Ok , we got the where,when and why but are still missing the who (won), and what (are the prizes for events like that?) Is there always a strong Canadian presence at events like that? Do your dogs always take you on vacation? Do Canadian dogs bark with a different accent ? Are “fixed” dogs allowed? Do you feel the whole event is sometimes fixed against outsiders ? Are judges neutral or MSNBC types ? So many questions and such a small teaser for a blog. Inquiring minds want to know….more.
Nice doggies!
Dog on the left is mine – Clark, the black to the right, and the one in the background are clients’. Portland Oregon has a big cluster in January, we go quite often. Clark picked up points at the Specialty, and Doc, who’s not in the photo won Best of Breed. Yes, there’s a pretty good Canadian presence at that show, of course. And yes, these are the only vacations I take, mostly consisting of 2 day drives, followed by 16 hour days standing on concrete. No fixed dogs. It’s for breeding stock. No, the whole event isn’t usually fixed at all, but there are dogs with big campaigns behind them, and big winning records that walk into the ring with an advantage. Recognition factor. We beat a couple of those on the weekend. Judges vary from the whip smart to the rock-hard stupid, to the outright criminal. After a while you get an idea of who’s what, and that most of them are just ordinary dog people trying to do their best job, and not always getting it right. It’s a judged sport, so them’s the breaks.
Thanks Kate. I feel much wiser than I did at 12:16. What does one win and what value do points have ? Also is this just for Schnauzers or are other breeds welcome to enter ? Once I have all the answers to these questions I’ll be able to die in peace.
They do have an arrogant look about them,don’t they? And when they walk, they strut.
A couple I know bought a mini Schnauzer (family dog, not for show) from Kate a few months ago. Teriffic dog with a perfect temperment. Not yappy. Can’t jump worth a damn.
I won a couple of chairs and a dog bed, along with points. Dogs begin by trying to accumulate the required points to earn a championship title, and if desired, can go further to become a Grand Champion.
For most dogs, their show career is over when their championship title is complete. It’s like a stamp of approval from the AKC that judges deem it worth of being bred from – That it looks and acts like the breed is expected to.
For a handful, though, the career is just getting started. Beyond the championship system is a ranking system for dogs who go beyond their titles – one point for every dog defeated. This is where the advertising campaigns (there are a number of monthly and weekly magazines that feature nothing but full colour ads for show dogs along with a few articles), cross country flights, and pro handlers come in. Budgets of $100K a year and higher to campaign one dog to a top ranking aren’t unusual. There is no expectation of profit or return – few dogs ever earn more in stud services or puppy sales to pay for more than a few vet bills.
In 2011 and 2012, I had the top winning females in the breed, the latter was number 3 in the all breed system. Of course, I sleep in my van when I can to keep costs down, and show other dogs to help pay the expenses. I probably spent five cents on the dollar of some of the dogs we defeated.
Here’s the DogNews weekly – if you want to skim through a hard core dog show magazine, this is a pretty good example. Who says publishing is dead? http://dognews.com/2014/011014/index2.html
So breeding schnauzers is not the path to wealth is what you’re saying?
I always feel like schnauzers are judging me.
Ok , we got the where,when and why but are still missing the who (won), and what (are the prizes for events like that?) Is there always a strong Canadian presence at events like that? Do your dogs always take you on vacation? Do Canadian dogs bark with a different accent ? Are “fixed” dogs allowed? Do you feel the whole event is sometimes fixed against outsiders ? Are judges neutral or MSNBC types ? So many questions and such a small teaser for a blog. Inquiring minds want to know….more.
Nice doggies!
Dog on the left is mine – Clark, the black to the right, and the one in the background are clients’. Portland Oregon has a big cluster in January, we go quite often. Clark picked up points at the Specialty, and Doc, who’s not in the photo won Best of Breed. Yes, there’s a pretty good Canadian presence at that show, of course. And yes, these are the only vacations I take, mostly consisting of 2 day drives, followed by 16 hour days standing on concrete. No fixed dogs. It’s for breeding stock. No, the whole event isn’t usually fixed at all, but there are dogs with big campaigns behind them, and big winning records that walk into the ring with an advantage. Recognition factor. We beat a couple of those on the weekend. Judges vary from the whip smart to the rock-hard stupid, to the outright criminal. After a while you get an idea of who’s what, and that most of them are just ordinary dog people trying to do their best job, and not always getting it right. It’s a judged sport, so them’s the breaks.
Thanks Kate. I feel much wiser than I did at 12:16. What does one win and what value do points have ? Also is this just for Schnauzers or are other breeds welcome to enter ? Once I have all the answers to these questions I’ll be able to die in peace.
They do have an arrogant look about them,don’t they? And when they walk, they strut.
A couple I know bought a mini Schnauzer (family dog, not for show) from Kate a few months ago. Teriffic dog with a perfect temperment. Not yappy. Can’t jump worth a damn.
I won a couple of chairs and a dog bed, along with points. Dogs begin by trying to accumulate the required points to earn a championship title, and if desired, can go further to become a Grand Champion.
For most dogs, their show career is over when their championship title is complete. It’s like a stamp of approval from the AKC that judges deem it worth of being bred from – That it looks and acts like the breed is expected to.
For a handful, though, the career is just getting started. Beyond the championship system is a ranking system for dogs who go beyond their titles – one point for every dog defeated. This is where the advertising campaigns (there are a number of monthly and weekly magazines that feature nothing but full colour ads for show dogs along with a few articles), cross country flights, and pro handlers come in. Budgets of $100K a year and higher to campaign one dog to a top ranking aren’t unusual. There is no expectation of profit or return – few dogs ever earn more in stud services or puppy sales to pay for more than a few vet bills.
In 2011 and 2012, I had the top winning females in the breed, the latter was number 3 in the all breed system. Of course, I sleep in my van when I can to keep costs down, and show other dogs to help pay the expenses. I probably spent five cents on the dollar of some of the dogs we defeated.
Here’s the DogNews weekly – if you want to skim through a hard core dog show magazine, this is a pretty good example. Who says publishing is dead?
http://dognews.com/2014/011014/index2.html
So breeding schnauzers is not the path to wealth is what you’re saying?
Thanks kate. Interesting.