Discover Dogs is an event organised by the Kennel Club at Crufts & as a stand-alone event in London, whereby members of the public can meet every breed of dog currently recognised by the KC. The idea behind the event is to enable anyone thinking of having a pup or a dog to be able to talk to owners of all the breeds in order that they can make an informed decision as to what breed of dog would suit their lifestyle.
The Skye Terrier Club have supported and attended this event since the very beginning & I am happy to say that because of this, there are several new Skye Terrier owners who before attending Discover Dogs had not heard of the breed.
Over the years there have been many different dogs & handlers taking part in this event, some have only taken part once because it is not quite what they thought it would be & others have continued for years. Over the years I have observed the dogs, handlers & public attending this event, from these observations I have concluded that the following criteria for any dog & handler taking part at this event is a must and that this type of promotion is not suitable for all dogs or indeed handlers!
- Dogs must be at least 6 months of age & fully vaccinated.
- Temperament of the pup/dog must be exemplary, there will be lots of people wanting to give them attention at the same time & whilst you are busy talking to someone a child or even an adult can suddenly appear from nowhere & grab at the dogs coat.
- The owner must really know their dog and be able to recognise the slightest change in their dogs demeanour, dogs can take an instant dislike to someone, maybe because of smell etc, the handler needs to be aware of this & react before the dog does.
- Some people believe all dogs love them & will quite happily pounce on your dog putting their face into that of the dogs oblivious of any danger, as a handler you must be aware.
- Not all children are supervised & know how to behave with a dog, handler must be aware at all times. The halls are very noisy, not all dogs can cope with this.
- Dogs must be able to put up with other dogs who will be allowed to get too close by absent minded owners.
- The handler must have a good knowledge of the breed and be able to talk about the good & bad points of the breed.
- The handler must be prepared to answer the same questions over & over again with the same enthusiasm as if it were the first time asked.
- Time on the stand is not to be used for self promotion or the selling of puppies, KC rule for attending.
All those that help on the stands are volunteers, as such they cover their own costs for travel etc. The KC do provide refreshment vouchers for each day. If you are interested in helping at one of these events and believe that you and your dog can fulfil the criteria please contact me at the address below. The days are busy & tiring but I find them very rewarding. ?
Jenny Kendrick
