USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING DOGS. 263 



BENCH SHOWS 



THE GOOD AND BAD OF. 



I have both judged and superintended dog shows for many years, have 

 shown my own dogs for forty years, and as a "Professional Handler," am 

 doing so yet, making about all the important shows in the United States, 



To ship your dog to any show, and trust it to the care of show atten- 

 dants to feed, water and exercise — is simply a case of cruelty to animals, 

 such dogs I see at a show. 



Having superintended dog shows, I know that it is almost impossible to 

 hire attendants that will properly do their duties, being as they are, a lot 

 of fellows who take the job because they "are out of work" — chronic in 

 their cases — due to their worthlessness, etc. 



The premium lists always read that — "all dogs will be fed, watered, 

 exercised and returned promptly" — signed by the superintendent, which is 

 meant all right, and if this one man, the superintendent, could do the work 

 of a hundred men, your dog might then be properly or better cared for 

 — but entrusted to the care of attendants — it is not, unless you have a good 

 handler engaged. At every show, no exceptions, I see many a poor dog 

 that is never taken off his bench for exercise or to attend to nature's calls, 

 and while he may get a drink or two and have some dog biscuit wet with 

 plain water shoved at him to eat — just stop and realize what a hard and 

 cruel time he is having at the show — and don't wonder that he comes 

 home sick and in many cases a "dead dog" the result. These are plain, cold 

 facts and can't be disputed. Aside from the cruel part, it is as essential 

 to have your dog well shown when judged, as it would be to have your 

 horse well driven in a race — if you expect to win. Dogs sent unaccom- 

 panied by a handler, are yanked or pulled into the ring by an attendant, a 

 stranger to the dog, and the result accordingly, in almost every instance. 

 During the many years I have shown dogs, I have rarely had a dog sick 

 afterward as the result of being at a show. The reason is this: 



I go to shows on the same train with my dogs, water and care for them 

 en route, if a "lay over," so do I and the dogs are taken care of as they 

 deserve. At the show, every dog in my string is taken off his bench for ex- 

 ercise four to five times daily, fresh water kept in stall, bedding kept clean 

 and changed, bowels watched when out for exercise (which if wrong, proper 

 treatment given), and instead of trusting them to eat the dog bread mois- 

 tened with water, which so many are not used to and will refuse to touch, 

 every dog in my string is fed morning and night with beef and mutton, 

 which" I buy and have cooked daily. Their health is looked after and if 

 any signs of sickness, proper remedies administered. Every dog at a show 

 should receive such care. You can't do too much for your dog and if you 

 will arrange with some good handler and are willing to pay him a fair 

 price for proper care, you need never have a sick dog as the result of show- 

 ing him. 



To ship a dog to a show means from a day or two to three days in 

 his crate, confined and uncared for as to food, drink, or a chance to attend 

 to nature's calls, and thern, if dog is addressed to the superintendent, when 

 he finally arrives at the show, he may lay that day yet in his crate before 

 taken out, (the superintendent a very busy man), and some attendant fin- 

 ally takes dog out and without even putting dog in the exercising ring, puts 

 dog on his bench — where the poor dog very likely stays for the three or 

 four days of the show; very little if any attention paid to him till he is 

 packed up for his return trip home. Your dog has been serving time in 



