# Show Vizsla



## acsmith42 (Jul 6, 2016)

Hello! I'm new to the forum, though I have been reading it for months. I am potentially going to take home a female puppy in the next couple weeks. She was the last one available in the litter because the breeder wants to make her a show dog. She told us we can be as hands on or hands off as we choose to be in terms of showing our puppy. It would not be a co-ownership, but we would agree to let the breeder take her for a weekend every month or two. Part of the deal is that we pay the entrance fee to each show, ~$30 per show. We would start showing her after 6 months, and the breeder told us that it usually takes between 6-12 months for the dog to be "finished" in show, at which point she is no longer required to be shown. So if that's the case, we would be done having her be a show dog between ages 12 to 18 months. The breeder appears to be very flexible in terms of scheduling each show to best meet our needs, and overall seems to be a very nice lady (we are meeting her and the potential puppy this weekend!). I see pros and cons to this situation. I feel like it would force us to be very diligent in training our girl, and also be a great way to have structure to training while she's young. I don't love the idea of my pup being taken from me frequently on weekends, but at the same time maybe it would be nice to have the occasional night away from the puppy to do things we otherwise wouldn't be able to with a pup. Overall, I think it could be a great situation. My question is... does anyone have any experience with this who could possibly offer some insight? Perhaps things to discuss with her when we meet this weekend? Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thank you!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

What does the breeder get for showing this pup for no payment. Is it to show what kind of pups her breedings produce, or is there a future pup promise to her from your female? 
I would want every detail listed in the contract, and make sure your personalities click with the breeder. Having a breeders help can be wonderful if you both see eye to eye. 
I would want to look at the contract before I saw the puppy. These pups are so gosh darn cute, they can make us throw caution to the wind once we see them. I hope you have fully checked the breeder with recommendations from your local vizsla club. Only you can decide if this type of arrangement fits with your lifestyle.


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## b4ruby (Sep 3, 2016)

Our pup's parents both have their Grand Championships. The breeder had all the pups evaluated at 10wks and all were show quality. We decided it would be a good experience for him and us. We worked with an experienced AKC handler for a few times to learn confirmation and stacking. His first show was at 6 1/2 months and he picked up 3 ribbons. He did well but being a pup and having to stand for a long period of time in the ring was not his idea of fun or mine. It was not an enjoyable experience. I don't recall seeing anyone smile unless they just won a ribbon. People are nervous and uptight. It's serious business for handlers, owners and dogs.

Your arraignment with the breeder sounds unique. Is she planning on breeding if your dog wins her championship? It seems if she is not co-owner you have no obligation to show. It takes a lot of commitment and practice to prepare a dog for the ring. I would not feel comfortable shipping my dog off for a long weekend unless I had a lot of confidence in the handler's skills. I also think you'll need to take into account your pups temperament. 

Our breeder obviously enjoyed showing and you may as well. Have fun with your pup!!


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## riley455 (Aug 27, 2011)

acsmith42 said:


> Hello! I'm new to the forum, though I have been reading it for months. I am potentially going to take home a female puppy in the next couple weeks. She was the last one available in the litter because the breeder wants to make her a show dog. She told us we can be as hands on or hands off as we choose to be in terms of showing our puppy. It would not be a co-ownership, but we would agree to let the breeder take her for a weekend every month or two. Part of the deal is that we pay the entrance fee to each show, ~$30 per show. We would start showing her after 6 months, and the breeder told us that it usually takes between 6-12 months for the dog to be "finished" in show, at which point she is no longer required to be shown. So if that's the case, we would be done having her be a show dog between ages 12 to 18 months. The breeder appears to be very flexible in terms of scheduling each show to best meet our needs, and overall seems to be a very nice lady (we are meeting her and the potential puppy this weekend!). I see pros and cons to this situation. I feel like it would force us to be very diligent in training our girl, and also be a great way to have structure to training while she's young. I don't love the idea of my pup being taken from me frequently on weekends, but at the same time maybe it would be nice to have the occasional night away from the puppy to do things we otherwise wouldn't be able to with a pup. Overall, I think it could be a great situation. My question is... does anyone have any experience with this who could possibly offer some insight? Perhaps things to discuss with her when we meet this weekend? Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thank you!


I would look into the contract and make sure that your obligations and the breeder's obligations are specifically laid out so no misunderstanding down the road if the dog is still not finished at a certain age or time. And if the breeder is really flexible as to schedule and no pressure at all on you then I would do it (of course you still need to do handling class to get the dog trained). The vizsla community is pretty warm and friendly. I've been to vizsla nationals last year and currently active in the show circuit so I meet breeders/exhibitors on a regular basis.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Are you planning to breed your pup, or would you allow this Lady to talk you into breeding her? Usually the whole purpose of showing a dog is 
for the breeding line, and the money that goes along with it. Like TR asked... are there puppies in this picture???


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Believe it or not, I usually try and keep out of topics like this,,but, this did spike my alarm bells. Surely at 6-18 months all you're seeing is potential? It may be different over here in the UK and I've got to admit that I don't know the AKC's stance on "fit for function"...(tbh, I'm not altogether on the UK's KC stance either,,but that's another story)...I can't help but think that the breeder has a hidden agenda, that may well be cynical of me to say, but I can't see any other reason than self benefit for the breeder. I don't know, but it feels wrong to me


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## WillowyndRanch (Apr 3, 2012)

harrigab said:


> Believe it or not, I usually try and keep out of topics like this,,but, this did spike my alarm bells. Surely at 6-18 months all you're seeing is potential? It may be different over here in the UK and I've got to admit that I don't know the AKC's stance on "fit for function"...(tbh, I'm not altogether on the UK's KC stance either,,but that's another story)...I can't help but think that the breeder has a hidden agenda, that may well be cynical of me to say, but I can't see any other reason than self benefit for the breeder. I don't know, but it feels wrong to me


One would think Harrigab, but here we see "Champions" regularly from the puppy classes. I don't agree with it, because to me no dog should be considered a champion and breeding quality until it has reached maturity, but that's the system.
I also would suggest to the OP that they define a limit to how many shows and how many $30 entries they are obligated for. That can add up to be very expensive in a short time - which is why the breeder passed off the expense to the buyer and subsequently benefits from the title for future puppy sales.
Ken


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## rayonel25 (Mar 11, 2017)

Feel happy for you, but I have no idea of your question.


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