Discussions

Was at the dog show today and Westoba had a petting zoo in the same area?? Who thought this would be a good idea?  
 
Thank you to those parents that controlled their children by not allowing them to touch the dogs waiting to be shown. They were not part of the petting zoo...  
 
But there was a parent there that had no problem in calling an exhibitor, that paid to be there, a "miserable b*$ch" for asking her children not to touch her dog. Thank goodness the uncontrolled child did not get bitten as we would quickly see where the fault would be placed...on the dog.  
 
Apparently, gone are the days where you would ask permission to pet another person's dog...

The petting zoo was inside where the dog show was thats why I never found it. I thought you had to pay to go to dog show so we did not go in

Was set up out in the hallway outside the Canada Room. Unfortunately, they lined the people up in the set up area of the dog show.

You only seen dog people at the show.  
I managed a hotel in Brandon. We had many dog people stay with us during the dog shows and I'll tell you. I'll take horse people with all their tack, bags, accessories and smell over dog people for the most part.  
 
Snooty, and very "look down your nose" kinda people.  
 
Not saying all of them are like that but many are, and it sours you quickly on them.

I don't think it's they are better than anyone else but have pride in their show dogs and what they've accomplished.  
 
Kinda like not wanting someone touching your freshly washed and waxed car...

The venue and the organizing body of the show, not the dog breeder. Dog breeding and showing is a business. The breeder could loose thousands of dollars all because of some upsetting the dog.  
Also these animals are not a family pet but are kennel dogs and may not have normal socialization skills.  
Poor decision skills from the venue and there planing people involved

We took our family on Saturday to the dog show. Before we went in, we reminded our kids not to pet the dogs without the owner’s permission. Our purpose in going was to see the different breeds, not to pet the animals. We were lucky to meet many owners who had no problem talking about their breed, telling us stories and many who were kind enough for our kids to pet the animals. I feel sorry for the people at the dog show who had constant distractions by the petting zoo. As an animal owner myself, I know it can be difficult to have constant distractions. Hopefully you were able to perform as expected. And ignore the haters

Having a “show dog” does not give you an excuse to be rude. It’s a dog. They are meant to be pet. How dare a child try to pet it! Lol

The wife says quit stewing and say what''s on your mind.  
I usually don''t get to riled bout things, but read something in the first comment that did rile me a bit. I don''t have show dogs, and I haven''t spent money on training, but have invested time on training, and nobody is ever going to have to ask me if they can pet my dog, especially having to do so under the idea that they might get bit. Maybe it''s just me, but to me a show dog better be a dog that understands that people are always to be respected,  
and an attitude towards people is not accepted.  
This next comment might tic some people off, but if you're a dog owner of any kind, your dog better realize who the top dog is, and that''s you, and any attitude against people just don''t happen.  
 
Edited by don brown, 2018-02-19 21:09:44

not all are rude but if u cant ask if you or your child can pet the dog 1st, then you are being rude also.if they say don''t touch, then its for there dogs protection as well as your kids.  
 
Edited by Rainy, 2018-02-19 21:10:06

I have no problem understanding not touching a dog because of time invested in grooming a dog for show, for me that's acceptable, but there should never be the idea that a dog might bite.

When any animal is placed in a unfamiliar environment there's no telling how they will react to a stranger touching them...same applies to your own beloved pet..no matter how friendly you think they are.  
 
These animals are probably more socialized than many people's kids...and probably have better manners too. They are not "kennel dogs" but more likely someone's lap dog when not entered in a show.  
 
It's simple courtesy and common sense to ask permission to touch someone else's dog...not a given that it's ok to do so.

Took a moment to think about it. First off really love both my dogs, sort if like best friends, never want anything from be but a bit of loving and recognition, but if I had them in a strange environment, with strange people, and they were under stress and they growled or bit someone, that would be the last time. To myself the temperament of animals is the most important thing. Been asked at times why we have such friendly cats, simple answer is, cats with attitude towards people are not tolerated, same goes for dogs or cattle.  
If you are showing an animal in a show, and using it for breeding proposes, temperament should be number one, otherwise other breeds will suffer the same persicution as put bulls. Rotties and Dobermans already face prejudice because of the breed, but the right dog is I great dog.

OP, I agree with you. Any pet, should be asked first before petted. It’s common courtesy, respectful and watching out for everyone’s safety IMO. How would people feel if every one approached each other with a hug?? Why do we think animals would be any different?? The owner of the dog should/would know if they’re dog has had enough and if they say no, end of story. Anxiety in animals is no different than anxiety in people and should be respected.  
 
That parent was extremely rude and attacked the owner for no reason and showed a very bad side of themselves to their child(ren). Could have been a great teachable moment but nope, just another entitled parent passing that attitude on to their child.  
 
How would she feel if a stranger said “can I hug your cute child?” And she said no actually I don’t want that and the person verbally attacks her?? People just don’t get it....animals aren’t there to be everyone’s friend and toy.  
 
And if something isnt yours, it’s not your right to just go around touching it because you want too. When you’re told no, listen.  
 
Hope my ramble makes sense lol

It was a very bad set up. We never miss a dog show. My kids know how to act around dogs. We have a dog centric family business. My kid was lectured for standing still with a balloon tied to her wrist. I think the handlers were a little on edge because of the swarm of kids and strollers.  
 
Dog handlers and parents need to be able to handle their own.  
 
Also proper etiquette at a dog show is not to touch the dogs for many reasons. The car was a good analogy. Pretty much wait until you are invited to touch other people’s property in general.

It was a horrible set up. I felt bad for the participants of the dog show for having their prep area and kennels on both sides of the hallway with hundreds of people, countless screaming kids and strollers passing through. I don’t blame a dog owner one bit for refusing a child to pet their dog. We were there just for the petting zoo. Saw the line up just to get in and turned around and went home. It’s too bad they didn’t have more activities for younger children. Like a clown or a magic show etc.

There is a right way and a wrong way to approach a strange dog. It is the proper thing to do to ask owner's permission before petting a dog. I do not show dogs and here at home no one has a hope of getting close enough to pet my dogs- I do not encourage them to be friendly to strangers and in fact I want them to be standoffish. It is better that way.

I was not there but it sounds horrible for the show dog people.  
 
I do not have a show dog but I would never assume that it is ok for me to touch anyone's pet without asking. Why risk an injury?  
 
People walk in my yard, see my dog and ask, "Is your dog friendly?" I tell them, "Sometimes, depending on her mood." Then because that wasn't enough of a warning, they ask, "Does it bite?" and I say, "Yes." I know my dog. People should just believe me when I tell them what I know. No, my dog won't like you more than the next stranger. No, it doesn't matter if "all dogs love you". No, I won't put her in the house so you can come further into the yard to talk me.  
 
Animals can never be trusted 100%. You can train your dog or beat it into submission but your dog will never be 100% trustworthy. You don't know what your dog's reaction will be in any situation. You can guess but you don't really know 100%. I don't understand why people don't realize dogs that are startled react instinctively. Please teach your children not to run up to animals. This is a no-brainer. No matter how cute the animal is, ask the owner first.

was the dog show in and why did you have you prep in the hallway? The Dog Show organisers also should of also known about the other events and had your prep area in another room isolated from the crowds. While it's still not right for kids to be touching the dogs without asking.  
 
The Keystone Centre is a busy place with many events happening at one time. On that weekend, the dog show was only one of many events happening. There was a horse event, hockey in main and other arenas, curling, trailer/RV show, family day. So there was going to be people and kids there no matter what.

After 50 years of putting on the show, they should of known the Keystone Centre can be busy.  
 
https://www.crocusdogs.com/conformation-shows/  
 
Maybe for next year they will plan better.

And what's wrong with having the petting zoo in the main area of the Westoba Ag Centre? It's also meant for animals.

I attended the horse show and dog show last year, changed it up this year to take our daughter to the petting zoo.  
 
The dog kennel show was set up the same as last year. They dont normally have to contend with a petting zoo, and that mob of people. I dont blame owners for not wanting their dogs touched - beyond the possibility of an unfavorable outcome, consider that they may have spent a very long time getting their dog brushed and prepped for an event, and maybe they were due to go in to compete in minutes - I know I don''t want anyone messing with my hair once I have it done for a performance. Another factor to consider is that t was not just a ''how pretty is your dog'' show, but also obedience. Perhaps the owner didn''t want the dog distracted prior to going in.  
 
When someone gets bit, people inevitably blame the dog. They forget that pointing a finger at a dog means there are three fingers pointing back at them - their behavior, their body language, not paying attention to what the dog was saying, or not keeping a child from approaching in a way that made a dog uncomfortable.  
 
Last year when I was in the dog show, a number of owners invited our daughter, who was just over 1 and is dog crazy, to pet their dogs. I respected their dogs and didn''t try to have her pet any she was not invited to. Just admiring the dogs was lovely enough.  
 
As for the petting zoo....i suspect Westoba wanted to "celebrate" their deal on the arena, and jammed things into the available corners of the building they could find, that weren''t taken up with events booked a long time ago, like the dog show or rv show. Kudos to them for trying, but it seemed rather hastily pulled off. I know there is a different petting zoo provider I would have preferred to see.  
 
Honestly, some of the petting zoo animals could have done with a little more respect from the participants, which is all the dog owners were asking for.  
 
Edited by D+D, 2018-02-20 23:21:32

Trevor B said "was the dog show in and why did you have you prep in the hallway? The Dog Show organisers also should of also known about the other events and had your prep area in another room isolated from the crowds. While it's still not right for kids to be touching the dogs without asking.     The Keystone Centre is a busy place with many events happening at one time. On that weekend, the dog show was only one of many events happening. There was a horse event, hockey in main and other arenas, curling, trailer/RV show, family day. So there was going to be people and kids there no matter what. "

The dog club was charged...and charged well...for the use of the "hallway" for grooming setups. Then they create a lineup through the middle of these people who paid...and paid well...to expect they wouldn't be subjected to people walking around their setups...touching their dogs. Just saying...

Trevor B said "After 50 years of putting on the show, they should of known the Keystone Centre can be busy.     https://www.crocusdogs.com/conformation-shows/     Maybe for next year they will plan better. "

or maybe after 50 years they should have some say, not a 1 time petting zoo that sent 3000 people marching through an area that they have always used.