A weekend of AKC shows...
So I spent a lot of time at the AKC regional shows this weekend--the first time I've ever really spent a lot of time at a dog show. I saw the AA speciality show on Friday, then watched them again today and also watched the Shibas (only two!) and the Basenjis and then the Hounds, Sporting, Working and Terrier groups.
It was really interesting, since I've never been to a big show before, but it was also really interesting watching the Akitas. When I went in on Friday, the first one I saw was a gorgeous girl with a black mask, who was otherwise mostly an almost brindle pattern, but in silver and black. Unusual coloring, but I knew she wouldn't do well as she had a very JA build (I really do prefer that, so I thought she was beautiful!). She was with the only amateur owner/handler, and so she did get a ribbon, but I think it was the kindness of the judge, since she had such a different look than the usual AA's...
I also talked about this a bit in the thread about looking for an AA breeder, but it was quite illuminating to me to watch the dogs. I went to meet a breeder I was interested in, and I also saw some local breeders I had considered, and I was so glad I did see them, because while one breeder here had gorgeous dogs who did really well in the show, I noted that her dogs were very dog aggressive. I figure they must be on their best behavior in the show, so if they were hard to control then, I can't imagine what they would be like outside the ring! The breeder I was most interested in had a bitch that never growled or lunged (like some of the others did!) but did show a fair amount of interest in the other bitches. her male though was just a puppy and was so silly! He didn't show well--he can't seem to stop playing long enough to look good in the ring (but he was only 6 mos), but I loved how sweet he was with people and other dogs. (He was almost un-akita like in how silly and outgoing he was!)
I really did want to see some JA's, though (I knew I wouldn't but it didn't stop me from wishing for it!), and watching all those AA's just confirmed, in my mind, how much I believe the breed split should happen, because they really are such different dogs...
Oh, and I'd never seen a brindle Akita in real life, and they are GORGEOUS! I don't think the brindle colors photograph well, because I've always been kind of "meh" about them, but now I'd love to have one!
I also saw the Shibas, and the winning Shiba was a gorgeous little bitch who has won a lot of shows, just perfectly proportioned, but my god, I'd forgotten that I have the super-sized Shibas, because when I saw what one was supposed to look like--I thinks she was around 18 pounds--I was stunned. I told the breeder my male was 42 pounds and not fat, and he joked that perhaps I had a Finnish Spitz instead.
And I realized I need to do some "training" with my husband. He gets along great with my dogs, but it was clear he has no idea how to approach dogs or how to read them. I did have to say at one point that putting your face in a strange dog's face is a REALLY bad idea. Esp. an Akita. Luckily, show dogs being groomed seem fairly blase about the variety of clueless people milling around, but I did have a moment of horror when he got so close and said, but I want to see her teeth!
Anyway, I'm sure a lot of you got to shows, but for me, being new, it was really fun. This post was my totally geeky, new to shows, enthusiasm showing!
It was really interesting, since I've never been to a big show before, but it was also really interesting watching the Akitas. When I went in on Friday, the first one I saw was a gorgeous girl with a black mask, who was otherwise mostly an almost brindle pattern, but in silver and black. Unusual coloring, but I knew she wouldn't do well as she had a very JA build (I really do prefer that, so I thought she was beautiful!). She was with the only amateur owner/handler, and so she did get a ribbon, but I think it was the kindness of the judge, since she had such a different look than the usual AA's...
I also talked about this a bit in the thread about looking for an AA breeder, but it was quite illuminating to me to watch the dogs. I went to meet a breeder I was interested in, and I also saw some local breeders I had considered, and I was so glad I did see them, because while one breeder here had gorgeous dogs who did really well in the show, I noted that her dogs were very dog aggressive. I figure they must be on their best behavior in the show, so if they were hard to control then, I can't imagine what they would be like outside the ring! The breeder I was most interested in had a bitch that never growled or lunged (like some of the others did!) but did show a fair amount of interest in the other bitches. her male though was just a puppy and was so silly! He didn't show well--he can't seem to stop playing long enough to look good in the ring (but he was only 6 mos), but I loved how sweet he was with people and other dogs. (He was almost un-akita like in how silly and outgoing he was!)
I really did want to see some JA's, though (I knew I wouldn't but it didn't stop me from wishing for it!), and watching all those AA's just confirmed, in my mind, how much I believe the breed split should happen, because they really are such different dogs...
Oh, and I'd never seen a brindle Akita in real life, and they are GORGEOUS! I don't think the brindle colors photograph well, because I've always been kind of "meh" about them, but now I'd love to have one!
I also saw the Shibas, and the winning Shiba was a gorgeous little bitch who has won a lot of shows, just perfectly proportioned, but my god, I'd forgotten that I have the super-sized Shibas, because when I saw what one was supposed to look like--I thinks she was around 18 pounds--I was stunned. I told the breeder my male was 42 pounds and not fat, and he joked that perhaps I had a Finnish Spitz instead.
And I realized I need to do some "training" with my husband. He gets along great with my dogs, but it was clear he has no idea how to approach dogs or how to read them. I did have to say at one point that putting your face in a strange dog's face is a REALLY bad idea. Esp. an Akita. Luckily, show dogs being groomed seem fairly blase about the variety of clueless people milling around, but I did have a moment of horror when he got so close and said, but I want to see her teeth!
Anyway, I'm sure a lot of you got to shows, but for me, being new, it was really fun. This post was my totally geeky, new to shows, enthusiasm showing!