A -- All About Dog Shows

OMG, it's April 1st! I am SOOOO excited! This year I'm participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The result is 26 posts in 30 days -- in alphabetical order -- about one subject: Dog Shows.

 

Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert when it comes to showing dogs. In fact, I would classify myself as a Novice+. (If dog showing was karate, I would be a yellow belt. Or maybe a white belt with yellow polka dots.) But stay with me, this is going to be fun and informative. And I promise pictures. LOTS of pictures. Who doesn't like pictures, right?

Livin' the dream!

So why dog shows? I've wanted to show dogs since I was nine years old. Unfortunately life got in the way. Jobs, babies and multiple moves kept me busy. Before I knew it, 35 years had gone by! In November of 2012 I got my first AKC puppy. I was excited. And clueless. As a blogger I naturally looked to the internet for guidance. You can find blogs on everything from Awful Library Books to being a Yoga Dork. I looked and looked for a "Dog Showing for Newbies" blog and couldn't find a thing. So . . . I'm writing one myself. I share books I've read, mistakes I've made, too many anxieties, too few ribbons and various lessons learned along the way.

Over the next month I'm going to share all I know about baiting, gaiting, leads, breeds, bitches and more. I'll try to explain everything in plain language, but please ask for clarification if you need it. Whether you want to show dogs yourself or are just curious, I hope you'll come back tomorrow. If you're new to the fancy, WELCOME! If you're a veteran in the ring, HELP! (Seriously, I'm in over my head here.) Either way, I'd love to hear from you. -- K

My first show and I was hooked!

P.S. A preview of upcoming topics can be found here.

Tomorrow's Topic: The Breed Standard