Showing?

I went to a few really big shows this summer (AKC and UKC) and I didn't seen anything horrible.  I went to a cat show with a friend when we were kids and was put off by all the zillions of cats stuck in little crates all day where anyone could walk by and poke at them.  I dunno if that's how all cat shows were, but they were basically on display with their ribbons hung on their cages.  At the UKC show we went to, it seemed like a LOT of the dogs were being shown by their owners or people from the local clubs hosting the show.  It was really fun to see and you could tell the dogs had special relationships with these people and it helped them shine at the show.  In one ring, there was a family with two collies and three little kids.  The dad was dripping sweat b/c it was like 100 degrees and he was showing both of their collies - family dogs.  The kids sat on the side holding the leash of whatever collie wasn't showing and cheered "yeah dad!".  The little girl told anyone that walked close enough that "that's my doggy and my daddy!"  There were also obedience rings, agility, weight pull, dock jumping dogs, protection dogs, terrier races....something for everyone.  The juniors ring was fun to watch.  I don't know exactly how this worked out, but this cute girl from the juniors ring ended up showing the German Shepherd in the group ring (maybe the owner let her do it for fun?).  It was so funny seeing this skinny girl and this unruly GSD






Catahoula waiting to show


best of breed Beagle in the group ring (kept giving kisses)


This guy won wight pull and we met him while he was waiting for his pictures (his mom was PROUD!)

There are people that do thing to dogs but I don't know how pervasive it is.  They will have "Happy Tail" (wrong tail set) corrected (muscles cut surgically), there is all the ear taping and gluing and a lot of cosmetic coretion dye to wrong colored spots makeup over tear lines and such.  Most things are cheating not cruelty though testicle doesn't descend put in a neuticle ear wont stay up have a brace put in So on.
    there are a lot of people esp Handlers who consider dogs as things sake them out of the crate groom them show them then back to the crate or xpen so they can show them.  The only tru cruelty I know of of hand was a profesional handler that left a golden on a loop on a grooming table by itself and it jumped of and hung itself. then the handler told the owners it ran away (nasty).

I've never seen anything terrible at a dog show, either. I've seen some dogs being handled rougher than I would handle a dog, but that's just a handling difference. I'm sure that I handle dogs rougher than some other people, too, and that some people think I'm too soft. *shrugs* Nothing I'd call torture, though.

That's comforting to know.  Thanks for your replies.  I guess it would be harder to get away with abusing the dogs like that, because they'd respond emotionally with a lot of distrust and fear.  They are far more expressive than cats. 

The cats are in cages the whole time, not out interacting with people to where a bunch of alarm bells would go off when you saw the cat responding to how it was treated prior to showing.

Remember they get to use FOOD for the dogs in the ring the dog's are generally pretty eager to show as most of them are fed pretty lightly to keep them in show condition which is lean for most breeds

show condition which is lean for most breeds

At dog shows around here, you don't see a rib on anything but a sighthound. It's a little sickening. Of course, I like my dogs super light. They have joint issues, and you can see a rib or two, all the time.

I've been showing for. . . shoot, almost 10 years now. I'm getting old. The average person who shows does follow the rules and doesn't ruthlessly alter their dog to win. Because geez, if you have to alter the dog, you shouldn't really be showing it in the first place. Kind of defeats the purpose. Pro handlers are the group most oft guilty of commiting dog show "crimes", but the average Joe Schmo is walking into the ring with their personal pet and wouldn't dream of mistreating their animal in such a way.

You do hear about people "fixing" gay tails or adding a neuticle on a cryptorchid dog or doing other awful things, but these things are not commonplace. Most of the alterations are going to be purely cosmetic. . Poodles have been caught with wigs woven into their hair, dogs have been dyed, bleached, hair that is supposed to be natural is cut. I wouldn't say the dogs are tortured by any means. . in fact, most of them like it. They HAVE to like it. .  a dog thats being dragged around the ring with its tail down isn't going to win anything.

mostly we see fat labs and Rottis around here I admit not watching doxies but most terriers, sight hound, GSD are pretty light.  There seems to be a missunderstanding when the breed standard say stocky, substantial or something like it means fat. not true 

There seems to be a missunderstanding when the breed standard say stocky, substantial or something like it means fat. not true

Uggh. The Lab ring gives me shutters, especially when I see young dogs that are so heavy...

this was pretty pathetic.... but i didnt classify it as abuse lol unless you count it as abuse and slave labour on behalf of the handler []

she walked all the way across the fair grounds with this dog on her shoulders. and she was a lil bitty thing too!!

Oh I hear that. We can't have our dog's CLEAN feet touching dirt before he goes in the ring! I've had to carry my 50 lb Beardie through pouring rain while carrying an umbrella overhead from one end of the fairgrounds to another. Whoever said dog shows weren't hard work has apparently never shown a dog!

thats the best way to wear fur [] when its still got a pulse and creates its own heat!!

i don't know about dog shows, but the tennesse walking horse shows can get pretty ugly [>:]

My best friend breeds and shows cockers.. and there isn't anything cruel about it... The dogs LOVE to show.... unless you consider 2-3 baths a week and a fluff dry before the show to be inhumane... I know one of her youngest LIVES to show.. she perks right up in the ring and knows how beautiful she is..LOL