To Show or Not To Show--That is the Question

To Show or Not To Show — That is the Question

by Debra Tripp

There are numerous reasons why breeders should exhibit their Berners at dog shows (the least important reason is winning):

showcase your breeding stock (i.e., advertise your kennel)
examine the competition and compare your breeding stock with others
find potential stud dogs
gain valuable knowledge and information on breeding/health issues
meet other breeders
meet potential puppy buyers
take advantage of the opportunity for socialization for both you and your dog.

Naturally, winning feels good and helps to validate your efforts, but, as my friend and mentor says, "You don't have to take the ribbons to win." Many breeders cite the "politics" for their reason not to show. I say this is just an excuse. Certainly, there is a degree of politics involved, but not in every show. Also, a dog can obtain its championship in the classes and does not have to take Best of Breed (where most [if any] politics take place at breed level). There are several ways to deal with the politics:

don't show under that judge again — you have that option
get your own professional handler
remember that the dog that is winning will eventually be out of the classes once it is a champion
attend a different show where that dog will not be competing
learn how to lose (you will lose more times than you win)
determine if it really is politics or your handling abilities.

When I first became interested in breeding, I purchased my potential show puppy and attended conformation classes. I felt that if I wanted to breed, I must attend dog shows so that I could learn about the dog world. I am extremely happy that I took that course of action. At my second dog show I met two Bernese breeders. Since I was a novice handler, they helped me enormously, by sharing with me their knowledge and experience of dog breeding and handling. They taught me that winning is not everything and that good breeding stock and practices comes from a long, thoughtout process that can take several years to achieve.

If you don't show how can you:

reasonably assess your breeding stock
see the faults in your dog if you have nothing to compare it to
find a potential stud dog for your bitch (pictures and videos are no match for hands-on evaluations)
assess show/companion puppies from your litters?

I have learned more in the past five years of dog showing than any textbook alone could have taught me. Showing is an ongoing process and one that I find exciting and stimulating. When one of my dogs does win, it feels great and I am very proud of its achievements. When I lose, I sometimes politely ask the judge why — after all, I've paid for his/her evaluation. Sometimes I agree with the judge's choice (even when I lose) and sometimes I don't. One thing to remember is — it is only an opinion. You do not have to agree with it.

Showing does not mean that you must campaign your champion. Showing gives you an objective opinion on your breeding stock. It is hard to assess your dogs faults when you love them so much ("love is blind") — you tend to be too close to your dog and lose objectivity. For example, if after countless entries at numerous shows your dog only has one or two points (or none), perhaps your dog is not quite the fine specimen you believed and maybe it should not be used in a breeding program. If numerous judges have said the same thing abour your dog, it's probably true. Conversely, just because a dog attains its championship does not mean it should be used for breeding. I have champions at home that will never be used for breeding because they have characteristics that I do not want continued.

I also believe that breeders should show outside their backyard, meaning they should travel to other areas where they can see different "types" of Berners. At some point, breeders should attend a National Specialty, boosters, and supported entries. By attending these shows, where there will be a large entry of Berners, breeders have the opportunity to observe relatives of their own dogs and potential breeding partners. By observing these relatives, breeders can see traits, either good or bad, and thereby educate themselves on their dogs' phenotype. For example, suppose your bitch has excess white and you want to breed her to X stud dog who does not have excess white, but, at the National Specialty you see several close relatives to X stud dog who have excess white — do you still breed them? That is entirely up to you, but at least you now have more phenotypical information about the potential stud dog and can make an educated decision. This is a very small example of how educating yourself through showing will help your breeding program.

If your excuse for not showing is, "I am too nervous to go in the ring," get someone else to show your dog. That person does not have to be a professional. Many exhibitors would be more than happy to show your dog free of charge because it gives them experience and exposure. If you do have someone else showing your dog, be at the shows yourself so that you can watch and learn.

Dog showing is expensive, not only in money but in time and effort. The promotion of our lovely breed is facilitated by those breeders who actively show. There may come a time when the "show" breeders no longer help "non-show" breeders to sell their puppies. Can you blame them?

It is my opinion that all breeders should show their Berners to enable them to breed better dogs. Any educational process requires an investment of time and money. Textbooks and/or videos alone cannot match the experience of hands-on evaluations.