mersonmalinois

A few more... I cringe at the one where I am in jeans because I would NEVER show in jeans unless I had to! In this case, I was pulled from the audience to show a friends dog at a show in Finland and he ended up BIS2! LOL! The other pic of me in the tank top/shorts...another not so proud moment but one I wanted to share with you.

Good dog show outfits are truly timeless and can be worn for YEARS! Sloppy, ill-fitting, inappropriate outfits will be remembered for years! Here are some pics of me from years gone by (yes, I like pink & coral colours with my dogs!). There is also a photo of a friend in a blue outfit. Some of the photos have year markers in them, but some don't. Can you tell what year it was in the ones that are not marked?? eta: Any of those outfits I would wear again today and most of them I still have in my closet!

Thanks, that would be great to know your suggestions. I have Rockports which are great but have only ever found lace up shoes that give me the support in the soles that I require. And I wear runners that are professionally fitted and cost a lot. I don't wear runners all the time as I manage ok wearing regular shoes when I don't have to run in them . Only find I get sore when I am required to jog/run or if I'm walking a long way. Here are some options. I do think that a visit to the doc to see if orthodics would be helpful is a good idea too. http://shoes.about.com/od/comfortable_shoe...table_Shoes.htm http://www.healthyfeetstore.com/womens-orthopedic-shoes.html http://www.zappos.com/womens-born-shoes http://www.easyspirit.com/Casual/2881131,default,sc.html

Exactly. And if you read a post I made a little while back, I pointed out that the purpose of this thread was to post photos of YOURSELF making fashion faux pas, not to embarrass or shame other people. ellz, Isn't the thread also for helping others learn how to avoid fashion blunders in the future? I think often we don't look carefully or think about how we look before venturing out - and that goes for regular life too, not just dog shows. If we can share ideas, suggestions and tips, I think that is a good way to let folks know that appearance does matter and each person should be proud of how they look - regardless of their size or health issues.

If you would like the option of wearing different types of footwear (I guess you wear runners all the time and not just at dog shows due to the shin splints?) maybe custom orthodics would give you some freedom? Also, there are many brands of footwear that have stylish selections and are made with foot/shin/leg/back issues in mind. If you are interested in learning more about them, let me know and I will be happy to share some brands.

I can't see the entire shoe, but to be honest, there is nothing wrong with them as long as they are worn with the right outfit. They are a LOT more stylish than the dreaded runners that look SO DORKY! If the ones in the photo have sensible bottoms, they are fine show shoes as long as they are comfortable.

You would not be able to register your kennel name/prefix with the AKC unless you fulfill the criteria, which would be impossible since you live in Oz. I'm really surprised the ABC's AKC delegate didn't know this...

It is also interesting to note that most countries will not allow any one other's prefix within your name. Except for the US. Are you aware that in certain circumstances dogs may be reregistered using anothers prefix even though you have had nothing to do with that dog or breeding. And there is nothing you can do about it, apart from possibly putting a disclaimer on your web site, which is what i have had to do,the person in question was not only advertising owning a Australian Import but had pictures up of the grandparents without any approval from the owner, and refused to take them down. This dog in question was then registered as such and such of - MY PREFIX being shown at the end. I might add it was proven that the animal was not an Australian import at all, but progeny of an Australian bred hound which went back to the US with its diplomat family. I am not amused, and yet there is not a thing I can do about it. Since the disclaimer has gone up, the information of this dog has been erased from the web site. I did ask our Canine to put in a complaint, as yet i still have not heard back as to whether they will or not. Unless your prefix is registered with the AKCAmerican Kennel Club) - anyone can use it within there names over there. Sort of true, but not completely. My kennel name is protected with the AKC, but only for Belgian Malinois. If someone else wants to use it with another breed or breeds, they can without any problem. Kennel names/prefixes/suffixes from other countries are not protected with the AKC, but the true fanciers of a breed know whether someone is dodgy and using someone else's kennel name or lying about the circumstances of a dog. eta: Info from the AKC website: http://www.akc.org/reg/kennelnames.cfm

Oh MM I WISH you were over here. I could seriously use help in working out show outfits. Being 'larger' doesn't help as I have so little choice. I would be happy to come over anytime to help with shopping/show fashion ideas. Just because a person is larger doesn't mean there aren't wonderful options/choices.

I know a lot of people are having fun bagging the people who are making the biggest fashion mistakes (like no underwear) and it's comical to laugh at the photos, but it's really not kind. Personally, I would love to take those ladies shopping because I know I would be able to make them look STUNNING in the show ring! All it takes is a little kindness and attention, and they too can look like a million!

Nope, not kind....just honest!! And I for one can say that your eye and the mental picture you create is impeccable!!!!!!! PS...and I like that you added a little bit of your own "winning luck" to the combo too....a Royal BOB at its first outing isn't to be sneezed at!!!! :hug: I didn't go to any summer shows that were suitable for re-wearing this beautiful blouse....but I'm going to a 30th birthday party on Saturday night and I'll be wearing it then! Aww ellz, I LOVE that photo of you! I had SO MUCH FUN shopping for you and picking something out that would complement your beautiful American Cocker. It makes me feel good that you liked those clothes that much. It was my sincere pleasure to get them for you! Have a GREAT time at your party!!!

And NOBODY has better taste than you MM!!! Do you have ANY fashion malfunctions to share with us? I HONESTLY doubt it though......you're just pure class. And I truly mean that! Oh ellz, you are so kind. Yes, there have been malfuctions over the years. I have had shoes flip off in the group ring, zippers break, buttons pop off, etc. Whenever I go shopping for clothing, I think of what would look good with our dogs. I also think about what would look good with friends' dogs or a friend's body type. I LOVE thinking about the combination of dog & handler - and how to make them shine.

We sold a healthy puppy to a couple in Florida. The puppy got stomach cancer and went through many treatments and was examined by the top experts here in the USA. He had to be pts last summer at 18 months of age. Of course we were there for the owners via phone & email during diagnosis, treatment and euthanasia. We offered their money back or a replacement puppy. They didn't want either and they thanked us for giving them such a special puppy, even though he got a dreadful illness (which is not common to our breed). Every time we bred a litter since his death (2 litters) we asked them if they would like a new puppy (for free, of course!), but they are not ready. Just because they lost their puppy doesn't mean they have fallen off our radar. I do hope they will eventually be ready for another puppy and we will gladly give them a great one.

But remember, it's not about the clothing, it's about the DOGS!!! LOL! I always laugh when people think what the handler is wearing at a dog show doesn't matter. Yes folks, it REALLY does!

Beautiful Schnauzer pics, becks! Thank you for sharing them with us! How did you do with your dogs?

The green carpet is lethally slippy if you have the wrong soles on your shoes, maybe he was like this so he could move the dog safely in the ring! As for the outfits, over here we have the attitude that it is more of a 'it's about the dog, not a fashion parade of bad taste bright suits!' Hmm, when I showed there in '05 the carpet didn't seem that bad. A lot of people did wear sensible & safe shoes that were attractive. I'm glad the junior handlers all dressed up and looked professional, tidy and perfectly framed their lovely dogs. I guess we'll just never agree on what looks good at a dog show on the humans. Yes, it's about the dogs, but that doesn't mean the handlers need to look like they just rolled out of bed, threw on some grubby jeans and dirty runners.

YES! She looked GREAT too! I LOVED her salmon colored skirt suit.

In Junior Handling most all of the young ladies were wearing beautiful skirt suits. The three finalists Poland, NZ and UK all looked gorgeous in their skirt suits with their dogs. No bogans in that ring. The adults need to take a fashion lesson from the youngsters! Also, no runners to be seen! Yay! eta: LOVED the suit worn by the young lady from NZ! The green looked STUNNING with her black & white pointer!

Ah, but to be REALLY successful in the conformation ring there is a LOT of training/effort which goes into getting those wins. There is a partnership between the dog & handler and it's evident outside the show ring which handlers/dogs have "it" and which don't. Yes, the judge is in control of who wins, but it's not just a stroll around the ring. You must be aware of so many things and what you can do as a handler to bring out the best in your dog. It's beautiful to watch a skilled handler/dog team in the show ring. It's extremely painful to watch one that hasn't practiced or just thought they would run around the ring together because that's all they thought conformation was. :D

becks, how did you do with your dog(s)? Please share your results with us! :D

We have two intact bitches and two intact dogs. We also have two spayed bitches and one neutered dog. We play musical dogs when the two girls are in season. It's not that difficult as long as you know who goes where and are 100% aware whilst the girls are in season. Touch wood, we have never had an accidental breeding.

I'm have a GREAT time watching the show! I do have to say, most of the handling is REALLY scary...

Where can we find the breed results online?

I agree with this 100%. Often traits/character are lost or an influential line fades away and using old frozen semen is a way to bring those exceptional traits back. Sometimes we scratch our heads as breeders wondering how in the world we can move forward with what is currently available in stud dogs. It's nice to have options available.

An experienced repro vet & staff will have no problem working with either.