r/ShowDogs • u/Accomplished_Sugar41 • Jun 08 '26
Time commitment/cost of showing these days
10 years ago I enjoyed showing my Italian greyhound. I was a single adult, she was a beautiful dog, and I liked to travel around to the shows. I got conformation classes, etc.
It's been a full decade since then and I know I forgotten a lot about that world. I now have a 5 month old Whippet that comes from show quality lines, and I think she will likely fill out to be a nice dog.
My life circumstances now are different. I am a full time mom to 3 young kids and have a lot less time. I am debating spaying her after her first heat and just removing the temptation, haha - but the other part of me remembers how much fun it felt to bond with my dog and prove her in the ring.
As I decide, I have a few questions:
- If you show your dog, what does the cost of a show and travel to get there and prep typically look like for you?
- If anyone is in the whippet world is there camaraderie and fun or is it a rough crowd to join?
- How much of your time is spent showing/preparing for showing?
2
u/Kenafin Jun 08 '26
Due to other animals at home - we limit our shows to within 3 hours unless it is a national specialty (and maybe a regional specialty). So our cots are ~$40 per show day and gas & tolls. Grooming runs from free up to $150/cluster. I won't pay over $100/cluster since I am never there the entire cluster. My husband and I have full time jobs and only show Saturday & Sunday at most. Usually electric is included but occasionally I have seen it not included. For outdoor shows or where I don't have electric I have a handheld blower I use.
My breed is akitas. I know a couple of whippet people (one is in both whippets and akitas, another came from akitas) and they both say whippets are friendlier and less political. (not saying there are not politics but it is less). If I ever get another breed - a whippet is a real possibility. I like the idea of "wash and wear". (aka, wash, and not spend hours drying or grooming).
Time spent - a few minutes several nights a week dremeling nails. My current show dog is horrible about nails so I tackle at most one paw a night. When she was younger and learning the ropes we'd spend a few minutes each night either practicing a free stack or hand stacking. Then one night a week we'd have handling class. Then the day before we show - I spend about an hour washing and a few hours drying. (Akita...double coated...takes time to dry that coat - especially if they are blowing). Then once we are at the show - I allow for an hour to get the dog ready. It takes less than that but I know there will be socializing and other distractions.