Crufts

Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
I must admit that I have always wondered what Crufts is like from a dog's point of view. Most of them look like they're thoroughly enjoying it when it's their turn in the ring, but I too wonder how they cope with the waiting.
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
I think it's just something that you need to train. Make sure the dog is used to the down time, and the hectic stuff going on around them. In the few short weeks that I've been taking Shadow to agility training, it's great to see how relaxed he's become. There can be a lot of waiting there, and now he knows that's part of it all, he just lays down and watches until it's our turn. Next weekend we'll be going to a trial (no, Shadow isn't trialling yet! :cwl: ) and it's going to be a whole new level of crazy, but also a lot of not doing anything. For a dog that needed to be benched, that would be approached in the same way, increasing duration, distance, and distraction over time.
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
Joy said:
Maybe, but dogs at Crufts are there for over 8 hours - that's a long day. I can't help thinking that many dogs would enjoy a walk in the countryside more.
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LOL I'm sure they would. But they're also not at Crufts every day, so that's a tiny bit reductive. It's not Crufts OR walks in the countryside, is it?
 
SwampDonkey

SwampDonkey

Joy said:
@snowbunny LOL No and as I said very many looked perfectly content. I think that for some dogs Crufts is not a positive experience - and I don't think Molly would enjoy it.
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This is why I didn't show Doug even though his breeder wanted me to. Doug would have been bored. His dogs loved going though they would just pile into the car like a bunch of hooligans. It was a big social thing for them.
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
W&S would spontaneously combust from stress. Squidge would think it was the best thing ever. I’m sure there are many dogs who are overwhelmed with it and who shouldn’t be there. I'm pretty sure I'd find it dull as dishwater, let alone what my dogs would think of it! My brief foray into conformation involved a lot of standing around waiting for something to happen. But, people love it, and without these shows, the whole dog world would look very, very different indeed. Some stuff indubitably for the better in more recent history. But we also wouldn't have a lot of the sports that people and their dogs enjoy playing together. Without competition, there would be no agility, no flyball, no rally, no freestyle, no hoopers, no treibball...
 
Stacia

Stacia

Location
Malvern Worcestershire
My Grandmother showed Pekingese long before I was born, she sent a letter to my Father saying "I am unable to come to your wedding as I have litter due to be born"!! She died before I was born, but it was said, the dogs were confined to dark, very small kennels, so when they went out to show, they seemed very jolly. Showing is not for me! I remember going to a big show here and coming out of a ring, were a couple of ladies, saying to the winner, 'how wonderful, you have such a super, excellent dog' and as soon as that women left, they turned to each other and said 'that dog was rubbish'! Too catty, bitchy for me.
 
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
snowbunny said:
W&S would spontaneously combust from stress. Squidge would think it was the best thing ever. I’m sure there are many dogs who are overwhelmed with it and who shouldn’t be there. I'm pretty sure I'd find it dull as dishwater, let alone what my dogs would think of it! My brief foray into conformation involved a lot of standing around waiting for something to happen. But, people love it, and without these shows, the whole dog world would look very, very different indeed. Some stuff indubitably for the better in more recent history. But we also wouldn't have a lot of the sports that people and their dogs enjoy playing together. Without competition, there would be no agility, no flyball, no rally, no freestyle, no hoopers, no treibball...
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Joy absolutely loved Flyball when we did it, as did I. Not up to Crufts standards speed wise, but she never once dropped the ball or failed to deliver it. I really enjoy watching Crufts, particularly the Agility and Flyball. I have tried to get Joy interested, but it clearly means absolutely nothing to her on television. :rofl:
 
Selina27

Selina27

Location
Herefordshire, UK
My daughter and I went up to Crufts yesterday, I went many years ago, probably in the 70's then I very much didn't like it, and I still don't have any interest in showing.
But I do love to see dogs working g and having a role to fulfill in life, and there was plenty to see in that regard yesterday. My daughter is keen to do agility with Reeva and very much enjoyed seeing that. The demonstrations and displays were interesting, the working trials and lowland rescue I found particularly so, among other things, encouraging people to take up an activity with their dogs.
I guess the old saying "horses for course" applies here - some dogs can deal with it, some can't/don't want too.
Cassie will never need to experience it (obviously!) But I really don't think she would mind that environment. 8 hrs would be pushing it, she would definitely need comfort and food on time !
 
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