# Watson's Second (and third) Show



## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Watson will be in his second show this week. We're doing Friday and Saturday in New Paltz, NY. We are on at 9am on Friday, which is a bit of a bummer since I'll have to get up at 5:30 (earlier than I would for work) and we'll be done by 10. If we win, we'll have to wait for group at 3, but I might just go home and come back later (about a 45min drive each way). On Saturday we are showing at 1:15, so I'd like to stay and watch the group even if we don't win.

We have a chance to earn points this time, which is exciting. There is only one class dog against us, so we actually have a chance, unlike his first show where we were against a special.

Wish us luck. Some of my friends might come to Saturday's show to watch us, which would be fun. My husband won't be there on Friday, so photos will be limited, but I'll get him to take video on Saturday.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Wishing you luck and looking forward to the update!


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## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

Good luck and keep us posted!


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Go you and Watson! Best of luck!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanks, everyone! 

We haven't had a handling class in about a month, so I'm nervous (and I know I haven't practiced stacking as much as I should have). He's just so wiggly when judges approach, but I'm going to try showing the bite myself this time and see if that helps. I tried it with my obedience instructor last week and with my hands on his face he was calmer and less "I want to lick you now!" Hopefully the judges are more impressed with movement than stacking ability.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I did some stalking of our competition and I think we have decent chance of winning a point or two! The dog is 3 years old, but has only competed once before at this same show cluster two years ago. So he'll be more mature, but he probably won't be polished and super well trained. His pedigree is also not as solid as Watson's, but I can't find a picture online to really compare. He's being shown by his breeder/owner, so that's also encouraging.


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Good luck!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanks, cookieface!


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

Good luck to you and Watson! can't wait to see some photos


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Good Luck. Just have fun with him, he's a puppy he's going to be a little excited till he's more mature. Heck the 1 year spaniel I show still acts like she is 6 months old, we don't expect her to be competitive right now, we are just working on her brain. 

.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

ChaosIsAWeim said:


> Good Luck. Just have fun with him, he's a puppy he's going to be a little excited till he's more mature. Heck the 1 year spaniel I show still acts like she is 6 months old, we don't expect her to be competitive right now, we are just working on her brain.
> 
> .


He's almost 11 months, but mentally he is 4 months old. lol I'm definitely learning how slowly male spaniels mature. I don't really expect him to keep his feet where I put them at this point if someone is approaching, but I get nervous about lunging and jumping on the judge or having a spazzy moment. He was actually very good at his first show, but we haven't practiced much since then. 

He definitely has fun though! So far the jury is out on how much fun it is for me, but he thinks it's the best thing ever. I'm lucky that he has such a great temperament and is very confident, so I don't have to worry much about the socialization part and can worry about the training instead.


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## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

Good luck!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Chaos, I forgot to mention that Watson has relatives out there who are finishing at 11 months, so I think they are just a less competitive breed than many. I have talked to people who don't expect even a nice dog to finish until they are minimum 2 or 3 years old, but lots of Welsh are done before then. I'm sure we will take a while, but mostly because I don't have the time/energy to show a lot or travel to the bigger shows. I don't think he's necessarily limited much by being young, except for the training aspect.


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## Cattledogfanatic (Sep 18, 2011)

Good Luck! Have fun! I can't wait for updates!


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

The way you describe Watson, he just sounds like such a friendly and lovable goober. At least he's having a blast at the shows, even if you're not totally enthused about the whole thing.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Kirsten&Gypsy said:


> The way you describe Watson, he just sounds like such a friendly and lovable goober. At least he's having a blast at the shows, even if you're not totally enthused about the whole thing.


Yep, that pretty much sums up his personality. lol Once in handling class we had the "spectators" clap and cheer to get the puppies used to it. Some were nervous, some didn't care, but Watson got so excited and was sure they were cheering for him. He's such a doof.

I hope I will enjoy shows more if I can make some friends. The first show was pretty boring just sitting around with my husband, waiting for our turn.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

They're definitely more fun if you have friends! I'm good friends with a couple of breeders and close enough with a few others that I'm comfortable sitting around and chatting with them ringside or at their setup, so I enjoy spending a full weekend at a show with them. They seem to like it when I take cute/fun photos of their dogs, too, like this one:










Good luck to you and Watson!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Bahaha. Love the picture.

I wish there were more Welshie people around - I'm sure I could make friends with them. I do have a couple acquaintances from handling class, but we're not close enough that I would hang out with them all day.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

If you can make friends with even one breeder, they'll introduce you to others! I met all of the papillon breeders through Crystal's breeder, along with that shih tzu breeder and some others as well. I met my cocker spaniel breeder friend in puppy classes. It's cool to have a group of people to sit and chat with. I find you can meet interesting people ringside, too (and it's also just fun to eavesdrop on their conversations about peoples' outfits and handling skills  ).


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I would love to listen to the gossip. I don't gossip much myself, but I'll admit I'm nosy and I'd love to know what the more experienced folks are really thinking. There are some other breeders of Welsh that I could chat with, but I just have to find them. My obedience instructors show a quite a bit and I would hang out with them, but they won't be there tomorrow.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

Good luck!


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

You're either on your way or just arriving now. Thinking "win" for you and Watson.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

We got our first point! The other dog was really timid and nervous and the other owner told me I would get an easy point. She was very nice. Watson was squirrelly but not too terrible. We're going to head home, hang out for a few hours and come back for the group. I also ran into my handling instructor on my way out and I was so proud to tell her we got a point.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

elrohwen said:


> We got our first point! The other dog was really timid and nervous and the other owner told me I would get an easy point. She was very nice. Watson was squirrelly but not too terrible. We're going to head home, hang out for a few hours and come back for the group. I also ran into my handling instructor on my way out and I was so proud to tell her we got a point.


Congratulations!!!


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Awesome! Well done, Watson and Elrohwen. Best of luck with the group.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Chaos, how do the pictures work? Where does the photographer usually hang out? Can I get my picture taken this afternoon when we're waiting for the group to start?


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

elrohwen said:


> Chaos, how do the pictures work? Where does the photographer usually hang out? Can I get my picture taken this afternoon when we're waiting for the group to start?


They should have a podium set up somewhere on site. Do you want to take the photo with the judge? Cause you can wait till after group to take it with the judge because he is doing sporting group. Just follow where the winners of the group are going.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

ChaosIsAWeim said:


> They should have a podium set up somewhere on site. Do you want to take the photo with the judge? Cause you can wait till after group to take it with the judge because he is doing sporting group. Just follow where the winners of the group are going.


Awesome! Thanks for the help. We didnt get a picture at our first show because the weather was horrible, so I'd really like to get one today.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

If I am going to take pictures and there is time, I normally take pictures after the judge has finished his time bracket. If he/she doesn't have time right then I either wait till after the next bracket or I wait till after one of their groups (if they are judging groups, and if I am staying for groups).


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Yaaay! So glad to hear of your success! Great luck in Group!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanks, Kirsten!

I got some nice complements too. When we ran into our handling instructor she said he was well groomed and asked if I did it myself. So that was nice!

The other nice thing was a woman waiting near our ring said, "What a happy Welshie. You don't usually see too many happy Welsh, unfortunately." I'm lucky he has such a great temperament.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

Congratulations!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Chaos, now that I have a picture, how do I get a copy? I looked up the photographer and their website, but they don't seem to have a section specifically for purchasing show pictures. Do they send something in the mail since they know the numbers of everyone in the pictures? I know it will take a little while for them to be ready.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Watson got his second point today! He did a good job in the breed ring. He was sort of melting down by the time we got to group. He was so hot, and sitting around is not his thing, so he got overtired. He was actually ok at stacking, but just wanted to sniff the ground during gaiting which he has never done before. 

I was laughably horrible in group. I was so hot and my brain wasn't working. Plus, they switched judges at the last second so while half of us, at the back, were waiting for him to walk over, the other half of the group took off into the ring. In addition to that, I forgot to put my number back on, and the juge was grouchy and we started to run the wrong pattern, even though I clearly tried to ask her and confirm before I ran out, she just wasn't interested in more communication than one word grunts. Ugh. My brain just wasn't working and I was nervous and she didnt feel like taking the time to tell me what to do when I asked. Oh well. 

Afterwards I convinced my husband to go to a winery just 2 miles down the road. They are dog friendly even, so Watson got to go in and be loved on by a bunch of people.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Congratulations on both of your points!!! Good Job!  .... even though the weather was miserably hot today!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanks, Abbylynn. I sort of forgot how much I hate being outside in the sun when it's near 90. Haha. Definitely not my kind of weather!


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

elrohwen said:


> Chaos, now that I have a picture, how do I get a copy? I looked up the photographer and their website, but they don't seem to have a section specifically for purchasing show pictures. Do they send something in the mail since they know the numbers of everyone in the pictures? I know it will take a little while for them to be ready.


Yep they will send the photo to you, should take around a couple weeks though, depending on who it is. There will be a bill in with the photo.

Congrats on the second point.


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## samshine (Mar 11, 2011)

Congratulations! Did you have a cool quiet place to crate him after showing and before group? At shows, I always give my dogs plenty of crate time because the environment really is tiring, mentally. I also try and find a place that is kind of out of the way so there isn't a lot of traffic walking by, and/or put some thing up to block the view. If the weather allows, I might drop a sheet over the front of the crate. If we win breed (hey, it's happened ;-) my dog goes in the crate and rests until nearly group time. She comes out just in time to get fluffed.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

samshine, we didn't use the crate on Saturday. According to the schedule, group was supposed to be soon after our ring time, so we just kept him on leash and sat down in a quiet area in the shade (it ended up being a bit longer though). I say quiet because there weren't a lot of people in our corner, but there were ton of yappy little dogs. Watson is just an active young dog, so sitting around that long is hard on him, in a crate or not. We did some walking around which helped settle him, but it was also so hot that walking around was tiring for all of us. There was only about an hour between the breed and group rings though. Any longer and I definitely would have set up the crate for him.


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## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

Congrats on your points  

How many points does it take before you get whatever title (excuse my ignorance) that you're after?


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

SDRRanger said:


> Congrats on your points
> 
> How many points does it take before you get whatever title (excuse my ignorance) that you're after?


He needs a total of 15 points to become an AKC champion. Two of his wins must be "major" wins, which means 3, 4, or 5 points, so I can't just get to 15 by winning one point at a time. You can earn more points by beating more dogs in a show, but since his breed is rare it's harder to find shows with enough dogs to win more than 1 or 2 points.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Yeah but the rarer the dog, the less amounts of dogs it takes to make a major. And it also depends on the area. 

For welshies in your area it only takes 4 for a 3 pointer
Where as my breeds in your area it takes 5/6 (weimaraners) and 10/12 (bulldogs) for 3 pointer

In my area (your division 2, I am 3): Welshies it is 6/7 for a 3 pointer (one of the shows I usually go to pulls majors), weims is 6/7 (they have gone down) for 3 point, and Bulldogs it is 13/14 for a 3 pointer (this weekend it is 3 and 4 point majors in both sexes) 

Not saying it ain't hard to find majors, because it is, just wanted to point out the amount it takes for those that don't know how it works.


Look at labs

They need 13/19 in my area for 3 point, 56/80 for a 5 pointer.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

That is true! Very good point. I was just looking at the point schedule again and realized that for a labrador a 5 point major (in division 1 I think) they would have to beat 66/105 dogs/bitches. That's a lot of dogs. 

In my area, I struggle to find shows that have even 3 Welsh entered. We just seem to have a lot of smaller shows I think. The larger ones, like Springfield, do tend to have enough dogs for majors. Some of it is also concentration of dogs - there aren't many in NY or CT it seems, but quite a few breeders in NJ. So the shows aren't any bigger, but there seem to be more entered just because more people are breeding there.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Yeah, that is ridiculous, although it is labs after all. In your division it is less than in my division and definitely less that division 1. I saw it takes like 37/39 Irish wolfhounds to make a 5 pointer in your division, now that is a lot. It only takes 10/12 in my area. 

When the time comes to look for majors, best way to figure it out is to look at the past results of shows in the area, for a couple years, and see if it is consistently pulling majors, not to say that this/next/future year would pull majors, but it is a start. He only needs 6 more points to be singled out, then it will be time to go major hunting (unless he gets a major before he is singled out), lol.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Springfield seems to have majors every year, so that's my goal for majors. It's around July 4th (this year is 5 days), so he'll be almost 2 next year and hopefully ready to win. It's not unusual for dogs at his age (~11 months) to already be winning majors, but I don't think we'll get to any shows this year where that would be a possibility (and I'm not sure I could show him well enough). It would be nice to pick up another couple points if possible though at smaller shows. My breeder recommended a few in New Jersey that consistently have at least 3-5 dogs entered (though a couple are generally specials).

I'm still contemplating hiring a handler to finish up the majors at shows that require more travel, but Springfield is only 2 hours away and if I can do it myself, I'd like to try.


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## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

Ah, so it's like horse showing if you're going for points....they're based on how many horses. Now it makes sense, thanks!


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

SDRRanger said:


> Ah, so it's like horse showing if you're going for points....they're based on how many horses. Now it makes sense, thanks!


Yep based on how many actually enter that ring, doesn't matter (well only initially it does) how many are entered. Even if enough is entered to make a major, there has to be that amount entering that ring. Now if there is enough for a major that has entered the ring in bitches, but not dogs, and the dog goes Best of Winners, he gets a major.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Whoo hoo! Congrats! I am just catching up on this thread. Have you been bitten by the bug now? I have yet to enter an outdoor show because my summers are just too busy, so I cannot imagine how hot! Sorry the group judge wasnt helpful at all. I have had a few grumbly judges too, and its nervewracking for us newbies! If they dont like their job, maybe they need a new one! Lol Try not to let that get to you. Some judges are very nice. I have met one! Lol


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

Way to go Watson!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanks, Graco! Not sure I'm hooked yet, but I'm motivated to finish him and I'd rather get it done sooner than later, so I'll just keep scheduling shows. Haha. I also get nudges from my obedience trainers (they also show conformation) about which shows to enter, whether I entered, when my next show is, etc. So I'm still doing it more for my breeder now than anything, but we'll see. I am excited to meet more Welshie people at shows and see more dogs.

I mentioned the judge to one of my obedience instructors last night and without even giving a name she knew exactly who I was talking about and called her some choice names. lol Turns out she has quite the reputation. I'll have to mark her down as someone I don't particularly want to show under if I can help it. Luckily the other three judges I've met were all very nice, and made sure to tell me exactly which pattern to run even if I didn't ask. They were also kind to Watson while this lady was all business (luckily he's not phased by that, but I imagine some inexperienced puppies would have been put off by her). He was probably more well behaved with her, because he was so surprised when she swooped in that he didn't have time to react. The other judges talked to him first and got him all wiggly. Haha


Packetsmom, thanks!


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