Welcome to the Maltese Club Blog spot. We hope you will find much to interest you concerning our lovely breed. Any questions you have this is the place to be to get an answer from the experts. Can’t promise a response or a solution to everything but the answer is out there somewhere so start blogging!
So what do readers think about the single CC for any breed, what’s it meant to achieve and should we be paying the full price for entry, the same as for a full set of tickets.
Just for clarification – why has the CC allocation been reduced and why for this particular Show? If entry related, on what basis is the decision made – entries made or dogs that are actually present for the judging.
If this is entry related, why do members think that entries are reducing and what can be done to remedy it. Cost of entry, costs of travel must be factors for many but there are almost certainly other factors that determine which shows are not only entered but actually attended.
One consideraton that I would like to put forward is how many new exhibitors are entering shows; what can be done to encourage them to continue competing and how can more new exhibitors be encouraged to participate?
Does anyone know what the situation is in other countries, such as USA and Australia, for example regarding the level of Maltese entries at shows.
There is an extensive Q & A page on the topic of Single CC allocation to be found on the Kennel Club web site. The KC say it is an experiment which may result in the scheme being abandoned, they also say that the number of CC’s allocated does depend on entries.
As regards other countries, it is difficult to draw comparisons as the KC show system is entirely unique. Certainly entries are possibly lower in most overseas countries, for example the World Show in Denmark this month has a breed entry of just 51 Maltese.
Are you still proposing to send the newsletter by email? I check the website and my inbox every day but so far nothing. Is it possible for you to put the date that the newsletter is due on the website please?
Hi baileybug, the plan is to send out the Newsletter by the end of this month – July. Keep an eye on the web site. Photos of the recent Fun Day have just been uploaded to the web site and it is hoped a report of the day will be included in the Newsletter.
Hi Dognapper, thanks for the information. I look forward to the end of the month. I love the photo’s of the Fun Day. It looks as though everyone had a great time. I wish I could have been there. Maybe next year.
Hi I would like to reply to a comment made by Valerieg.
Last year I was a new exhibitor. Unfortunately there were only a couple of members who had any time for me, even down to the point that when I made a silly error of having 2 top knots at a Champ show instead of 1, which was noticed by a highly senior member of the Club (to whom I would have had no chance against and they new it) but still they did not advise me of the mistake I had made. Instead the incident was relayed back to the Breeder from whom I had purchased the dog and was basically told I was a laughing stock.
So I say this whilst this sort of behaviour goes on in the Club and at shows why on earth would New exhibitors wish to come into an environment (which after all is supposed to be FUN!!!) only to be ostracised and made fun of.
I can honestly say I never felt part of the club last year and it upset me greatly. I joined because I thought I would meet new, like-minded people. I had never shown before but I did get a VHC at Crufts and I was very chuffed at that. But even some members belittled that because there were only 6 or 7 of us in the class!
I think those of the exhibitors who have been showing for years ought to think back how they felt. Isn’t it time to change and help one another and not give black looks if one asks ‘how do you keep your dogs eye’s so clean’ or ‘how do you go about wrapping’ or even ‘what’s the best shampoo to use’!!
Yes, I feel let down but guess what, you haven’t got rid of me yet a while. I will be back and I will ask questions! It’s supposed to be FUN. Please, talk to people, don’t ignore us new ones!
Just think about it – you know who you are! Let’s face it we all want what’s best for the breed and I don’t believe keeping things that work to one’s self is helping the breed.
End of moaning!!
I’LL BE BACK !!!!
I’m disappointed to hear you’ve received an unfriendly welcome into the world of Maltese. I believed the ‘us and them’ to be a thing of the past but it would appear there are still some dinosaurs about. After all, new exhibitors should be encouraged as I see them as the future of our breed – after all, todays successful exhibitors were once like you just starting out. As for the 2 top knots – there is no convention to determine one or two to be correct – it’s entirely up to the individual. Some just do not like things to be ‘different’ – there is no right or wrong – just personal preference. Anyway, goitalone, don’t go it alone, come in and join us – many of us are really quite approachable.
I was both “happy” and “sad” to read the blog from “goitalone”. Happy to see at last someone posting to the blog- I check every day to see if there are any interesting topics or news or even an answer to my earlier blog asking about what product to use for clean eyes – but sad to hear of the bad experience in showing.
I, like you, am relatively new to showing Maltese. I have shown my Bernese Mountain Dogs (BMD’s) but would now like to get into something smaller! My Maltese is sadly too old to show now. He is almost 15 years old. However, in the next couple of years I plan to buy a puppy with the aim to show him.
Obviously, showing BMD’s is totally different to showing Maltese so, again like you, I am hoping for some advice and help from the experts! The BMD club members are ever so helpful and actively look to assist and encourage newcomers. I had expected the Maltese experts to be of the same mind. However, after reading your blog I am not so sure!!
Please, please, please, can the subject of “encouraging new members” be put onto the agenda for the next committee meeting. Not only would it be good for the breed but should boost the numbers of dogs in the ring. Any and all advice to us “newbies” would be truly appreciated.
Encouraging newcomers in the breed whether they be pet owners or prospective show owners must be a high priority for every breed club otherwise the breed will ultimately suffer. The Kennel Club has recently said that more emphasis should be placed on the ‘FUN’ element of dog shows and clubs have a responsibilty to make this possible. The Maltese Club will endeavour to play it’s part.
HI goitalone, i am so sorry you didn’t have a very good experience showing your dog, please dont let this put you off, i like you are new to the show world and need to ask lots of questions, fortunately the people i have asked have been very helpful and encouraged me when i have been very nervous.
So come on all you experienced exhibitors please remember how scary it is when your not sure how things work and you don’t know anyone else at a show, just remember even a smile can go a long way !!!!
Thank you for your messages of encouragement. Unfortunately, it will be a little while before I can show again. I too am hoping to have a new puppy for showing but as I say it will be some time before she ;A is born and B is confirmed good enough to show and breed from. In the meantime I will remain a member of the Maltese Club and keep in touch through Facebook with my ‘online’ friends abroad, all of whom have Maltese and swop ideas and tips. So I am learning a great deal that way.
However, the one thing I don’t understand is: what does the handler have to do with the success or failure of the dog? Surely, if the dog is ‘good’ it should do well no matter who is showing the dog? I remember someone saying to me that had they been handling my dog they would have won!!!! I have to admit that familiarity with owners/breeders and judges seemed to be very common, almost to the point that you could see the judge not daring not to give awards to their ‘friend’ in case they came up against that person when they were judging!!
Yes I am probably going to upset many people but its about time all this was stopped and let it be a hobby past time and be ‘fun’ as I am sure it was at first.
I see on Facebook the friendship and camaraderie that takes place and they seem to have fun at shows. It may be that its not the case but that’s how it seems.
There are other factors that are upsetting me but as this seems an incognito site I won’t go into that except there should be more honesty from breeders. I hope to become a hobby breeder so I won’t be letting anyone have a show dog because I am not qualified to say which would be better than another; but there are breeders out there that seem to ‘palm off’ the dogs they don’t want by selling them, at high prices, as show/breeding dogs, knowing they are low quality and may only get a recognition and would never be any competition to their own.
I guess ‘whistleblower’ should be my middle name but there you are. I feel all this should be said to try and get things put right. As I say there are one or two other things to say but I am not ready yet but as Number Six said:-
I’ll be seeing you!