Since January 2018, we have done 27 dog shows of all kinds - small open shows, larger open shows, breed shows and full on multi-day championship shows. We haven't won classes at all of them, which when you are only just starting out is exactly what you'd expect. Deb and Finlay have learned so much this year and every time we go to a show we learn a little bit more.
What I don't want to do is end up only posting on Facebook for those times we win a class, a fancy rosette or generally do well because that isn't realistic. There are those days when for whatever reason you don't do so well purely in terms of 'scores on the board'. But that doesn't mean it was a wasted day, or a total write-off, it just means today it wasn't our day. If a judge has (say) 4 dogs in front of them, they haven't got any massive faults, they are all within the breed standard on most things then it is going to come down to what that judge believes is the best Tibetan Spaniel in that particular class on that day. Depending on what the judge likes in a dog, that decision may not always fall the same way, we are all human beings - if you worried about it too much you wouldn't go to any dog shows.
You still get to meet up with loads of people that love dogs, be in a venue full of dogs, meet our favourite breed in the whole world, Tibetan Spaniels, have a yarn about the terrible weather (today at least) and drink some slightly dodgy tasting beverage from the on-site facilities. In that respect, totally not a waste of a day, great fun. And on top of that we even got to see a Tibetan Spaniel win 'Best In Show', how awesome is that!
Ok-ok, yes saying all that it doesn't mean we don't think our fido is the best ever, no matter what anyone says, we all love our dogs and they mean the world to us. But as I think I have said before, this is a competition and there will be winners and losers. You can celebrate losing, that's not a crime - I defy anyone who met Finlay today not to have smiled, people gave him their treats and in return he gave them sloppy wet kisses, what's not to like! Our appreciation for Finlay is pretty partisan, but I've smiled and ahhh'd at quite a few other dogs today.....and I wouldn't have done that if I concentrated on the fact that we "lost" in our classes.
Quite a few of you reading this blog have been showing dogs for years, so you'll already know all of this.....for everyone else, perhaps this helps you understand why we've done so many dog shows this year. Yes, we're a bit mad and we've joined a crowd of mad dog showing people!!
Just to clarify, here is what we got:
- Second in Tibetan Spaniel Junior (out of 2 entries)
- VHC (or 5th) in Tibetan Spaniel Post Graduate (out of 5 entries)
- Unplaced in a large class of 16 in Special Beginners Stakes
- Unplaced (although got through to the shortlist of 6) in a class of 11 in Junior Stakes
Finlay doing his thing, he didn't put a paw wrong today, at least not in a big way.
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