Leroy
Today we have a long overdue guest and special one at that. Please welcome Jen, from My Brown Newfies to talk about dog showing with her two dogs, Leroy and Sherman.
Now personally I've always been a critic of the sport and thought it was just a show of the prettiest and most popular dog. But like many myths that have been squashed by dog bloggers I thought I take the chance to open my mind with a blogger I have come to trust with the subject. I asked Jen to share her personal experience with the world of dog showing and her beloved boys.
Sherman
So first, how long have you been showing and what made you get started?
I have been showing for about 4 years now. I was first introduced to the show ring about 15 years ago by my sister who was periodically showing her brown Newf. The first show I went to with her I was hooked. I just loved the scene and I loved the sport. 2 short years later I got my first Newfoundland who was named Thunder, we showed one time and that was it. As soon as we stepped in the ring it was clear that Thunder wanted nothing to do with showing so that was how it would be. I didn't understand the sport of dog showing back then, and if I had I never would of even showed Thunder because he was not a good example of the breed, and by that I mean that he had a heart murmur and a condition called SAS(sub aortic stenosis) which is a condition that Newfs are prone to. Thunder was not a dog that could of been bred because this condition is hereditary., so therefore putting him out in the show ring as a good example of the breed would of basically been lying. I didn't get that 15 years ago, but I get it now.
Many years later I got Sherman. I had spent over 1 1/2 years researching breeders and speaking to them one on one and learning about the the Newfoundland breed. Many reputable breeders are hesitant to give a show dog to someone they don't know so establishing a relationship with the breeder was key for both me and the breeder. I didn't just call someone and say I wanted a show dog and they said "ok here you go" I actually established a relationship over months with the breeder before she agreed to give me a puppy to show.
Sherman and I entered into the show for the first time when he was 9 months. I showed Sherman for a few times after that and then I decided that I wasn't the best handler for him so I hired someone to do it for me. I enjoy being on the outside watching, rather than in the ring.
Sherman
The sport of dog showing is intended to evaluate the breeding stock of future generations. Each breed has a standard that is created by their parent club. A breed standard is a written description of the ideal dog of that breed. The breed standard usually relates to the original function that that breed was bred to perform and general appearance, movement, temperament, and specific traits of that breed such as color, coat texture, eye color, ear shape and placement, feet, tail, etc. Some breed standards are more specific than others.
It is basically showing that you have a dog that conforms to the breed standard and is a great example of the breed. That's the way it is suppose to work anyway.
Thunder had a very bad heart and would not of been a dog to breed. He wasn't healthy and he would not be bettering the Newfoundland breed by siring a litter.
Could I have bred him and taken a chance that his bad heart wouldn't be passed down? Yes, but that wasn't a risk I was willing to take.