its a spectator sport. if it were not then it would be closed off to only the particpants. I know there are always those bad apples who makes it unjoyable. I do understand that.
And as for people going over your dog before you enter the ring. They do not have a clue so you need to be polite and explain it to them. yes it gets old but remeber we were all them at one point.
I can remember one of the first shows I went to i went to pet a top ranked dog and got soem really nasty looks for getting him all riled up. it wa slater explained to me why this was not a good thing to do.
Remember the spectaotrs may be right next to you some day. They are the furture. Set an example, be polite, and know they are they to see your breed as an example. Theese people often have thier own pest and they spend money at the shows buying items, food, supporting the clubs, ect...that is what i meant by them supporting the shows.

Obviously, many people come to check out the dogs because they are curious about a particular breed, because they think they might like to own one...or they just love to watch the dogs. When I went to shows as a spectator (not all that long ago!) it was because I wanted to show once I got my new pup and thought that watching would be a great way to learn more. Although I was not providing direct financial support at those shows, attending them motivated me to get out there and show. Now I pay entry fees. Granted this is probably not the case for the majority of spectators, but it does happen and you never know who you might be inspiring when you're out there showing. Most support from spectators mostly goes to the parking lot attendants and the vendors as Vicky mentioned. The only time I recall paying admission at a show as a spectator was the Seattle show at Quest Field last year. Interesting to learn about some of the regional differences.

Speaking of spectators, what I don't like is when they bring their unentered dogs along and then stand ringside with them. I don't think unentered animals should be permitted at the venue. There's enough going on as it is out there! I don't think most spectators realize they are being rude. Looking back, I'm sure I bothered a few people without realizing it at the time. I think the best approach is to politely ask someone to move (or stop whatever rude behavior they are doing). If they cop an attitude at that time, it's time to get the ring steward involved before it escalates further.

I think that ringside real estate is community property. You have to fend for yourself - especially at an all breed show. The best way to protect your little spot on the floor is to keep a watchfull eye on it and as soon as someone trys to move in on you, just try to talk to them and explain your position. I think that this person was probably upset because she had already plopped herself down and didn't want to move. She may not have even noticed whether you or her was there first.

Secondly, always be aware of how your crate door is going to open - is it going to be in traffic, will it affect other people's crates if you decide to open them at the same time, etc.

I try to stay a little bit away from the ring, within sight of the ring, but not next to it. Especially at all breed shows, because as the show progresses, it just keeps getting more crowded with spectators and dogs from the next breed that is showing after the bulldogs or near them.

She's not getting shorter, it's her chest dropping barely each day which makes her LOOK shorter in leg! You see her everyday and just don't notice it!!!LOL It's almost like an optical illusion.
There's always next time to win, and if not just having a good time with your dogs, works for me. God knows we lose 10 to win 1 !!!And wear a skirt, you won't look so bowlegged! LOL (that was a really good one)

Paula~

I do go to as many bulldog shows that I can and I am always very careful not to get into anyone's way. And yes, I get into the shows for free (unless it is the Reliant Show). But I am very aware that the club put on this show. I always donate money into the jar, I always buy the 50/50 ticket and I always buy lots of raffle tickets and bid on the silent auction items. I just love watching the bulldogs. I'm also very careful when taking pictures so that I don't distract any dogs. There are unfortunately rude people out there but there are a lot of us that sit quietly in the back and observe.

Spectators are simply a bi-product IMO. It is our show (the entrants) not the spectators. We are the one's that pay to keep the shows going, not a spectator. I think someone with the show committee should have set the women straight.

I don't park my crates right next to the ring at the opening gate. Way to much commotion going on. I personally like an area away from all the activity but close enough so I can see what is going on.

I like the shows that rope off areas for the spectators that is away from the dogs.

Hey Vicky:
I have seen these grooming tops ontop of crates ringside. Most of
our grooming is also done at home, but chalk and shaving last minute
hairs and such are done onsite.
Laura

on top of my crate, so i just put the dogs on the crate top and groom on my crate. Most the time i do most at home the night before and just touch up at the show.

You migh look in to a grooming top, or just make one, 3/4 inch ply wood with nonslip or indoor out door carpet ontop. Bunjy and go.
This is Roast on the groom top at home
[IMG][/IMG]




Vicky,
Bosco, Bella, Breve' & Holly

http://www.rubarbsoap.com/
PHOTOS ARE PROPERTY OF LANGAGER BULLDOGS, YOU MUST HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION FOR ANY USE OF THESE PHOTOS FROM LANGAGERBULLDOG.

Thank you for your response from a handlers standpoint. This was my
first encounter with a rude spectator and was really taken off guard
by it. I usually avoid confrontation but after driving all night to
get there, grooming outside in 23 degree cold and getting there early so as to have a decent spot, I definitely didn't appreciate this lady's attitude.
I think spectators do have a right to be at the show, I appreciate their interest in the breed, but I also feel they shouldn't deliberately hinder the operation of things as this woman did. If it ever happens again, I will contact the steward to ask the show chair to come over and let them handle it.
Laura

Usually I can't even find grooming space on Saturday morns. In
Concord this weekend I groomed outside in 23 degree weather because
no grooming space. I have seen people almost get into fist fights
over grooming space and it just isn't worth it. Let them have it
and I'll groom in the open spaces called the parking lot. When we
were in Winston Salem a couple years back, we had to go get the show
chair because two women got into it. One lady arrived on Wed or
Thurs(the day before the show started) and the other lady arrived
Friday night and moved into the 1st ladies section and actually
rearranged her grooming area. The first lady had pyrs and needed
the space she had origionally set up in. They were going at it
hot and heavy. And I agree, there is no way you can show more than
1 dog or possibly 2(different sexes) with the dogs in grooming. Seems
like to me when the club states no ringside crating they are cutting
nose off to spite face as they are losing revenue when people have to
pick and choose who to show. Alot of people would rather not fool
with the hassle.
Laura

I think it's very interesting to hear about the differences between how shows are in different areas. I almost always show more than one dog and I am almost always getting to the ring just about when the ring is scheduled to start. I've shown in WA, OR, ID, MT, CA, NV, CO, AZ, NM, OK, TX, MS, KY, GA, FL, SD, MO, IA, UT, WV and in British Columbia, Canada and I can't recall when I couldn't roll my crates on a dolly to the ringside. Although it isn't the first time I've heard of shows where you cannot do this. I don't think I could show the way I do by myself if I couldn't do this. I'd probably miss showing a dog or two if this were the case (it's sometimes bad enough to deal with ring time scheduling conflicts!). I know many handlers from other breeds that couldn't do this either because they sometimes have more than 10 dogs to show of say Boxers of Dobes. Sometimes you have to set up crates for different breeds at their individual rings and then run back and forth to show them.

Anyway, I have not really encountered any spectators that were rude enough to block my crates but then again I usually am not the most accomodating person at the show because I am there to show the animals. I think there should be enough room and enough patience on both the exhibitors and spectators' parts so that there isn't conflict but there are always exceptions on both sides. I never hesitate to tell someone that yes they can pet the dog AFTER it's finished showing. And I never hesitate to talk to the show committee, the superintendent or the rep if there's an issue.

Jay

I never even gave it a second thought, the way Nikki describes it is the way it always has been.
Down here it (OK,TX) is quite differnt. So far, no problem and it does have it's advantages to have the dogs all right there, however, I know other breeds are likely annoyed at all the bulldog "stuff" they have to try to get by.
As far as spectators..... They have every right to be there and in fact we should appreciate the opportunity they take to come to the shows to learn about our breed. It is the ones with no manners that make it bad for the rest of them.

e

our grooming area's are in another building, not even close to the rings. Professional handlers have people working under them to run dogs ring to ring. YOu would never be able to go get your dog and be back at the ring, just could not happen.


Funny how things are so different but the same.

:D

Vicky,
Bosco, Bella, Breve' & Holly

http://www.rubarbsoap.com/
PHOTOS ARE PROPERTY OF LANGAGER BULLDOGS, YOU MUST HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION FOR ANY USE OF THESE PHOTOS FROM LANGAGERBULLDOG.

it sounds allot different out your way..Here the spectators have to pay..as a matter of fact they usually have a gate person there checking entries..and if you dont have your entry you have to pay..even as an exhibitor..also if a few people go to a sho..say Kathy and I go but we only have 1 co-owned dog entered..One of us still has to pay to get in..and there is always food and vendors. And usually Cherrybrook and maybe one other vendor has show supplies..the rest are just breed rrelated items that any dog lover would shop for. And our Grooming area/crate space is all one area..and most of the time there are several of these areas scattered out on the grounds so you are able to get a space fairly close to the ring you are showing at, so we don't have to worry about our dogs.


Just-LoneStar Bulldogs

In my meager 2 yrs of showing I have never been to a show that allowed crates at ringside or even near the rings. There is always a set-up and grooming area specified.As an exhibitor I have stood/waited ringside with my dog on leash until my class is called but dogs were to be crated in the specified area.
I imagine this is so that spectators, judges finished with their assignments and owners of dogs exhibited have room to sit and view the ring and judging.
I can only speak of my own experiences with this. I know there are many more on the forum that will have a better answer to your question/situation as far as official rules.
That however doesn't explain or support the womans outright rudeness toward you when you seemed to be polite in asking nicely! Sorry that it happened that way. On a brighter note, did you win??!! That would've made it better by a bit!

Paula~

Nope-got dumped but it was a major and my dogs just turned a year old, so while fairly nice pups, we are waiting on heads to come in, chests to drop, etc etc. One of my bitches I think gets shorter as each day goes by, I fear one day I'm going to look down and she will be a catapillar or a snake she'll be so short.....I don't think she's going to grow any leg. I can only hope she won't get any shorter and her other attributes will outweigh her lack of leg......
Laura

I agree with you Vicky-how does a spectator support a show?? As a prospective bulldog owner maybe-I wouldn't place a hair off my dogs
butt with this individual, let alone one of my puppies. I don't breed
often, don't place many puppies-so how does a spectator support a show??
Please clarify. I also agree with Vicky as I stated in my post about leaving dogs in grooming. I think grooming should only be open to entrants of the show and I think they need to have arm bands or stamped or some means of identifying that they have dogs back there. I had a group of guys one time eyeing my dogs in Atlanta. They followed me from the ring, walked back in grooming and stood in the aisle pointing at my dogs and speaking non english. In Atlanta we have grooming space reserved as a training class so there is a large group of us in the grooming area, but that day I loaded my dogs up and went home. These gentleman never spoke to me but there was NO doubt they were checking my dogs out. It might have been totally innocent, but what if it wasn't???
Laura

At shows that specify No ringside crating, we either don't enter those shows or I only enter dog & bitch so there is no conflict. Most of the shows in the southeast allow ringside crating during breed and most I have attended do not have enough room in grooming to allow exhibitors that arrive on Saturday to squeeze in or the professional handlers have horded all the space. I love sites that offer day grooming-brilliant idea not offered much around here. I have been showing for approximately 4 yrs now and never encountered this situation before. Most spectators are usually very friendly, full of questions and for the most part, nice people. After this encounter I figure I just will have to grow a pair and show my *** just like this individual did. If she was a contributing member to the show, I might feel she had a right to act as she did, but I had more at stake then she did. I paid to be there she did not except for her $3 parking fee. I did pretty much what Vicky stated to do. I made sure I bumped their chairs several times and positioned my big fat tush right in their way while unloading my girls(I hope it caused a big black hole they couldn't see around).
As far as showing more than one dog, I have just recently started showing 3. I usually just have a male and female, but the 2 bitches I show happen to be 10 days apart in age so one is in bred by and the other 12-18, so that made what this woman did even more aggrevating. I had to get someone to standby with one so I didn't have to crawl over these people and upset my dogs.
I travel usually by myself. I don't like asking other people to stand ringside with my dogs. Not their problem. I also don't know too many people so asking a complete stranger or someone I see periodically and exchange a "morning" with-I don't know if this qualifies as a person I want to leave my dog with, even if only for a few minutes.
I like to get my dogs close to action-it acclimates them to the other dogs and other people, the noises that go on ringside, the steward yelling, people clapping. I don't like leaving them in grooming-spectators are allowed in grooming and that is a theft issue. Unless I had someone that would watch them in grooming I wouldn't want them left there.
I also don't like spectators that just come up and want to pet my dog right before going in the ring. My dogs gets giddy and goofy and thinks its play time. If I had a frufru dog I just spent hours grooming I would probably have a nervous breakdown.
Appreciate all the input and will say a prayer of hope that none of you encounter this individual. For those of you who know me, next time you see me I may be walking bowlegged. See you in Montgomery.
Laura

they enter for free, pay the parking people who run parking, not the show. The shows, many do not sell food, vendors have show supplies and stuff.


I have never been to a show that didnt have crate space in the ring area. I dont like the idea of leaving my dogs in an area that allows people to walk freely and can pet your dogs, take your dog or give your dog food or drugs.

I have been in the grooming area, not a place i would leave a dog w/o supervision.

Most the shows here have crate space, around the rings, not next to the gaits or rings but in the middle of the walk way with taped off areas.

Most the premiums say no grooming ringside, but it happpens.

Vicky,
Bosco, Bella, Breve' & Holly

http://www.rubarbsoap.com/
PHOTOS ARE PROPERTY OF LANGAGER BULLDOGS, YOU MUST HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION FOR ANY USE OF THESE PHOTOS FROM LANGAGERBULLDOG.

even though we may not always like it. Its what supports the dog shows as well as our entries. I personally do not ever set up anywhere near the ring or ring entrance..I like to be away from all the action and have access to take my dogs in and out as need be.
Sorry you had this happen..

I have shown 4 or 5 dogs..I dont think dogs belong ringside. I think it's a major distraction and quite often you have those that are showing dogs that bark nonstop, growl a other dogs, and people. Then you also are subjecting your dog to having people stick their hands in his/her crate and bother them and sometimes people that are spectators can be a "bother".
It's very, very rare around here that crates are even allowed ringside. In fact, most premium lists state, no crates or grooming tables ringside. If we are showing numerous dogs..and the classes are close to each other, we ask for someone to hold a dog ringside and then hand them off.


Just-LoneStar Bulldogs

this last weekend we had plenty of crate space, but of course most of the room in the buildign was for grooming. Many of the shows grooming is in another buildign and you can not have hairdryers going ringside when others are in teh ring.


Vvicky

Vicky,
Bosco, Bella, Breve' & Holly

http://www.rubarbsoap.com/
PHOTOS ARE PROPERTY OF LANGAGER BULLDOGS, YOU MUST HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION FOR ANY USE OF THESE PHOTOS FROM LANGAGERBULLDOG.

hahaha, spectators think exibitors are so rude.... always want info on a breed right before there going in, or in a hurry. You should see the look on my sisters face when they let there 4yr old pet her 3hr groomed shih tzu before showtime lol, if theres set up night before I'm there 2 hours early to get a good spot, and good neighbors! not ones that point there blower towards you and cover your dog in malamute hair. reserved pre paid grooming space is the best! I haven't been to a show were crates ring side were allowed.

Kristie Barwick
http://www.symarunbulldogs.com

This whole concept of having the entire entry in crates at ringside is a new one for me. In the North East, there are grooming areas, or you work out of your car. You never have crates ringside and the isles are always clear. Now, granted, at the smaller places, it's next to impossible to get a grooming spot and that is a very unpleasant situation, as the handlers are not nice about sharing with us "low life owner-handlers"..
Now, since I've moved to OK, it's totally accepted that the bulldogs are all crated all around the ring on dollys and carts. No one seems to say anything, although everytime I do it I am convinced someone is going to kick us out of there... so far that hasn't happened. Maybe we take too much liberty with the dog clubs in insisting on bringing our entie set up to ringside anyway?
Just sayin'....
But, spectators should have some common sense and courtesy to the people exhibiting. There are places on the perimiter to watch, I would never stand in the way of people doing to their thing if I was just a spectator. But then, in life as with dog shows, people are either cool, or they are not.
e

i get to my crates and move around bumping in to their chairs as much as possible. (i only do this if i have asked them to move.)

I have had more problems with the next breed to be in the ring, who block my crates or have the toy grooming table up infront of my stuff so they can groom.



Vicky