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Author Topic : Increase the maximum # of sessions obtainable
 Dalkeith
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4/29/2015 2:16:37 AM reply with quote send message to Dalkeith Object to Post   

this post has been edited 1 time(s)

I was wondering what everyones thoughts were on this:
(in particular those who show large numbers of dogs)

As far as I know - at the moment the maximum number of sessions you can obtain in 1 day is 22. (12 sessions - plus you can buy a max of 10 sessions)

I am actively sessioning and showing large numbers of dogs in 3 of my 5 kennels on my family account. In 3 of these kennels I have been having great success in breeding top quality high SOP pups which is leading to large numbers of dogs needing/deserving to be shown.

It is now getting to the point where I am needing to send my dogs to other players ('finishing kennels') in order to get titles on them simply because I cannot session them all in one kennel.

Now some might say that to fix this issue - just choose a couple of dogs (ie: the best dogs) and show those - and keep the others as high SOP breeding stock. That certainly would be an option for a lot of players - and I used to do this in the past.

But now that we have the benefit of the DLB money is no longer as big a problem as it has been in the past. PLUS we now have Merit Awards to aim for as well. (For instance - I have one GCH Stud that already has 11 CH pups plus another 15 being shown! Well on the way to a Silver Merit)

So - my question is - do you think it would be a good idea to be able to buy more than the 22 sessions we can currently get our hands on?

What do you think the pros/cons would be?

Obviously there would have to be a limit - so what would that limit be? Say 12 normal sessions plus 15 bought sessions? or 20 bought sessions?

I have been playing SD for 9 years now and this year has by far been my most successful as a breeder, show competitor and promoter of rarer breeds.

Would love to get a decent conversation started up about this topic!



Edited to fix typo's.

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Last edited by Dalkeith on 4/29/2015 2:19:30 AM
 Drake Creek Meadows
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4/29/2015 3:22:15 AM reply with quote send message to Drake Creek Meadows Object to Post

The show crazy part of me wants to agree with this suggestion heartily, but the rational side of me has to disagree unfortunately. As much as I share the same session shortages in my show-centric, and have experienced the same frustrations you describe here; I have come to realize that speeding up the game in any way also cheapens the challenge therein, and ultimately that is far more detrimental than the indulgence of an amply active show kennel.

For one thing, there would be less need for finishing kennels; I for one would never need to send a dog out to a finisher at all if I had even just 10 more sessions, and you have to understand why that’s a bad thing. Some players make the majority of their money fom finishing, and losing business would be a devastating blow to their operating capital; I’d wager that the demise of one of the prime ways to make money on this game would cause some to quit.

For another thing, it allows a single kennel to over saturate shows with their dogs which cause entry frustrations, even lock outs for others. I’d say the number of dogs you can have in the ring and getting ready for the ring with the number of sessions you can currently have available is already brushing up against that line. In the name of fairness, no one should ever enter more than one class dog of each sex in a show. Right now the number is low enough to distribute them sensibly into the five shows for the night. This definitely could have the potential to be abused and create more super kennels that can control an entire breed more effectively than ever before. Also, being forced to decide who to show and who not to show has always been a part of the strategy of this game, being forced to make cut back decisions is not truthfully a terrible thing as your kennel benefits from only having the best of the best sticking around and breeding. I don’t see a reason to alter the system and throw this balance off that has developed over the years.

On the flipside, I lose out getting some dogs sessioned and shown, and it bothers me never getting to find out how those dogs might have done in the ring, but I’m an experienced enough player that I have a comprehensible impression of how a dog will perform, and the paramount ones always get sessioned no matter what, so it’s not done completely in the blind. The dogs that lose out were just not as good despite still being great, and if a dog is good enough to really deserve ring time and I know I won’t have the sessions for them in time to make a difference; I have absolutely no problem sending them off to a finisher. I’m happy to support finishers with my business, people who take the time out to do this for others deserve support especially if they are good at it; I've been a finisher before so I should know. Sending a dog off to a finisher is not a disagreeable thing to do in the least as you get the benefit of having the dog titled and eventually require it which fulfills essentially the same function as having more sessions in your own kennel, but with the added bonus of pouring money back into the economy. Objection of sending ones dogs off to finishers hints of frugality on ones part more than anything else.

In conclusion, I wouldn't be against being able to buy more sessions on its face, and I would gladly take advantage if it’s added, but I’d never support it for the reasons mentioned above, and honestly I don’t feel like anyone else should support it either; I’m not the biggest fan off anything that makes this game easier than it already is… if anything I’d like it to be more difficult and complex, but I feel that what we have now is a happy median—just be content with it.

That said; I will not debate anyone that does support it as everyone is entitled to their opinions and this isn't a big enough deal to me either way.
 Kievan Kennels
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4/29/2015 4:42:01 AM reply with quote send message to Kievan Kennels Object to Post

As said above, I would be horrified to see what would happen in the larger breeds. It also throws strategy a little out of the window. I also think the dutch auction is set up to benefit the entire community. Also, it would perhaps create a disparity between kennels with larger bank accounts and smaller ones.

I wouldnt use it as my breed is small anyway, but like all good things, people love to abuse things..
 Dalkeith
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4/29/2015 5:04:39 AM reply with quote send message to Dalkeith Object to Post

Thank you both for your contributions happy :)

Drake - you bring up some really good points - I'm glad you joined the discussion as I am honestly interested in hearing all the pros/cons.

I see now that the idea to increase may definitely push the 'balance' out of whack too much.

I 100% feel the frustration of not being able to show some dogs. But like you said - we have both been playing long enough to know the true merit of a dog without the need to show him.

Perhaps I've become a little too show-crazy, haha?!

Its quite funny when I think about it - as Ive always been more of a 'breed-button' person - as in I've always focused more on breeding rather than showing, but now showing has certainly taken up a large part of my interest in this game.

Thanks again for contributing happy :)

How large do you think the Finishing Kennel 'industry' is on SD these days?

When I used to play back in 2010-ish there used to be a HUGE number of players who were Finishers ... but these days there just doesn't seem to be many around. Perhaps I'll create a 'recruitment' post in the forums?
 Drake Creek Meadows
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4/30/2015 3:34:25 AM reply with quote send message to Drake Creek Meadows Object to Post

Too show crazy? No such thing. razz :p

I personally have always been more about showing than anything else, and the way I keep that reasonable is by having a slow turnover rate in my kennel; that is to say that I breed less than most other kennels. In this way I can keep up with the sessioning more easily as well as concentrate on showing more dogs to GCH before rotating them out for new ones. This system has worked fantastically for me, but even still with the slow turnover and all I can end up with more dogs than I can handle, so I can only imagine that it would be very difficult to run a kennel that breeds and shows a lot. You really must choose to do more of one over the other; can’t realistically manage both on a full scale. So in order to pursue shows like you want you must learn to resist that breed button. wink ;)

Anyway, I’m glad you found my input to be constructive; I’m always up for a sensible discussion. happy :)

Also, I have no idea how many finishers are around these days, so I can’t answer that, but I haven’t had trouble finding finishers so I’m going to say that there is still a healthy ‘industry’ for it. A recruitment post sounds like a neat idea nonetheless. happy :)
 PPvallhunds
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5/1/2015 5:14:49 PM reply with quote send message to PPvallhunds Object to Post

I can't realy see it as needed, with 22 sessions you can train 7 dogs at the same time with one left over. So you can train them up and show them while your train the next set of 7. Even if you were in a breed that only you were showing you would be able to finish most of the set quite quickly.

Now that money is much easyer to get so the need to be strategic with your money has gone, the handler fee won't be a deterrent to stop one person booking all the top handlers in the up coming shows. So if you could get as many sessions as you wanted I could imagin in some breeds problems with one or two kennels getting the best handlers in every show making it harder for others to do well.

Just as like in real life you only have a set amount of time that you can do thing with in a day I guess. Also the game realy should keep the element of strategy as Mich as possible to avoid becoming just another easy young kids game. The more mature strategy is a big part to what makes the game stand out from the other dog Sims.

 Dalkeith
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5/1/2015 10:47:03 PM reply with quote send message to Dalkeith Object to Post

Great input! Thanks for contributing happy :)
 Drake Creek Meadows
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5/2/2015 2:13:34 AM reply with quote send message to Drake Creek Meadows Object to Post

You basically said the same thing as I did PPvallhunds, just not in as many words and more eloquently. So obviously I agree with you. happy :)
 PPvallhunds
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5/2/2015 5:34:30 PM reply with quote send message to PPvallhunds Object to Post

Thank you, I don't think the word eloquently has ever been used with me lol
 mournebrake
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5/3/2015 6:35:01 PM reply with quote send message to mournebrake Object to Post

Pity there aren't specific obedience training sessions available over and above the 'normal' (show obedience/muscle/coat)sessions - even 22 sessions a day don't go far enough when I am both sessioning a pup and obedience training it.

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An obedience trial is a dog sport in which a dog must perfectly execute a predefined set of tasks when directed to do so by his handler