinched their purse and you are right there, well enjoy that experience too. :D

[smisch]

Im forever letting people pat and interact with my dogs as its part of why we are there.. Representing our breed, and the show world. If I have them all prepared ill let people pat them in a spot that's easy to fix and I always carry a comb on me when I'm near the ring as people always stop to say hi lol..

What's the point of being somewhere like this if your dog ain't gonna represent their breed if your truly passionate youd take up the opportunity to display your breed as much as possible

Lol last year I did sweepies day at EKKA and I had the lab out playing fetch and running up and down our stall section letting him be social lol and mind you this was after I had groomed and chalked him to high heavens lol!! But so many parents were greatful as all their kids wanted to do was pat a dog lol!

[TheCheekyMonster]

Im forever letting people pat and interact with my dogs as its part of why we are there.. Representing our breed, and the show world. If I have them all prepared ill let people pat them in a spot that's easy to fix and I always carry a comb on me when I'm near the ring as people always stop to say hi lol..

What's the point of being somewhere like this if your dog ain't gonna represent their breed if your truly passionate youd take up the opportunity to display your breed as much as possible

Lol last year I did sweepies day at EKKA and I had the lab out playing fetch and running up and down our stall section letting him be social lol and mind you this was after I had groomed and chalked him to high heavens lol!! But so many parents were greatful as all their kids wanted to do was pat a dog lol!

Hahah I was waiting for something like this thank you!!!..... I think show dogs should be one of the most socialised, and I have been to 5 shows and I’m pretty disappointed with the behaviour of some/most of the dogs I have to say, it’s nearly impossible to walk any dog past another without barking or snarling..... I think the point of a show dog is to represent the best of the breed... biting when not threatened should not be a part of that display... I believe they are suppose to be approachable, by dog and human... not just the judge in the ring.

And sorry if i have offended anyone but this has been my personal observation in the few shows I have been to since taking an interest in showing.