.com Forum · Alpha Dog Forum

It seems that now, as opposed to 4 years ago, when I last played SD, more players choose not to use handlers in the game.

What say you?
I tend to use handlers if the judge prefers that and, for the judges preferring owner handlers, well, I will be an owner handler.

Some breeds don't use handlers at all despite the judges preference.
If I show a dog of one of those breeds, I then follow the breed trend.

(IRL, I am an owner/breeder/handler)

Just thoughts.....


Cheers,
Carolyn

Personally in my kennels, I am not only playing on a breed level but a group and show level so if a judge prefers a handler I will use one regardless of what others do. To each there own, I respect everyone’s decision. We all have our own tactics.
Also in the real world there is not some silly judge algorithm effecting showing, I would imagine owner/handlers actually have a hand up!
As a owner of a mutt who has nothing to do with actual showing I would not know the actual semantics, but I admire your commitment with the real life owner/handling.

I am trying an owner handler kennel in one breed at the moment to see how it goes.

It seems a little refreshing.

I have to remember not to use handlers out of habit when doing entries. lol

Will

In the 2 breeds I am in, we don’t always pick handlers.
Much more fair tyat way.
Unless I have a great dog, I am not interested in group level points.
Am Cockers and Welsh Springers have never received a BIS in the 15 years I have been playing so I just want a Ch or a GCh and breed.
I am happy with that.

I am glad to not stress about handlers.

Carol

It seems to go by breed-- some breeds use handlers as a matter of course, others do not.

I do use them on dogs that are showing for group/show placings if that's the judges preference.

I played from late 2003 till 2016.

In the early years, it was often a battle. Sometimes one player entered many poor quality, low SOP, dogs in the same show and snapped up all the top handlers before anyone else had a chance. Maybe that happens now but I haven't seen it in the short time I have been back.

There were free shows then as well. Huge entries.

I have my list of judges who prefer owner handled, and when I have a lot of dogs I want shown, I enter under these judges.
LOL I don't have a lot of any one breed yet as I haven't been back long enough for a most of my younger dogs to be fully sessioned.

C


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Last edited by Wyredogs on 9/19/2020 12:33:59 PM

Personally I tend to enter no handler shows, only because I have too any kennels (and stables) and too many dogs that I want to show to pick handlers. Many times (in the past years especially) the known "best" handlers are all taken so it's mostly an eeny-meeny-miny-moe situation anyway. (Sometimes I find a handler that I think is actually better than their position would suggest - hidden gems!)

I enter other shows without handlers if its a low entry/recovering breed with little chance of Group placements regardless of the handler and/or no-handler is the general rule among the players. If I have a good dog with a decent shot at group and show, I'll put on handlers.

In real life I think owners who can not show themselves or choose not to will pick a handler based on trust as well as skill - good owners will not place dogs with handlers they do not trust to properly manage their dogs both in and out of the ring.

In addition, some handlers can/will only do shows in a certain geographic area. Some owners will not show under certain judges and I suspect some handlers will avoid certain judges also. Trust and location do not enter into our decisions.

This means that in real life most dogs are handled most of the time by the same person, regardless of the judge. There is a bond between owners, handlers, and the dog which we do not concider.

Real handlers can not handle two dogs in every breed in the show and possibly end up handling multiple dogs in the same ring at group and show level. They do generally have assistants or cooperative relationships with other handlers if needed.

At the end of the day the current setup seems to result, generally speaking in a fairly realistic final result. No, it is not perfect. Could it be improved - yes, I think so but I don't think it is feasible at this time.