Many of us enjoy view dog showslike the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show , whether live or on TV , and they always search like a fate of fun . Have you ever wanted to come in your pup into one of these heel shows ? Did you consider what type of work is required and how difficult is it to set out showing your dog ?
I was very pleased to welcome our podcast guestGail Miller Bisher , Director of Communications for theWestminster Kennel Club , as our node on this episode . We have discussed everything come to to wiener show , including the difficulty and wages , what type of show dogs are worthy , how to get started with showing your dog and what kind of work is regard . Gail clear us with tips on everything to know about this and a set more , including some fun facts and stories from previous Westminster Dog Shows .
Listen to the instalment in the video above and regain the full podcast copy below . For more , claver this episode ’s place on the officialTheory of Petswebsite .
How to Get Started in Dog Shows(podcast transcript)
Have you been thinking about dumbfound into the show dog circuit ? Maybe you are wanting to get a purebred dog for the purpose of hound showing or peradventure it ’s just something that you savour watching on telly or in your local domain and you ’re recall about getting embark on . Either room , it can be very overpowering to start to consider about getting a dog if you do n’t have one already and how to break into this industry .
Today , I was rosy enough to speak with Gail Miller Bisher . She is a representative for Westminster , which of course is one of the most far-famed dog show in the macrocosm , certainly the most famous and most honored here in the United States . And she give me some tips and tricks to partake about getting your first show dog and getting him ready for the show dog electrical circuit .
Interview with Gail Miller Bisher
Gail : My name is Gail Miller Bisher and I ’m the Director of Communications for the Westminster Kennel Club . I ’m also the analyst for the Fox Sports One telecast of our dog show .
Samantha : That sounds like a really fun line .
Gail : [ laughs ] Well it is fun , because I ’m always talking about a matter that I roll in the hay , which is dogs and I grow up usher firedog . My parent were postulate in the sport and cover Bearded Collies . So we always had at least 10 Bearded Collies in the house at any render time . They did n’t breed a fortune , they would breed maybe one bedding a class , which was o.k. . And I showed whatever blackguard we had and sometimes they might have been the stubborn dog or something like that . That was a great training that I learn how to mete out with all types of different temperaments and personality . And competed in many different dog sports , Conformation , which is the dog shows that we all see .
Then of course I also compete in next-to-last showmanship , which is a competition for untested people where the handlers are judged and not the dog . The handlers are guess on the treatment power . So I was very mired in that .
And actually that ’s how I was introduced to Westminster as a next-to-last handler . We have a junior showmanship competitor at Westminster and Westminster promoted this since 1934 and we ’ve always been very knotty in encouraging young and trying to get young masses involve with wienerwurst and do thing with their dogs . This give the great unwashed a chance to do just that .
So as a untried somebody , I would compete in junior showmanship and you have to modify to even go into Westminster . So only the top gain ground kids around the country are able-bodied to restrict and enter Westminster . So I did that in my teenage years and placed in the finals , 2nd one year and my last yr of eligibility because once you pass on 18 that ’s your last year you have to move on . That was really my launching was flying from the Midwest to New York and bringing my hound and showing in Manhattan as a young person . Yeah , it ’s great .
But you know , the matter is anyone who ’s involved in the sport of dogs knows that Westminster is the most honored show in our commonwealth and one of the most [ unhearable ] for indisputable . It is historical . Next February will be our 143rd one-year frump show . So we ’ve been around for a very long clock time . The organization was established in New York , the first show was in Manhattan and our bounder show has been in all four of the different Madison Square Gardens . We are their oldest renter at Madison Madison Square Garden . And we are just really entrenched in New York City .
Samantha : Wow . Very coolheaded . That ’s great . So for favored owner who might be thinking about showing dogs , do you have some things that perhaps they should be considering before they even get started in the operation ?
Gail : Sure . The first thing to do if you ’re interested , if you think you might want to get into hotdog athletics is retrieve the breed that ’s right for you . It ’s very important to make that match and make certain it ’s a honorable fit before you wreak the wiener into your home . Thesedogs , we have just over 200 breed that are show at Westminster and each of those dogs was determination bred . There was a reason that they were developed one C ago . Some were companions , some were working dogs and some were herd Canis familiaris , some were guard dogs . They ’re different disposition require for all of those job . Some were ratters and hunters of modest game to aid men dwell and survive and tip their crime syndicate . So they all had different Book of Job and their disposition contemplate that .
So it ’s important to know what sort of dog you ’re bringing into your home and what their temperaments and what their demand are go to be . Some breeds just need a deal more physical exercise than others . Some are more main than others . So the best path to recover the strain that ’s right for you is to go to a local dog show and let the cat out of the bag to the breeders and owners and find out more about the breed you are attracted to visually , may not of necessity be the one that ’s right for your lifestyle . So it ’s significant to find the right strain for you . you may do your enquiry . you could read about breeds , you could go online and say about breeds . But it really take a shit a remainder when you meet them in soul .
So that ’s why Westminster , we always ask in the great unwashed to arrive to our show . The dogs are bench , which we ’re one of the few bench shows still around today and we feel that it ’s very significant to stay event show because the purpose of that is the weenie are all devise by their breed , so you ’ll come up all the beagles together with the beagle . So if you are a spectator , if you ’re someone coming to visit and you desire to take more about that breed , you recognise mighty where to go find all of the beagles in one area and you may talk to all the different owners and breeders and learn if that ’s the veracious breed for you . The goodness , the bad . You get it on what ’s the best thing about this breed ? Are they noisy ? Do they throw a mass . Do they require lots of exercise ? Are they salutary with children ? All the different thing that need to be considered when you ’re making this 15 yr commitment .
Samantha : utterly . That is really authoritative and I cerebrate it ’s important too for the human relationship between the manager and the wienerwurst . If you choose a dog that is frustrating you and you fundamentally bid off more than you may chew , the dog is going to respond to that as well . And so it ’s going to be tough to work with a dog when you do n’t have that association .
Gail : That ’s honest . And you sleep together , like I aver , certain dogs are more independent and rent ’s say you require a cuddling Canis familiaris , frankfurter ’s who want to cuddle with you , but you end up getting a breed that is more independent and does n’t really nest . These are things that … Or they spill more than you desire to vacuum . These are all things that need to be reckon out before you bring in the animal menage .
Samantha : Certainly . And I think you made a good full stop about talking to the handlers because they ’re the ones with that every day experience . So some things that people might think about first off would be the personality of the frank and how much exercise it needs , the size of the click . But some of those things like how much the hotdog drop or how self-governing it is , you might not really cerebrate about that until you talk to someone who deal with that breed every day and has for many years and knows those little aspects of the breed ' personality .
Gail : on the nose . That is the advantage of getting a purebred dog from a responsible for stock breeder , is you are then part of that — that stock breeder becomes a mentor . I just got a new puppy myself and it ’s a new breed for me , the English Cocker Spaniel . And so I emphatically befriended mybreederso that I can ride out in sense of touch with her so that if I have questions with this breed , I can call her . I know I can call her anytime . I can email her anytime and she ’s right there quick to help me . If I require grooming tips or things like that because it is a new stock for me . So even somebody who ’s been showing dog their whole life like I have , if it ’s a raw breed , it ’s still Modern to you . And so you need to learn and do the research and then it ’s such an advantage to have that resource , that wise man who you could rely on if something does arise
Samantha : Absolutely . My next motion kind of segue really nicely from that . I was going to expect you about if somebody does think so they ’ve been to a duad of show and they ’re thinking — yep , I think this is something I want to get into . And they count on out the correct breed , where would they go from there ? I ’m assume that first step would be to find a reputable breeder .
Gail : Right . You in spades want to encounter a responsible stock breeder and when you ’re seeking to purchase a dog and bring into your family . The first property I would go if I did n’t sleep with somebody , and had n’t talk to somebody at a show and introduced myself and tried to get to roll in the hay them and learn more in soul . I would go to the AKC.org , which is the site of the American Kennel Club . They have a breeder ’s list , by region . So you may find mass in your field . Which is helpful because then you could in reality call the hoi polloi and go to their home , see how the dogs interact and be there in person with the brute and babble out to the breeder . Another thing to look for when you are babble out to breeders in your arena is , are there a breeder of merit . There ’s an AKC Breeder of Merit system , which these are breeders who it is proven that they do all the health screenings before breeding the andiron . That ’s what responsible breeding is this . It ’s making sure that the litters that you are creating are healthy , well-grounded beast and that you back them up . If anything risky happens , like you ca n’t keep the dog , the breeder will take it back . They do n’t care how former it is , what the condition is . They will always take the puppy back .
So these are the type of questions you desire to ask the breeders when you go visit them . They ’re normally going to interview the potential possessor more than you need to interview them . But a responsible stock breeder is operate to have a contract and in that contract it will say that if you ’re not give-up the ghost to show the wienerwurst it require to be alter or alter . It would also say in that declaration that if for any reason you may not keep the blackguard you give it back to the breeder , you will not just floor it somewhere or put it in a tax shelter or something like that and you would ensure that it comes back to the stock breeder , so it ’s cared for . There are other thing that some lector will do such as remain co - proprietor on the firedog . If you ’re show up the weenie and they want to ensure it gets shown , they ’ll stay on a atomic number 27 - owner so they can ascertain that that happens . Then once a dog becomes a superstar , maybe they take their name off because you may transfer possession . Things like that . But there usually is an across-the-board agreement , a contract you have to sign and that should let in all the health clearance that the parents had and all the entropy of that nature so that you know what kind of dog you ’re begin
Samantha : And for anybody that ’s listening that has question or wants to check out the web site . I will tie in to AKC.org . There ’s tons of information on there , like you said , about the stock breeder themselves , but also if you have questions about the inquiry you should be asking a stock breeder or how to go about discover the proper breeder . They have destiny of great information on there , so I will link to that as well as your Westminster site .
Gail : cracking . Exactly . Another great resourcefulness , once you have ascertain the strain you ’re interested in going to the National Breed Club . So if you ’re interested in Dachshunds , you could go to The Dachshund Club of America ’s website and you may find that through AKC.org or you may just Google it yourself . Then you ’ll go to what we call the parent lodge . Now the parent club is the national volunteer nightspot that is for hoi polloi that spawn and vie with that breed . And so like the Dachshund Club of America , there are people that do agility that are appendage , people do obedience , masses that do earthdog competitions and show hoi polloi , people that show in form .
So it ’s all of these different dog sports represented by one parent nine . And so the parent level also have a listing of stock breeder by region and mass of breed information , very specific just for that breed . So you could learn a lot about dachshund if you go to that site for representative . And then it will also just the fact that the breeders who are listed on that internet site and our members of our parent club , that ’s another thing to look for in a responsible breeder and you will happen that is that they are a extremity because to become a member you have to stomach by sure ethical …
How you say that . obligate on Samantha . This part you amaze to edit out out .
Samantha : I was just move to say , this part I can edit , so no worries .
Gail : So when you ’re looking at stock breeder on a parent lodge website , it ’s good to know that if they ’re a member of a parent club , that imply they have sign that they agree to ethical behavior , honorable breeding and honorable treatment of their animal . So that ’s just another matter to look for when you ’re seeking a responsible stock breeder . Are they a fellow member of the parent club ? Are they an AKC Breeder of Merit ? These are the type of thing that are a good foretoken that you ’re getting a responsible breeder .
Samantha : Absolutely . I call back that ’s important for anybody that ’s calculate to take on a dog from a breeder , if you want a purebred , not just necessarily if you ’re showing .
Gail : Right and that is a bully tip Samantha , because one thing a lot of people do not know is that these parents bludgeon , and I ’ll just stick with dachsie right now because I used to own those and I make love them . Dachshund Club of America for example , all of the parent clubs have a saving committee or a rescue component , and so they rescue . They go to shelters and get dachshunds , if there are any purebred dachshunds in shelters , they will take them out of the shelter . The golf club will pay for any health care that is require . They will pay for any training if there ’s like a traumatic situation , the blackguard needs a little reclamation . They ’ll give for that . They foster the dog and they find a forever home for it . So all of the parent clubs of the different breed that show in dog sport are alive in breed rescue . So if you ’re looking for a dachshund , let ’s say , and you do n’t necessarily want to show it or do any of that and you do n’t want to bribe from a breeder , but you ’d rather sweep up if that ’s something that appeals to you , cause to the Dachshund Club of America , go to that web site , you will chance the rescue citizens committee chairperson and a contact name and you may contact them and be get in touch with an adoptable dog .
Samantha : Oh , that ’s fantastic . I ’ve been involve in the favored manufacture for over 10 years now and that ’s something that I did n’t even know , so that ’s wonderful selective information . Thank you for sharing that .
Gail : Something we ’re trying to get more people to know about because it ’s true . I intend , I see if you require to borrow a dogs there are a lot of great aspect to that , but sometimes you still want a certain breed . So this does permit for that . And the clubs do all this with volunteer only and it ’s out of monetary resource that they ’ve erect for rescue and to hatch for the unlike thing that are needed for these dogs .
Samantha : That ’s fantastical . Now have ’s say somebody finds the ripe breed for them , they come up a stock breeder , they ’re working with them . How would they go about getting start in showing dogs ?
Gail : Well if you ’re interested in showing your detent there are a lot of neat thing you could do . The first thing is once the dog is honest-to-god enough , around four months old when it ’s had all of his scene and is cleared by the vet to be out in the world , then you may come out taking your dog to puppy classes . There are many dog clubs across the country . You you may find a club near you on AKC.org and find a guild that has puppy classes and maybe the AKC Canine Good Citizen is a great program and they have a puppy virtuoso system that ’s for pup . And it teaches general basic obedience where you ’re starting at the very beginning as a slight puppy to add up when called , take the air nicely on a leash , all of those things while the dog is modest and still doable . Then as the dog mature you already have that founding in place and as you know most of the training is for the owner , not for the dog .
Samantha : utterly . How very true that is .
Gail : But it ’s a great socialization for the dog to be out and around other handler and other owners and dogs and in a safe situation where there ’s a trainer and thing like that . So we highly recommend that you go to your local dog clubs and join a category , either a puppy class , puppy obeisance or just one of those types of thing . Then all of my dog ’s go on obedience training , whether I ’m go to compete in obedience or not . respect training , serene down , baby-sit , expect — all of those basic requirement are so necessary for safety , first of all , for your dog ’s prophylactic throughout their lifetime . respect is the instauration of all dog sports . No matter what you ’re competing in , the pawl has to have a certain spirit level of obedience trading .
So that ’s just a bang-up jump anyway is to get it take off . And you may also , at these pawl clubs , they have classes for conformation showing which is the dog showing and so your young whelp can pop learning how to be set up , to be try by the justice , how to take the air properly on a leash for the show closed chain and how to learn the patterns that are used . There are a few common patterns in the show ring as far as gaiting the dog around and that ’s something that the owner and dog can teach together . That ’s what ’s so fun about dog sports is that you get to learn something new and do something different with your dependable friend . So it ’s a circumstances of fun and it ’s a majuscule bonding experience .
Samantha : I ca n’t concur with that more . We have a burnt umber science laboratory and when we got her my plan was to do agility work with her and we did and she did seem to enjoy it . But her love and her cacoethes in life is swimming . So we actually ended up getting into dock jumping , which is not what I expect . But between her and I sour together , we kind of figured out together that she did really well with agility . She ’s very solid food motivated , so that made it very well-situated to take aim her . But her passion was water and I never really call up about urine sportswoman with her , but we do dock alternate now and she have intercourse it and I love it and it is a really enceinte matter to do together with your detent . We ’ve never leave a competitor with deplorable font . We ’re both worked up , felicitous . It strengthens that bond I suppose between you and your favourite .
Gail : Absolutely . Any training you do , irrespective of the sport , any time that you ’re spending with the hound is go to increase that relationship , the effectiveness of that relationship . You just know each other so well . That ’s something we always verbalise about on the telecast too when we ’re watching the show blackguard , the top show pawl going around the pack . These dog-iron and the owner ’s traveling the country and go to dog shows all year round . So basically this is what you do in your excess time , with your extra money and your supernumerary energy — this is your rocking horse and this is what you do . And you choose to be with your favorite and do things with your pet . I ca n’t intend of anything more rewarding . I experience the same agency Samantha .
I ’ve done respect rivalry and I ’ve done earthdog competition which is for frank that burrow underground and like Dachshunds who have to go underground and seek out target in a simulation eccentric of competition .
The dogs eff it , as you state . They get great exercise . I ’m sure your lab is sire great exercise , jumping and dock diving . And you get to train and act with your animal . It ’s just a special bond . It really is .
Samantha : It is , and I think we both feel proud at the end of the twenty-four hour period . She ’s so proud of herself . And she did what she wanted to do and why she was say to do and she got reinforce for that , and I sense very proud that she listened to me and we worked together so well and it really is just overall a marvelous experience I suppose for both pet and possessor
Gail : And you know , it also really builds their confidence level . If you have a wiener who ’s a little shy or just , you know , possibly you got the dog later in sprightliness so it was n’t socialized properly as a puppy or something , dog sport and learning and training … Once they get that they ’re doing something you need them to do and they ’re doing it right and they get that support , they just , it really does bring out a confidence in a dog that might be a little little less full of themselves , you know . And so it can be very helpful for , for dogs like that . And then the residue of us just love it .
Samantha : That ’s correct .
Fantastic . That is all the interrogative sentence I had , but is there anything about a Westminster or showing dogs that you ’d like to say that we have n’t talked about yet ?
Gail : Well , the one thing I would say is when you start bear witness your dog in actual competition , once you ’ve left the training classes , and you ’re in the band competing at your local display near your home . It take up time . Sometimes , when you lead off a new sportswoman and it does n’t act out , you might get a little discouraged . And I just would say do n’t be monish . First of all , you ’re spending metre with your dog . So that ’s great . And it ’s fun to travel and go do things and they like it too , so there ’s that fun . But you have to keep at it . You generally , if you ’re just begin out and you did n’t win , it ’s usually because you need to practise more . A heap of it ’s about pattern with any sport , you roll in the hay . You have to practice , the dog has to be practiced more . Just repetition , doing it again and again and again . And will , you will gain ground the puritanic laurel wreath . You will . And it ’s just cling in there and do n’t give up and always to make headway , lose or draw , your blackguard is always the good in show . And , and just verify they experience that and feel that when you ’re on your way home .
Samantha : utterly . I ca n’t agree more . That ’s … I ’m sure it ’s frustrating , especially for first fourth dimension handler , you have a go at it , and like you state , I reckon it ’s something that a lot of it comes with experience so it ’s just putting in the time and the effort and it ’ll bear off in the ending .
Gail : It will . And again , if you do get a dog from a breeder will be a resource at the shows even . So they can be very helpful . When you ’re at the show , they can help review your handling . They can help you determine how to curry better . Maybe you ’re not grooming the dog exactly right . Or maybe need a little aid in that arena . And that ’s something that other hoi polloi can be , become mentors and really aid you along .
It demand clock time . It read time , but it ’s a deal of fun .
Samantha : utterly . Thank you so much for your sentence today , Gail . I really take account you coming on . And talking to everyone .
Gail : utterly . I can sing about dogs anytime .
Samantha : Agreed . Absolutely . You know , the understanding that I started the podcast in the first place there was kind of a ecological niche where there was n’t a bunch of podcasts out there about dogs and PET in general . So , I love talking about them , and like you say , I could talk about them all day .
My thanks to Gail for being on the podcast today . I really appreciated talk to her . It was a wonderful conversation blab out about dogs , which of class we both enjoy . I hope you guys enjoy this episode as well . If you could do me a favor and spring on our internet site theoryofpets.com . Leave a quick review . That facilitate me when I ’m reaching out to experts like Gail and allow them know that you guys are out there and you ’re take heed and you ’re enjoy it .
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