In a message dated 6/29/12 4:54:05 PM, Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx writes: I don't see other breeds (goldens, labs, rotties) selling out their standards for entries. And guess what??? Their entries are UP in this ecomomy. My thoughts on this latest discussion: What is it about our breed shows that are different than those that you mention? Those with entries up, ours with entries down. Professional handlers. Below Carolyn makes that point. Over the last few decades we as a breed have become dependent on handlers. What did we do way back then when handlers were the exception and not the rule? When judges relied on the conformation of the dog and not who was at the other end of the lead. There are judges who automatically think that big name handlers consistently have the best dogs, sometimes yes but not always. This is not handler bashing, this is trying to think outside the box and find why our breed entries are suffering. I commend the Board for 'thinking outside the box' in trying to improve entries. What about a show with all the regular classes without professional handlers? Before you all say Oh NO! Think back 30 years, (if you were around then) who was in the ring with those few professional handlers? We really had fun. Wonder what kind of entry there would be with the playing field leveled? I'm just thinking outside the box, folks, brainstorming is an excellent way to get new ideas that can work. At the rate we are going, another 10 years we will have priced ourselves right out of our sport and that would be such a shame. Regards, Pat In a message dated 6/29/12 6:28:10 PM, carolynmckenna@xxxxxxxxx writes: My feeling here is that I think our entries suffer due to our reliance on handlers. Now, I realize that our handlers are incredible and do their best for their clients. It's just that young people in the sport cannot afford six to eight hundred dollars a weekend to show their dogs. With all due respect to our beloved handlers, we must find a way to bring in young exhibitors. ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2011. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in any post. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org SUBSCRIPTION:http://showgsd.org/mail.html NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ ============================================================================