Showdog question...

[Tonya]

Yesterday, I met an old man at the park with two BEAUTIFUL Weimreiners. One was 10 years old, the other 5. I have seen the man at the park several times, he told me he brings his dogs there daily. It was VERY obvious that he deeply loved and cared for his dogs. He talked very highly of them and about how when his wife passed away, they're what kept him living...they're his sunshine every morning, etc...You honestly could see the twinkle in his eye as he spoke of them. He would have talked about them all day if I stayed.

But he also told me a little story about how they used to be show dogs. In his story, he said that his dog had been on the road with it's handler for 6 weeks, and he was coming to the kennels to pick her up. His point of the story was that the dog loved him so much that she smelled him from far and climbed three fences to get to him before he even got up to the kennel.

I didn't want to be rude, so I didn't ask questions...My question is...if you love your dogs as much as he loved his, how are you able to hand them off for 6 weeks at a time while they travel to shows? I'm not asking the question to start debates...I truly want to know. Is there something in it that I don't know? Do the dogs enjoy it that much? It seems like that'd be confusing for the dog.

[lute]

i understand how you can be concernd about this......show dogs DO love showing. and if the dog was gone for 6 weeks i'm sure it missed it owner,but when you are handling a dog the dog and you have to have a bond. it's important for two reasons. 1. is because the dog must understand what you want from it in the showring to be succesful. 2. is because it's easier on the dog. it's like having two owners. one for the road and one for the home.

as for the owner tolerating being dog-less for that long......well,i couldn't do it.

hope it explains some....i'm not very good at explaining things.lol

[Corinna]

This was a question I had for a long time when I showed our family dogs. Most of the people who do send them off do love them very much but its a different kind of love. I think this man must have found out that the relationship changed . I agree with lute the handler and his relationship makes the dog relize what is expected from them with each person.
our dogs knew I ment it was business and my dad meant it was hunting time .

[Tonya]

Ok, that makes alot more sense to me. Thank you. :)