Pat is right: go to every dog show you can in person. You'll learn a lot.
First and foremost: Is your dog "show quality?" Start by reading the Breed Standard. After attending some shows, ask a handler to look at your dog and give you an estimate of his/her chances of "finishing" the dog to a champion degree.
Is it expensive? You bet it is. But so are most hobbies, when you think about it. I showed my English Setters back in the early 80s and hired a handler to show them. It ran about $1,000 month back then. It would have been even more expensive to do it ourselves because we would have had to pay for hotels (or have had a motorhome), meals, gas, entry fees, grooming equipments, etc., etc. The general cost to "finish" a dog back in the 80s was about $6,000 to $7,000.
Last point, which show people don't always like to hear: POLITICS is the name of the game. Handlers are favored over owner/handlers as a rule and WHICH handler you have (can afford) makes a difference. Then there are judges who don't like big bitches, or ones who favor coat over conformity, or who like one breed/breeder over another.
On the whole, however, shows, showing, and show people are the BEST people in the world and I love it! Don't have the competitive desire to do it any more, but love watching it on TV because I HAVE been there and worn the tee shirt. |