# Starting a new journey!



## cecethepoodle (Aug 23, 2014)

Hey everyone! 
I haven't posted in a very long time! 

My little Bizzy (he had the severe behavioral issues that resulted from not being treated very well in his first few homes) unfortunately had to be euthanized. His biting was getting more unpredictable to the point that I, who has never been afraid of dogs, started to get jumpy around strange dogs. We worked with several veterinarians all with a behavioral background and tried several medications, and exercises, and while there was some improvement he still would bite with no warning and it unfortunately came to that decision. I still miss him every day, as well as my Cece, she is responsible for giving me the poodlebug. 

With that said...since I have moved to Oregon I have become pretty involved in dog shows as a spectator. I always liked them, but now I can actually follow what is happening! So after some asking around I am going to be attending a dog show this weekend in Albany, OR, and I will be meeting up with a woman who has agreed to help me learn more about showing poodles! She shows standards and I'm so excited! I don't have a dog right now, I just want to learn at this point. She of course has reservations since I've never shown dogs before, and I am not starting with something that is more "wash and go." But I have shown horses, not just open fun shows, but circuit shows...so I feel like I will be able to handle the politics as well as the fact that your animal is super clean, but you seem to always be dirty!

Is anyone else going to the show in Albany? Do you have any tips for me? I was thinking about bringing a notebook to take notes..I'm not sure if she is going to put me to work or just have me watch them prep and go into the ring.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am sorry to hear about Bizzy, but having the courage to free him from his fears and worries when all else had failed was generous.

Your fresh start sounds very exciting. I don't have any suggestions about what to do other than to be open to directions and willing to persist through the learning process.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Welcome back! So sorry to hear about Bizzy :'( Bless you for doing what was best for him after trying so hard to make it work. 

How exciting about getting into showing! I still have no idea how conformation showing works with the points and all, but it is fun to watch. If you have circuit (particularly A circuit) horse showing experience, you'll be able to handle the snobbiness just fine  I'm excited for you starting this new journey


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## cecethepoodle (Aug 23, 2014)

zooeysmom said:


> Welcome back! So sorry to hear about Bizzy :'( Bless you for doing what was best for him after trying so hard to make it work.
> 
> How exciting about getting into showing! I still have no idea how conformation showing works with the points and all, but it is fun to watch. If you have circuit (particularly A circuit) horse showing experience, you'll be able to handle the snobbiness just fine  I'm excited for you starting this new journey


hahaha 

I barely understand! I printed a little booklet off the AKC website and I also had my friend who shows bull mastiffs try to explain it to me..but my eyes glazed over after a bit. 

Hopefully watching it all from beginning to end Saturday and possibly Sunday will give me more of an idea. I'm going to bring the booklet too! Gotta look like I sort of know what I'm talking about!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Welcome back! So sorry about Bizzy and yet glad that he is in a better place....you were unselfish and loving in your decision.

What fun to start out on your new adventure though! I see a Poodle in your future again, I'm hoping it will be your dream come true!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I'm sorry you had to put Bizzy to sleep - it must have been a very difficult decision after all the work you did trying to help him.

Are you thinking of getting a show quality poodle puppy to show? 

If you have any dog clubs nearby, they have courses for owner/handlers to learn how to show their dog - obviously these are people taking a class with their dogs - but they may be happy to let you audit their class and it might be another place for you to find a mentor(s) to help you.

Please post back - I'm interested in what you learn. My dog was a conformation pick, only she grew to tall for the cut off height so I'm never going to show in conformation but I've always been curious about it.


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## cecethepoodle (Aug 23, 2014)

Skylar,

I'm just learning right now..the woman who has offered to let me hang out with her this weekend is a breeder who shows. If all works out maybe I'll get a puppy from her or someone she recommends some day! 

I'll post an update on things I learned and what I'll be doing next!


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

An easy and entertaining way to learn about showing poodles is to read Laurien Berenson's mysteries. The first book in the series is "A Pedigree to Die For". There are about 20 novels in the complete series - I know because I have read them all and am waiting for the new one that will come out in June!

Each book has an explanation on how a dog becomes a champion and how dog shows work, so they are quite useful to novice exhibitors.

The American Kennel Club has a new exhibitor mentor program - check it out at New Exhibitor Mentor Program ? American Kennel Club. The dog show superintendent, Onofrio, has a nice brochure you can download - go to Jack Onofrio Dog Shows, LLC | Welcome - scroll down a bit and on the right you'll see "New to the Fancy?" - under that you'll be able to download their "New Exhibitor Orientation" brochure.

Welcome to the world of conformation dog shows!


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## cecethepoodle (Aug 23, 2014)

Johanna said:


> An easy and entertaining way to learn about showing poodles is to read Laurien Berenson's mysteries. The first book in the series is "A Pedigree to Die For". There are about 20 novels in the complete series - I know because I have read them all and am waiting for the new one that will come out in June!
> 
> Each book has an explanation on how a dog becomes a champion and how dog shows work, so they are quite useful to novice exhibitors.
> 
> ...



Thank you! Downloading and printing the brochure now! Such a handing flow chart in there!


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## West U (Jul 30, 2014)

You are a very smart lucky person. I too showed horses for many years. What a great way to get back into the swing of things. The whole dog show thing is a lot of fun and a lot of very hard physical and emotional work. I don't have a "show poodle". But during the last year and a half I have gotten into the show thing again with my Beagle. Number one, it is intimidating. Number two, I still barely know what is going on. Number three, be prepared to humble yourself. So many folks running around with somber looks on their faces, in stress or distress. You have got to keep a very good focus and light attitude. Easy for me to say, although not always easy to practice.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Enjoy your shows this weekend.

Bizzy has gone on to his reward, and thanks to your loving care. You will never forget him nor lose the love you two shared.

Welcome to your next Poodle adventures .


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## mashaphan (Sep 4, 2014)

well,I did conformation w/sighthounds for about 25 yrs,and poodles are WAY tougher,IMO. It is mostly a handler's breed,or very experienced breeder/owners,but a good mentor is priceless. I can' t speak to the west coast,but around here,even the (local) handlers will help. My boy could likely have been shown,but I prefer performance (now) and knew I could never keep up w/a show coat. You will get the hang of it, including knowing which judges to avoid. Best of luck!

Martha ,Che RAE2,PCD,and WildMan Otter,who may never see the inside of a real ring:ahhhhh:


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## cecethepoodle (Aug 23, 2014)

Update!

So I went to the show a few weekends ago and it was quite a learning experience! The woman who I followed around all weekend was showing her 9 month spoo and it was his first time in the ring, and he got his first point! He is well on his way. 

I'm still pretty confused on the order of the classes, it just goes so fast! But I fell more confident in it. 

She also put me to work to help hold the dogs and bring them to the ring for the handler. She does all of her own grooming so it was great to watch her band and do the spray ups. All of the dogs in our group were puppies so no fancy continental work to watch. 

There is def some drama in the dog show world...I saw people getting offended and huffy over literally nothing, as well as people being nice to each other's face and then talking about them as soon as they walked away. I of course know no one in the dog show world, so I just gave a blank stare and said nothing. 

One person did tell me that if I wanted to be serious about dog shows I would have to get into breeding, which isn't for me. So we will see how it goes.

I am expecting to join them at another show coming up in Washington!


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Although conformation is supposed to be for evaluating breeding stock, there are plenty of exhibitors who do not breed - and that includes some who have the top dogs in the sport. So don't let anyone tell you that you have to get into breeding to be serious about conformation.

On the other hand, it is my opinion that breeding stock should be evaluated in the show ring or in a performance sport (or, best of all, both!). If you are serious about breeding, try to enter under judges who really know the breed. On Facebook, there is a group called "The Dog Show Judges Report Card" that has posts - positive and negative - about judges. It's very interesting.


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## cecethepoodle (Aug 23, 2014)

Johanna said:


> Although conformation is supposed to be for evaluating breeding stock, there are plenty of exhibitors who do not breed - and that includes some who have the top dogs in the sport. So don't let anyone tell you that you have to get into breeding to be serious about conformation.
> 
> On the other hand, it is my opinion that breeding stock should be evaluated in the show ring or in a performance sport (or, best of all, both!). If you are serious about breeding, try to enter under judges who really know the breed. On Facebook, there is a group called "The Dog Show Judges Report Card" that has posts - positive and negative - about judges. It's very interesting.


Good to know, breeding isn't something I'm interested in. I just want to show my dog (when I get one), and when we are done, spay/neuter, and enjoy having a pet.


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## West U (Jul 30, 2014)

I am sitting here at a dog show in Perry, GA chuckling at your post. Your comments are so true. What the heck some of us are here to have fun and learn. I try to ignore the nastiness and unsolicited advice. Have fun and don’t let anyone spoil it for you.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

How fun!! I totally encourage you to go for it and get a show prospect puppy! If you are not interested in breeding, you may be able to get the 2nd or 3rd pick puppy (the breeder will usually retain the 1st and/or 2nd pick for their breeding program) and just get out there and have fun! Just try to find a breeder who will be able to mentor you and hopefully be at a lot of the same shows as you. A breeder who owner handles may be better than someone who sends them off to a handler since they will have all the practical information about showing to share with you.

I have a 9 month old spoo that I am showing. We have only been to one show so far and it definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. I wrote about our first show experience on here if you want to read about it - it’s called something like Luna’s first AKC conformation show. I had shown a couple of dogs a handful of times a long time ago and had no mentor and no clue what I was doing. We never did anything as far as winning goes but I still loved it. At this past show we won best puppy in poodle sweepstakes and best puppy in specialty show. Both don’t come with any points but I was very proud because there was some very nice competition for both of those wins. Keep us posted on what you decide to do. Also, I second Johanna’s recommendation about the Laurien Berenson books - they were the only thing that helped me understand more about the point system and classes. Plus they are wildly entertaining. I can’t wait for the next one to come out!!


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## cecethepoodle (Aug 23, 2014)

chinchillafuzzy said:


> How fun!! I totally encourage you to go for it and get a show prospect puppy! If you are not interested in breeding, you may be able to get the 2nd or 3rd pick puppy (the breeder will usually retain the 1st and/or 2nd pick for their breeding program) and just get out there and have fun! Just try to find a breeder who will be able to mentor you and hopefully be at a lot of the same shows as you. A breeder who owner handles may be better than someone who sends them off to a handler since they will have all the practical information about showing to share with you.
> 
> I have a 9 month old spoo that I am showing. We have only been to one show so far and it definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. I wrote about our first show experience on here if you want to read about it - it’s called something like Luna’s first AKC conformation show. I had shown a couple of dogs a handful of times a long time ago and had no mentor and no clue what I was doing. We never did anything as far as winning goes but I still loved it. At this past show we won best puppy in poodle sweepstakes and best puppy in specialty show. Both don’t come with any points but I was very proud because there was some very nice competition for both of those wins. Keep us posted on what you decide to do. Also, I second Johanna’s recommendation about the Laurien Berenson books - they were the only thing that helped me understand more about the point system and classes. Plus they are wildly entertaining. I can’t wait for the next one to come out!!


That is what I'm hoping for with this woman. I am hoping she will either have me show her dog to start or let me purchase one of her puppies when I'm ready to show.


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