Page 2
What's all this gonna cost me?
Ok now for the BAD news. You don't win money at most dog shows. You pay
for a judges’ opinion, good or bad, and if you are lucky you get to take home
some ribbons. In the old days when I started showing, you got some really nice
trophies for wins, these days a trophy is rare for a win in the classes except
at a Specialty Show. SHOWS ARE NO LONGER JUST
HELD ON WEEKENDS! Be sure to check when and where shows close to you are
held before you get addicted to showing, AKC has recently allowed
"clusters" of shows that in some cases last from the Wednesday of one
week through the Monday of the following week. Some of these
"clusters" include all breed shows during the day and are followed by
an Irish Setter "specialty show" that same
evening. (A specialty show is one for a single breed,
these are almost always big shows that award major points for that breed.)
Clubs are only permitted to hold two shows per year and many of these clubs are
holding all their shows at one time and in a MOST INCONVENIENT place and manner.
If you can't get to shows, you definitely can't finish your dogs Championship. Be realistic before you get too involved. MAKE SURE THERE ARE
SHOWS THAT BRING IN ENOUGH DOGS FOR MAJORS IN YOUR AREA. If there are
few or no major shows close to your home, you could end up living like a a member of the circus and traveling great distances every
week! Or, you could face reality, decide that having
your dog issued a piece of paper isn't worth giving up all your free time. Show
for fun close to home, or give up your life for pieces of ribbon and an
eventual hunk of paper - it's your choice but do think hard about it.
The prices I have listed are approximate and based on around Jan of 2005
Show puppy = $1,000 - $3,000 and up (depending on the pedigree, contract
agreements, age of the pup, and location of the breeder)
Crate for shows = $80 and up depending on the size of your dog and type
of crate
Grooming supplies = minimum of $800 for most of the basic stuff you will
need: a grooming table, brushes, nail grinder, blow dryer in the "low
end" price range, stripping knives, shampoo, clippers and clipper blades,
etc. - depends on what you decide you just can't live without having. (We lived
minus a grooming table for over 12 years - I just trained the dogs to stand and
stay on the floor and was young enough to climb around to groom that way.)
Handling Classes = around $100 for basic class with seminars from
professional handlers costing around $150 per day.
Entry Fee for a single show = your 2 minutes of scrutiny by a judge
costs $23 - $50
Parking at the show = yes, they hit you up for that too! $4 - $10 to
sometimes park in a muddy field miles from your ring.
Motel stay per night = $80 to over $100 PLUS TAX, which can run another
11% or more
Then there is GAS to get to and from the show, trinkets you purchase,
etc.
My estimate is that a single day of showing runs
about $250 if you must stay overnight and
that is in addition to the entry fee you already paid. Dogs are entered weeks
prior to the show being held.
Professional handlers? These folks charge
$80 and up for what they call "ring
side pickup". This means YOU groom and train your dog, you fill in the
entry form and pay the entry fee, you drive to the
show and wait by the ring. Just before your dog is to go in the ring, the
handler (or an assistant if the handler is still showing in another ring -- and
you don't get a discount if the assistant shows your dog!) shows up, grabs your
dog and shows it to the judge.
Sending your dog off with a Professional Handler involves paying boarding
fees, training fees, grooming and conditioning fees, expenses when the handler
goes to shows (expenses are divided among all the clients who have dogs out
with the handler). Also there are the entry fees, the handlers fee for showing
your dog PLUS most handlers write in a bonus for themselves in the event your
dog gets a major win or goes on to group competition. In the event that there
is prize money for a win, most handlers have it in their contract that they get
to keep the money. Read the contract. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING IN TO BEFORE
YOU GO BROKE! Most Professional handlers do let you make "time
payments" but do you really want to be paying for your dogs show career
long after it is retired?
Dreaming of having a Nationaly Ranked dog or
your puppy winning at Westminister? Most of the
owners of those big winning dogs spend close to $100,000 a year OR MORE to
campaign the dog to that level.
HOW DO PEOPLE AFFORD THIS STUFF?
The answer is simple. Most people who show dogs do it as part of their
business. All those vehicles in the parking lot aren't painted with Kennel
Names because it looks nice! Judges are paid, professional handlers are paid,
professional breeders show to sell pups and attract stud fees, some of the
people who are vendors at shows have dogs entered in competition. The majority
of people showing dogs these days are not there with their beloved family dog.
You will still find a few of us out there, but we don't show very often these
days. (Yes, I still show for fun once in awhile and we are not among those who
do it as part of a business.)
WHY BOTHER TO SHOW AT ALL?
Now there's the Best question of all! When you get right down to it, you
pay all this money, spend all this time and effort just in hopes of getting a
25 cent ribbon and a hunk of paper at the end of all your work. The Champion
Certificate is sort of yellow/buff color and just a form printed off on the AKC
computer, stating your dog is pretty.
People show for the fun of it, for the ego trip, for business reasons or
because they are addicted to showing. If you ever intend to breed a litter or
pups, you are only distinguished from "the back yard breeder/puppy
mill" if you put some title on your dog. You are almost forced to show
your dog if you intend to be taken seriously as a breeder. For some folks a dog
show is a social event where they get to see friends on weekends. Sometimes a
show is a canine family reunion - where all pups from a litter show up together
with their owners... Some people love competition. There are people who show
because they believe any dog that finishes a Champion Title should be bred and
any dog that doesn't shouldn't be bred. In "the good old days" judges
helped to determine which dogs were most correct and closest to The Breed Standard. The idea of dog shows was to help breeders in selecting
the best breeding stock for the future, but time has changed all that.
Showing CAN BE FUN! This can be a
weekend or day when just you and your dog spend some quality time. If you keep
things in perspective, and go simply to SHOW YOUR DOG TO THE WORLD without
worrying or getting involved with politics you can have a great time! Showing
your best friend, who you think is beautiful, should be enough to make you
proud, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE JUDGES OPINION IS THAT DAY! Always remember that
win or loose, you have the best dog simply because it is yours and you love it.
Gaiting patterns for the conformation ring
|
So you want a puppy? |
||||
|
Our Past Irish Setters Philly (co-owned) |
Our Present Irish Setters |
Our Present Irish Setters |
Litters born here since 1996 |