Pointers Definitely Have Their Advantages in the Show Ring

I’m a veteran show dog handler. People have been paying me to exhibit their dogs in breed conformation shows for more than 30 years now, and I also started showing a couple of my own dogs a few years back.

I think in all those years, I’ve probably come close to showing just about every dog breed the AKC recognizes, or at least it seems that way. Some breeds seem to have a better chance of winning the big prizes than others. I guess that’s because they’re so popular with the public and the judges. Take Poodles for example. Bring a well-groomed Poodle into the show ring and if it fulfills the breed standard, it’s got a great chance of winning. But boy oh boy, that grooming is a LOT of work, and you have to do it every day.

Pointers are different. In addition to minding me in the ring and hardly ever getting into fights with other dogs at the show, they’re SO easy to groom there’s hardly any work at all involved in getting them ready to exhibit.

I’m talking REALLY easy, basic stuff here. A quick bath, an even quicker brush, a nail trim, and off you go. No primping, fussing, powdering, teasing, combing, perfuming, or any of that other nonsense like you have with a lot of other breeds.

Pointers are a true “wash and wear” dog. That’s one of the reasons I started showing the one I own a few years ago.