Showing Support by Showing Up

Showing Support by Showing Up

“Will you be at the show tomorrow?” was the text message I received from a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. I replied that I’d be arriving in the morning and hoped we could spend some time catching up. The show’s location was situated midway between our homes and the site had become a convenient place for us to reconnect through the years. In fact, we’d once met up in a nearby town when I delivered my pick puppy to her—sight unseen.

At this year’s show, my friend would be showing her new puppy of a different breed. She’d been thinking about getting this particular purebred for quite some time and had finally taken the plunge. “Leo” would be making his ring debut in the 6-9 Month Puppy Class in a ring that’s typically dominated by professional handlers who show their clients’ dogs to the most exacting standards. Undeterred, my friend had entered her promising pup with a great deal of hope and reached out to me to see if we might be able to share the experience. Knowing how much this meant to her, I was only too happy to let her know I’d be there.

As it so happened, her ring time on the day was shortly after that of my own breed. This allowed enough time for us to find one another just as the exhibitors of her “new” breed began to gather ringside with their surplus of towels, totes, and advanced handling techniques. The crowd assembled included a number of familiar faces that are often seen in the winner’s circle, plus a few owner handlers and their stylish canine companions. The atmosphere among the group seemed one of focused anticipation and cordial acknowledgements, a mix that would be familiar to anyone who has ever shown a dog—particularly so for a team that’s about to go in the ring together for the first time.

“Puppy Dogs, 6-9 Months, into the ring, please,” shouted the steward as my friend gathered her pup and entered the ring with surprising easiness. So far, so good. As the only dog in the class, the judge instructed my friend to take her pup around the ring and set him up near the judge’s table. Around they went, in perfect cadence despite the young dog’s joyful bouncing. (He is a puppy, after all!) During the exam, the pup seemed relaxed and greeted the judge with four feet firmly planted, tail wagging with delight. The down and back that followed was a breeze (less bouncy), finished off with a respectable free-stack that needed some coaxing from the judge. All in all, the performance was a stellar way to jump-start a dog’s show career.

Going back in for Winners Dog, my friend and her pup confidently took up position at the end of the line, allowing plenty of space in front of them for the Bred-By dog and his handler. Good job! After a review of the line-up, the judge had the exhibitors take their dogs around together. The puppy pulled playfully but maintained his gait. Very good! Then the dogs were taken around the ring one at a time, and the pup showed his balanced reach and drive with nary a bounce. The puppy went Winners Dog for his first points. Excellent!

In the Breed Ring, the newly pointed pup stood assuredly between a champion bitch and Winners Bitch. When the judge had the entire class go around together, my friend’s pup was somewhat distracted by the girl behind him, turning his head but never breaking his trot. Nice! And when the judge asked only the two Winners to move together, it looked as though everything had come together for the rookie team. The Puppy Dog was awarded BOW, looking every bit the part as he stood between the BOB and BOS winners. Cue the applause!

As my friend exited the ring with her purple ribbon, she seemed a bit stunned. I hugged and congratulated her, hoping I could bring her around to realizing how beautifully she handling her puppy and how she allowed him to look his best. “You did it!” I said, thinking how difficult it can be to finish a dog in the breed. As we walked back to the set-up together, I told her that I’d taken several videos and had sent them to her. “Take a look at them—and study them,” I suggested. “You’ll see how really well you did today.”

As my friend exited the ring with her purple ribbon, she seemed a bit stunned. I hugged and congratulated her, hoping I could bring her around to realizing how beautifully she handling her puppy and how she allowed him to look his best.

Of course, a win photo was in order, and that offered an opportunity for my friend to thank the judge. This particular adjudicator is as welcoming to newbies as anyone who has ever stood in the center of a show ring. She’s one of our sport’s genuine treasures; a judge who is patient and kind. I have encouraged many new exhibitors to enter their dogs under her, and I have even taken a novice puppy or two to her as well. Once, when an exhibitor told her he had never shown a dog before, she made an announcement to everyone standing ringside and encouraged them to applaud. And applaud they did! I’ve never forgotten how that experience made that guy feel, and it no doubt was a boost for the people who stood around the ring, cheering their encouragement.

Showing support for a friend, a stranger, or a new exhibitor should be the easiest thing to do—and every one of us can do it. We simply need to show up by showing our support.