The lights, the ring, the glamour! Ever think you might like to
become involved with showing dogs? If so, then starting with
"toy" or small dogs can offer a great way to enter into this
hobby with fewer demands on your time and space than a larger
breed might involve.
The purpose of a dog show is to compare all entered dogs of a
specific breed against a pre-established, written breed standard
of perfection. The winners, or Best of Breed dogs, then compete
against each other for Best in Group within one of the seven
basic groups to which their breed has been assigned (the Herding
Group, Hound Group, Non-Sporting Group, Sporting Group, Terrier
Group, Toy Group or Working Group). The winner of each group
then goes on to compete for the coveted Best In Show title and
hopefully, earn more points toward a Championship.
As a new entrant to the world of dog shows, you'll find there
are advantages to showing small dogs over larger dogs.
Sitting Pretty
First, small show dogs generally take less time and effort to
bathe and blow dry before a show. You may think this detail
almost inconsequential, but after you attend a number of shows
it becomes more important. Small show dogs are also easier to
lift in and out of a tub, and require less water, soap and
conditioner. With the exception of long-coated breeds, less dog
equals less hair, which equals less drying time. As a result,
it's possible to thoroughly bathe and groom six toy-sized show
dogs, like Chihuahuas, in the time it takes to groom one large
Standard Poodle show dog!
Git Along, Little Doggies
Secondly, showing small or toy dogs means you can show more dogs
because they take up far less space. Each small show dog
requires a small traveling crate, but crates of that size are
light to transport and simple to store. Small show dogs also
require the use of grooming tables, but as long as they get
along, two small show dogs can share one table.
Easy Does It
The third factor is, showing small dogs requires less
physicality on the part of the person handling them. You'll
seldom see small show dog handlers huffing and puffing as they
race around the ring. Instead, small show dogs work harder to
cover ground and keep up with the handler, whereas large show
dogs cover ground in great strides, requiring the handler to
work to keep up. In addition, "setting up" a small dog for
viewing is a simple physical task, whereas a larger dog can
involve much more effort.
As you can see, showing small dogs enjoys a bit of an advantage
over showing large dogs. As a result, you may find that showing
small dogs makes a very rewarding start to a downright addictive
hobby that you and your mini champ can enjoy together for years.
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