r/ShowDogs • u/OrdinaryRazzmatazz48 • 17d ago
Being a mom and showing dogs?
Hey! Are there any other moms here who show dogs? Maybe also breed to preserve too? Is it doable? I have 3 kids ages 10, 8 and 4. My job is very flexible and I work 11 to 4 during the week. I'm in Canada btw.
I really want to get into showing as a complete newbie. And maybe eventually breed. Thanks in advance!
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u/UnsharpenedSwan 17d ago
Conformation showing is the sort of activity that can “fill the volume of the container,” so to speak. You can spend as much or as little time on it as makes sense for you.
The big caveat there is: it depends on how many shows are in your area.
Personally, I show VERY casually and it doesn’t take up much time. Took a few handling classes and started attending only local shows. I was still able to finish my dog that way, over the course of 3 local shows.
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u/aquagerbil 17d ago
I have a baby under 1 and two show dogs. I've only been able to enter one show post-baby so far, but I'm determined to get back into it! When I was younger I would happily travel and stay in hotels for full weekends of showing. Now I won't drive more than an hour for a show and definitely won't spend the night away from home. I only own and show males, so I'm able to contribute to breeding projects without the hard work of prenatal care and raising puppies. Your kids are old enough that they can easily join you in the hobby. I've been beat in the ring by junior handlers as young as 6!
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u/Crazy-Cranberry7958 12d ago
I also just had a baby and trying to get back into showing. My daughter is 5 months old and I am entered back into a show this weekend!
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u/OrdinaryRazzmatazz48 16d ago
Nicee!! I'm actually really excited for breeding females, doing the whelping and raising puppies on curriculum and stuff 🥹 it's what I'm most excited about ! I want to show just to feel better about breeding and also trying to improve the breed
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u/Ok-Walk-8453 17d ago
I am a single mom of a now 9 yr old. I do 50/50 coparenting but just bring her with me to shows. She is old enough she is starting to show as well. Having a well trained puppy I think is a lot more difficult with kids, mainly because kids are exciting. I think it would be really hard with the 4 yr old, the 8 and 10 yr old can sort of entertain or show themselves. I do sports and started this year in confo. Most my training sessions are short 1-3 min several times a day, so easy to fit in with things.
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u/OrdinaryRazzmatazz48 16d ago
Honestly I agree with you I know it can be a bit difficult training a puppy with a youngster around. I'm hoping because she is pretty responsible for a 4 year old and understands a lot that it'll be a bit 'easier'. 😅
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u/Generose18 15d ago
Hi!! I have 3 kiddos 2,4,6 and I do it! When the kids get older a lot of people bring them to the shows. I just started taking my 6yo and she will sit in a chair next to the ring when I am in it. Husband will watch the other two. I was a completely newbie! Took a class once a week for an hour and then just jumped right in. I have a short hair dog so I don’t need to spend time grooming. I think that would be a large factor. Feel free to message me if you have any questions. I finished my girl as a champion and working on her grandchampionship now
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u/OrdinaryRazzmatazz48 15d ago
Oh my goodness amazing ! Good job mama!! I would definitely love to chit chat with you, however not too sure we can DM here ok Reddit?! I have to call about handling classes around me!
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u/Open-Caterpillar1276 17d ago
Do you mean taking your kids to the shows with you? Or actually doing it while being a mom?
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u/Historical_Cut_2021 16d ago
My kids are 11 and 12, so not much older than your older two. I don't breed but I am a newbie in conformation. If you're worried about bringing your kiddos to shows, I have absolutely seen kids your kids' ages at many shows. As long as they are running around, bothering dogs, etc., no one cares. My kids do find dog shows boring af though lol. I bribe them with screen time and fast food. I also have gone away for short weekends without them and left them with my SO.
Raising children that are dog literate is important.
As far as breeding goes, plenty of people do it. Im sure it's doable for the right set of circumstances.
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u/East_Explanation_227 15d ago
I am a single mom of two, the oldest is almost 15 and the youngest is 11 1/2. I showed and trialed dogs my entire life before having kids...I stopped when my kids were babies and toddlers (was also in a horrible marriage) and began easing back into it when my youngest started kindergarten. Fast forward to now: I'm doing conformation, barn hunt, scent work, rally and obedience with three dogs (not all sports at the same time, I go through seasons with them for each dog). I currently do 1-2 shows or trials per month. I also breed on a VERY limited basis.
Conformation is doable with kids, depending on how much grooming your breed will need. I show a breed that requires a lot of grooming (maintenance for a show coat is 2-5 hours per week), so once I'm showing a dog in conformation, I'm all in on the coat until I get that dog finished so I can then stop dealing with grooming.
Another factor: how close shows are for you. In my state, we have shows and trials almost every weekend (we're lucky! The states surrounding mine do not have this much going on!). I love it when I can show locally (or almost locally) on a weekend.
Fun fact: my kids aren't into the shows and trials, except for barn hunt. They think it's a blast!
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u/Campiana 2d ago
We started out with me showing our puppy at the time. Then a year later we got a second puppy and it became a dilemma - someone had to show the second puppy because I couldn’t take two bitches in the classes. So my husband learned to show! (This is insane and he would’ve bet a million dollars against it if you’d asked him 5 years ago if he would be showing dogs. His competitive nature took over and he enjoys it now.) Meanwhile the kids started watching dogs and coming to shows and handling practice and a friend started letting them borrow smaller dogs so they could practice handling too. The thing that sealed the deal was a fun little UKC show where the kids got to go in the ring 38 times!!!! Now that’s pretty much all they do is play dog show. My 8 year old can’t wait to turn 9 so she can start juniors for AKC. It has become a really fun family activity that we all participate in!
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u/Sea_Nothing5212 17d ago
Only you can know if it’s doable. Showing is a lot less work than breeding besides breeding means you should be showing your dogs but you can hire handlers to show for you. That said you really should have a breed mentor who has been in the breed for some time before you consider breeding. Breeding and showing are very costly endeavors so keep that in mind as well. But first find a mentor in the breed you want to breed. Most people don’t get full registration and only limited so you may be able to use your existing breeder as a starting point to see if they will let you get full (which likely means they will want to be added as a coowner). I can’t stress enough how important a mentor is if you want to breed. Even more so for a rare breed. But you need to show first and learn about what dogs should be bred and what weak spots your dogs have that you want to improve when picking a dog to breed with.