Show Dog info

10/20/2007

Many people watch Animal Planet and think it would be TOO FUN to own a show dog.

In my opinion it is :)

It is also full of disappointment, heart ache and failure. It takes commitment that MOST owners are not willing to make, draining your pocket book and leaving you wondering WHY?

We now require all potential show dog owners to mentor under us, one of our friends or a local breed club member prior to taking on a show dog. This means going to the shows, helping ring side, learning the ropes and doing LOTS of research. If you are not willing to do this we will not consider placing a show dog with you.

As always all pet dogs are placed on limited registration, all potential show dogs are co-owned by the breeder until health checks are completed and PASSED.

What it takes to own a show dog

A pretty face and a nice build does not make a show dog. Hard work, TRAINING and perseverance are the key building blocks. Once you bring your puppy home you have to not only do the "normal" training ( leash, crate and potty training) but you also have to condition, socialize, groom and train your puppy for show. This may not sound like much but it HAS to be started young.

Socialization: you need to take your dog as many places as possible, making the ride in the car and the whole experience as fun as possible. They need to meet as many different people as possible and need to be rewarded for proper behavior and corrected for bad behavior.

Conditioning: exercise. TO put it bluntly. Now young danes should not be forced to exercise, but they do need regular walk and play time. The rule is as much as they want too. This not only will make your life happier ( a tired dog is a happy dog) but it will also help build muscle and strengthen structure.

Training: This includes learning to walk well on a leash, learning to stack in the correct show stance, allowing people to go over your puppy ( including looking at the bite) and learning how to move in pattern. This is a daily task ( 5-10 minutes per day) You will also need to find and ATTEND a local handeling class as part of YOUR training.

Grooming: Nails Nails Nails. They need to be done AT LEAST once a week, preferably twice a week ( every three days) . Dogs should be washed when they are dirty and trained to be easy bathers. Before shows whiskers need to be trimmed and ears need to be cleaned up.

SHOWING: there are many shows here in Texas, some times as many as one a week end. You will have to travel to most. This will mean you need a dependable car. You will also need a folding crate and grooming supplies. You will have many times that hotels do not want a giant breed staying in them and you will have to crate your dog at the show sight. CRATE TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL!

You will need to purchase show collars and leads. . . all of this IS expensive. A typical week end runs $100 per day-- AT LEAST. You have to add in gas, hotel prices, and you will have to eat. . . this does NOT include the price of a professional handler. . .this is if YOU show your dog.

 You also need to budget for entry fee's. Around $25 per show ( most shows are Sat and Sunday so $50 per show week end PER DOG. We go to an average of 2 shows per month. .. 24 week ends a year, 48 times to pay PER DOG. Average of $1200 per dog per year in entry fee's alone.