It's a lot of pressure that you don't really think about before you get one. I mean people spend a lot of time developing their lines so you feel a sense of responsibility to that and to the breeder that let you take a show prospect so it can be intimidating. I don't think I was ready for it. I also don't have thick enough skin to be involved with some of the things that come up out of it all. I don't want to have to worry so much about things that don't really matter about owning a puppy/dog. I just want to enjoy my experience with the puppy and let the kids gain from it as well. I'm sure the dog doesn't want to be treated with kit gloves because it's a show prospect. Sort of reminds me of the pagents that mother's enter their kids into. They treat them differently than the other kids in their house because they are prefecting the child's talents and that takes a lot of time and energy.I completely agree with you Kpoos
I think precautions might be necessary to save your investment with a show potential
but I think definitely that the distinction between show dog and pet shouldn't be as clear cut as it appears to be
if I had to treat a show dog like it was made of glass and not play with it the way I play with Elphie I don't think I'd ever want to have one haha
Exactly, well put.It's a lot of pressure that you don't really think about before you get one. I mean people spend a lot of time developing their lines so you feel a sense of responsibility to that and to the breeder that let you take a show prospect so it can be intimidating. I don't think I was ready for it. I also don't have thick enough skin to be involved with some of the things that come up out of it all. I don't want to have to worry so much about things that don't really matter about owning a puppy/dog. I just want to enjoy my experience with the puppy and let the kids gain from it as well. I'm sure the dog doesn't want to be treated with kit gloves because it's a show prospect. Sort of reminds me of the pagents that mother's enter their kids into. They treat them differently than the other kids in their house because they are prefecting the child's talents and that takes a lot of time and energy.
That was the impression I got from your previous posts about Jasper. The show career of a dog is but one TINY bit of their lives. They are our companions first and foremost.I think that before my experience I thought that show dogs should be different than pet dogs... It's what I did and then no one knew what they could and couldn't do with this cute puppy. The kids would ask if they could pet him because they knew he was a show puppy. I will never make that mistake again.
Oh yeah it's so true but it's hard to look at things that way with your first show potential especially in this breed. Their coats matter so much and growing coat matters so much. You almost overdo it with the protection because when you are a novice you don't know what's going to break it or ruin it. I remember when I first dried him I literally thought I had ruined his coat because I didn't get a forced air dryer and had to use a regular hair dryer. He came out so fluffy and pretty but I didn't know any better and I just didn't want to fail someone I respected. It's a learning process for someone new and it can be daunting at times. I know now I'm not ready for that kind of pressure but it has nothing to do with kids and how much time I have and it was only pressure I put on myself.That was the impression I got from your previous posts about Jasper. The show career of a dog is but one TINY bit of their lives. They are our companions first and foremost.
That's not entirely true, we are dog sitting a little Tiny Chihuahua (I think she weighs 3 1/2 pounds) who lives with two kids (they are 8 & 6) since she was 8 weeks old and is now about 4 years old. She is awesome with my 2yo niece and loves to be with the kids.For some breeds I think it should, like toy breeds with certain age children definitely. Toy breeds don't do well with young kids and visa versa.
Yeah. I think by 8 years, most kids can contribute to the raising of the puppy and a house is less hectic with kids that are at least 8, as opposed to kids that are 4.Locket, kids only 8+ years old? For all breeds you are saying that?