I'd really appreciate it. While I have a high speed connection in the office, my boss wouldn't be too "Happy" with time spent scanning in dog show photos and at home, not only do I have dial up, but I also have an old cluncker on its last microchip. If you PM me with your email address, I'll send you the photos this weekend? I'll put something in the heading like "Penny Photos" so you know its me and not some virus/scam artist.

I'm getting pretty good at weeding thru junk mail :) It amazes me that lots of mass emailers or scammers can't even spell in the subject headers :) - I'll send you my email address - Send as many as you like - I do this all the time

Good Luck! I hope Penny has a great showing!

Penny: Crashed and Burned
 

We think it was a belly ache as she didn’t want to eat dinner tonight. But she just didn’t want to show today either. So we were dumped, and it was well deserved. :( Oh, well, tomorrow’s another day. If she isn’t finished by January, Penny is going to be spending more time sitting pool side sipping Margaritas!

Aww sorry for the disappointment but maybe she likes the margaritas. lol. Hope Penny is her old self tomorrow.

Crossing my fingers for you :)

Aww, bummer!! Sorry about the show. Penny is so pretty, she'll do better next time. Don't let on bout the margaritas though! Hey, I'd be dumping shows if I was her, lol!

Good Luck Penny!!!

Gwood Twuck wext time Fenny.....my faws are twossed fo youuu

awww sorry it didnt go well i am sure she will do better next time. :aimeeyork

Thanks guys
 

Mom and I had a powow this morning. We're changing the game plan a little bit. Penny isn't an easy traveler but because she's small, we've been carefuly picking judges that wont hold it against her (Ed Bivin for example) which DOEs require traveling as a result. Small is not a fault, but some judges just don't like little girls for breeding purposes (and with all our discussion about "teacup" yorkies on this forum, can you blame them?). Anyhow, I will continue handling Penny through January or until she "minors" out (gets 10 points). Her last six points MUST be two, three point majors. We will hand her off to a handler, ring side for those majors. Handlers can accomplish things with their reputations that may not be possible for owner/handlers. We'll see. She's got another show this coming Saturday (seh was also entered in a show on Sunday, but I've decided to do an agility trial that day instead). This judge is Ms. Keenan, who gave her a point and Best of Opposit last fall. It's two points .. . but best of all, it's in New Patlz, which will not require an overnight stay from our "home base" on Lone Island. One way or another, Penny will be finished showing in 2006. In the meantime . . I'm looking for my next Yorkie agility prospect! :D

plans
 

Sounds like a good plan to me..not finishing in record time is not a reflection on quality. I had to get handlers to win under the same judges who ignored me...THEN had the nerve to tell my handler what a terrific Yorkie it was..lol
I really don't show that bad either.

I went to the Miami show and got to see theagility classses..it was great fun..there were 2 Yorkies there.
Please let us know who wins this weekend...Leslie Stolfi has a small girl entered from Florida.

Handlers, my thoughts and any suggestions?
 

In a way I do find myself disappointed. I consider myself a reasonably good dog trainer, and while I was completely clueless in the grooming department starting out, I've spent a considerable amount of time over the past three years learning as much as I can. But I've also learned a lot about the good, the bad and the ugly regarding dog showing. THere's a lot of fun, comraderie and of course, dogs, but the dog show world is sort of a machine. And the gears work in certain ways. So, like you, I recognize, that sometimes you must use a handler. Not to, is only working against yourself. Do you have any suggestions for handers in the northeast who would do ring side pickup?

This was what I posted to someone on another forum, in response to "who would want a handler anyway?":

I'm not advocating that you go get yourself a handler, if it were up to me, there would be no such thing, but the way dog shows are today . . . they do make sense, or at least, they are necessary. Of course, that is a self-fulfilling prophecy but it is the way its is.

First, have you noticed how MANY shows there are? I show a Yorkie. I can't tell you how many shows I've gone to where the most to be won was a single lousy point! The handlers can make the points, and they know where the points are to be had and have the time and inclination to drive long distances to get to them. Working stiffs such as myself - cant always do that.

Next, related to the above, handlers can show when (and to whom!) you can't. How many shows are Mondays and Fridays when working stiffs, such as myself, are in the office? There's a speciality this summer I really wanted to go to but I'm out of vacation time, so my dog doesn't get a chance to pick up a major! Plus, there's always the issue that judge x likes x type of dog - only the closest show judge x will be at is 400 miles away! The handler can get there but you can't!

Next, related to the time issue. There's a real advantage of having the time to devote yourself to the maintenace of a drop coated dog! My show ***** has a "break" line. Her coat is floor length and in beautiful condition, yes, but it also looks like a rat got to the bottom fringe. Why? Because I can't be changing wraps at 9 PM every night when I just got home from work. Worse yet, I can't play puppy police , making sure she isn't rubbing her wraps while I'm at work! A handler's ONLY job is to make sure that coat is in impecible condition. When I go into the ring against a dog shown my a handler, sad to say, the difference is obvious and there's not much I can do about it. Either send my dog to a handler myself, or learn to accept that there will be shows I'm going to loose because of a judge who is a stickler for grooming and conditioning - the handler will almost always win out!

Last but not least, there are the politics that we all love to moan about. Some breeds, like Pugs and Bassets are not pro-handler, others such as Pekes, Shepherds, and yes . .Yorkies are pro-handler. I had an occasion only recently where every open ***** scratched except two, mine and one other. Why? Because the "other" was being exhibited by a very famous handler and the judge was known to be political. OK, I said, I'm here and my dog is ready, what the heck . . .maybe the other dog will limp? lol. Fat chance. What killed me was that the other dog's nose was obviously not solid black as it should have been. But that didn't matter. The judge proceeded to chit chat with the handler while I stood there as the obvious outsider. The only thing she said to me beyond, "down and back" was "don't bend down, it will kill your knees. Hear that crack? See I told you so!" If her chit-chat with my competition hadn't been enough to put me ill at ease . . . guess who won? Now, I wont be showing under this judge again but God, how annoying to spend three hours grooming your dog only to come to a show and find that you have little or no chance of winning just because of the person on the other end of the leash?

I come from horse showing originally, and agility and performance events more recently. Getting used to dog showing has been a real culture shock. However, it is what it is. And since I'm throwing cliche's around here's another one: if you can't beat em, join em. If my dog wasn' t such a prissy girl and I thought she would do well under a particular handler, I would seriously consider handing her off to him/her.

handlers
 

I am very careful when recommending a handler..mine was Loni Howell..they do not come any better. She only took 2 out at a time, dog and bitch.
She handled for the Scott's after Gus passed away. Loni lived very close to me, but I let her take the dog to her home. Most perfer that, but you must trust them. Loni got married, had a baby and I do not know if she still handles..last time I talked with her she was still retired.
I trust Bev Ferguson of Tiffany ..Pasadena MD.

If you decide to send her to live with the handler,there is good reason to do that also..mine were gone less then 3 months and that was with needing all points and majors, except one or two.
The handler will groom to perfection..they know what judges to pick for you, who likes what, it is cheaper then traveling/hotel/gas/food and not winning...and listen to me, if a judge owes a handler a favor and puts your girl up, TAKE IT...it makes up for all the times you were truly robbed of the win.
good luck