Hello everyone.
I see the necessity of showing my dogs. I would like to be broken in gently into what I perceive as a nerve racking experience. Also I live in a remote part of the country and predict considerable expense.
What advice would you give to a keen novice?

Hi Survivor1, Are you a member of the Deerhound Club? If not, it would be worth joining. Re. starting showing, Open shows are a good way of getting your puppies introduced to shows but I don't know how many are held up your way.

Subscribe to one of the dog papers, either Dog World or Our Dogs. They advertise shows of all descriptions from Companion shows upto Champ show status.

The Breed show next year is being held at the Dunblane Hydro hotel this would be well worth you going to. Hounds from all over Europe compete at this show so you would be able to see a lot of Hounds and compare. You could also enter your girls provided they are 6 months of age or over. The show is held over a weekend so most exhibitors book into the hotel for the weekend. Dogs are permitted in your hotel room.

OH MY GOD! Survivor1 (I now know why you call yourself that). I have just watched the programme Coast, Shetlands to Orkney. Don't breed a litter of pups unless you have buyers already waiting for them, you'll never sell them. I din't realise how far the Shetlands are from mainland Scotland. Alan knew, but then he is from Kintyre. I thought Claonaig was remote but the Shetlands are nearly off the edge of the Earth.

Are you a Native or an In-comer? I am facinated to know how your girls are bred and how you sourced them. Are there any other Deerhounds on the Isles?

You are going to have to be seriously serious about showing to travel the distances you are going to have to do. There is no monetary gain from showing (no prize money) and even if your Hound is made up to a Champion it won't make any offspring more valuable. Showing is just an expensive hobby. I am not 100% certain but I think most, if not all, the Champ shows in Scotland are held at The Royal Higland Showground near Edinburgh. However, I am not trying to put you off. Showing is a great way of meeting like minded people who love Deerhounds and Deerhound people are the friendliest of any breed.

I think, if I was you, I'd just buy another Deerhound when I was ready to increase my number of hounds.

I wish you the best of luck and maybe we will get to meet at a show some day.

Hi Survivor

Firstly, like you, I am new to the idea of showing dogs. I have a friens who has recently started showing her Great Dane and she e-mailed me this link to shows:


Check out this site for lists of open, limit and champ shows

www.prodogs.co.uk/index.html

Good luck with showing etc - who knows we may met at a show.

Excellant link the last member posted

Now with a sign in name survivor I would of thought a little trip to Glasgow would not rate that high on a survivors check list

277 miles from you to Glasgow , two nice shows there in the spring, Pack a tent and head down

maps.google.co.uk/maps?ut...m=google%20maps

In Europe they travel many more miles than that, and if Miss Noble could get the train with four deerhounds in her early 80,s and travel down here to Birmingham for me to collect, I am sure you can get to Glasgow

Come and join us

BTW are the two puppies Stainlonan hounds?? sire Stormbird??