I've never been to these shows and wonder what they're like -- looks like majors. What are the show grounds like? I see the last day is a specialty but it's not listed on the specialty calendar. What's the word from previous attendees? Any information would be appreciated!

Hotter than blazes. It's a fairgrounds with not enough shade. Usually a major though.

It's the best show all year! Flamingo's abound, great food nightly, karaoke, weather all over the board, showing dogs is optional :)

HAHAHA! Flamingo's huh? Oh sounds like fun, too bad I'm on the West Coast.

~D

HOT HOT HOT ! No place at all to get dogs out of the blazing sun. Dogs hate it,people party, dogs hate it, and dogs are still drug around the ring, tongues hanging out.
And on the flip side, if it is not over 100
degrees in the shade, if you can find some, then it is a full blown monsoon. Rain falling from the sky sideways! Campers stuck, vans being pulled out, oh and dogs hate it too! Have a great time! It's usually majors everyday.

So its pretty much a handlers' show? How about the breeder/owner/handlers stand up and finally say "ENOUGH". Whatever happened to the Labrador being an owner-handled breed? Now it seems like every "tom dick and harry" is paying big bucks to have their most recent crop of mass produced puppies trucked all over creation. Give us decent judges, decent grounds and let us TAKE BACK THE BREED!

Where's my "Like" button? Bravo - couldn't have said it better myself!

wont happen and if the handlers didn't show up there would never be majors so stop complaining and go enjoy your dogs.

I was making an observation rather than merely a complaint. We had majors before handlers took over our breed. Now it is a rare show when there is not at least 40% of the entry shown by handlers.
TAKE BACK THE BREED!

no because the people that use handlers might actually have to show their own dogs. at first there might be a slump but owner handlers would work together and build majors. and if not the point schedule would adjust in a couple years so majors would come back. IMO this is one of the few reasons new people are scared away as they don't stand a chance in hell out in the ring with professionals.

Where did you see anywhere that Canfield is a handler show? I sure didn't say that! Do handlers show up - of course but they are at every show. We finished a bitch there last year from bred-by.. I would look up previous years history - always breeder judges or judges who know good Labradors. Three out of the four days this year are breeder judges who will put up what they like regardless of who shows it. Canfield is a great show, good grounds and a lot of fun!

If you don't like competing against handlers the only recommendation I have is stop showing dogs or breed/buy better ones!

I agree, too many handlers, I can't afford it. They don't keep me from going and showing and I do beat them alot. But it is harder to compete. I am sad when I see the big truck pull up. It not just a handler its a whole team. Thats why we support more specialtys. More fun these days. There really does need to be shows for just professionals.

I feel that the people do not enter because of the Handlers. They know where most of them will be showing. In one part of the country they have a breeder who sells every pup as show quality and he floods the ring with them. Last shows looked like his specialty. People will not show in his area. TAKE BACK OUR BREED AT THE SHOWS!!!!!

TAKE BACK THE BREED

I may be sending a dog to Canfield with a handler. I often show my dogs myself and have finished my own dogs. So why am I sending this dog with a handler instead of showing it myself? Because I live in another part of the country and have a full time job! It would take me 2 days to drive there, which would mean taking at least a week off work to get there, show and come home, sorry, can't do it, sure wish I could. But the judges could be good for my dog and as everyone said, majors, so I will send and I will be taking the same chances at winning as anyone else who is entered, especially with that judging panel.

Not only are handlers there for you when you can't take time off for a show, but there are a lot of people who are unable to show their own dogs. What good is it to pay entries, hotels, gas, etc if the owner of the dog is either too new to the breed or has other issues (health) that prevents them from being able to show their dog off to its best? Wouldn't that then be giving the advantage to the seasoned/experience breeder/handler who can better present their dog? All things being equal, the dog that is best presented will win. And then we all know that a bad handler can make a good dog look bad and vice versa. I've always said it comes down to the presentation. Some owners are not the best handlers and that puts their dog at a disadvantage. Do handlers win sometimes because who they are? Of course, but most judges can only judge what's in front of them and if the dog is not presented well, the handler will win because their dog is well-presented. It really does boil down to presenting a good dog to its best. Instead of "taking the breed back" why don't we learn to be better handlers thus being able to compete with the pros and accept the fact that some people choose to use a handler for their own personal reasons without condemning them or trashing them for their choice.

JMO,

Dianne Mullikin, EMT-B
Los Angeles, CA

So "breeder36" you are saying that "he sells every puppy as show quality and floods the ring with them" and because of this you say "people will not show in his area"? What that means is that other peoples dogs can't beat his. Don't blame him, get better dogs...

You C'mon. For over 25 years I have watched handlers win with mediocre dogs time and time and time again. This is pertaining to All Breed Shows. I gave them up years ago. This could be part of the reason that many of these shows are no longer majors. It is what it is and alot of us got tired of it. It depends on the judge at Speciaties.

So you are saying we do not have to deal with politics
at Specialties? Really!!!! People are people, just because you breed Labs does not make you a good Judge
of movement and workability. I show both and love both but I have to say at Specialties the dog spends
a lot more time standing like a book end and not really moving. Folks, start looking at how long bodied with short legs some of these dogs are. Look at how they drop their top lines when they move. Weak
backs are not a good thing for a water dog. Maybe we
need to look at more than head, coat and tail? We do not need to "Take Back The Breed" we need to save it!

Another subject completely ! So is the one who breeds all the so so dogs and makes a show. Silly.

How about both, we need to do both. If you don't think so, you're kidding yourself.

Get better dogs? The only way to win sometimes with a top notch dog is to use a well known handler.

I am sometimes amazed at what is put up because the wrong end of the lead is being looked at.

These aren't necessarily my dogs. I see it happen repeatedly to other breeders doing their own handling. The handler does have a mediocre dog that doesn't move well, the breeder-handler has a better dog in all ways and guess who is put up?

Some breeders assume the day they put that 6 mo. puppy on a truck with a handler they will return Champions no matter how long it takes.

I agree, Take The Breed Back and I'm not saying no handlers but we have entirely too many dogs shown by handlers today. Sometimes, it's done just to win and finish faster.

I've never shown UKC, but this really makes me want to look into it, if nothing else to have the dogs judged instead of the person at the end of the lead.

Not necessarily. Judges get to know the handlers in ukc just as in akc. Just because you can't get paid in cash to handle other's dogs, doesn't mean there aren't politics going on...

Ya know, I heard this before and didn't know what people were talking about. Now I understand how others handle dogs in UKC without owning them, NO PAY! Very interesting.

The more I hear, the more I'm not interested.

If this is the breeder I think it is, the last line up of dogs I saw at one of these shows was by far mediocre. How is it that one of the dogs from this kennel would not win when they are the only dogs being shown in that particular venue? The judge has to pick something. This breeder knows he has to flood the local shows to finish his labs.

Other breeders miss some of these shows not because they think they can't win. As they have won time and time again. They don't show up because they are not as obessed and greedy as this breeder is.

We all know who it is. Its just silly. I would not want to get within 100 miles of all that. They got one good dog and I bet bred him to death. Well I hope not. Sad.

It is not about the handlers. You can get the same at specialty shows. It's called business relationships and old time friends.
Ultimately, if you don't want that, do not show to that particular judge. There are far more honest judges and breeder/judges than "political" ones.
If you mind so much, do your research. Make a judging log. Mine has years in the making, and I still get surprised sometimes.
I use pro-handlers sporadically and do specialties. It is a very competitive sport with lots of money involved. Get over it.
Now that somebody mentioned FL, I'll have to say that my post doesn't include FL where the Pro-Handler will chew the head off of other exhibitors. To those shows I would never go.

Not FL again

The other exhibitors and breeders in the area know whose family are friends with those certain judges. That is why they don't bother going to those shows and the other breeder loads them up.