“Meet the Breed” in Austin on Oct 24
Next Saturday there will be a Meet the Breed for French Bulldogs (and for many other breeds) at the Travis County (Austin) dog shows. If you’ve never met a French Bulldog in person or just want to learn more about them, stop by, meet, and talk “dog” with some knowledgeable folks.
French Bulldog Meet the Breed will be after all the Frenchies have been shown. Showing begins at 9:20 AM. You could plan to arrive in time to see the Frenchies strut their stuff in the ring, then meet some of those same Frenchies afterwards. If you are comparing breeds, there will be other breeds scheduled throughout the day, usually after their ringtimes.
To guessimate a Meet the Breed time, take a look at how many dogs are showing, multiply that number by 2 and that should be the number of minutes it will take for the dogs to show. (That’s right. A dog being shown only averages 2 to 3 minutes of a judge’s time in the ring. Not much face time!)
As an example, 20 Frenchies are entered in Saturday’s show: 20 X 2 minutes per entry = 40 minutes. Add 40 minutes to 9:20 AM and you get 10 AM. So expect the French Bulldog Meet the Breed to start around 10ish.
The show is at:
TRAVIS COUNTY EXPOSITION CENTER
Show Barn
7311 Decker Lane
Austin, Texas 78724
Oct 24 through Oct 25 (Meet the Breed is ONLY on Saturday)
To download a Judging Schedule with ringtimes, click here. On pages 4 and 5 is a listing of the Ring Number and Ring Time for each breed.
Contact the Travis County Kennel Club if you have more questions about Meet the Breed or the dog show.
The French Bulldog Meet the Breed is sponsored by the Heart of Texas French Bulldog Club.
Tips for First Time Dog Show Attendees
Leave your guys at home
A dog show is very chaotic, noisy, and often crowded. You’ll have a better time if you leave your dogs at home. Plus, unentered dogs can be asked to leave. You can always make it up to them with that really cool toy you’ll find at one of the vendors. 
Ask before you pet
Before petting any dog, ask the owner first. ESPECIALLY the coated (long hair or fluffy) breeds. If the exhibitor has just spent four hours washing, drying, fluffing, scissoring, and primping their dog into show shape, they aren’t going to be too keen on someone patting down that perfect topknot.
Give way!
If you see a smartly dressed person with a beautifully groomed dog dashing through the aisles, they are probably late for ringtime. (They want to make sure they don’t miss out on THEIR two minutes of ringtime.) Give them right of way.
Don’t expect chatty exhibitors pre-ringtime
If someone has a number rubberbanded to their arm and they are standing with a dog at the entrance to a ring looking very serious, this is not the best time to strike up a long conversation. Most exhibitors are watching the judge to see what they need to do and listening intently for their class and number to be called to go into the ring. (Remember the noisy part?) If someone has a dog you really like and you want to ask more about him/her, you might politely ask “When you are done showing, may I ask questions about your dog?” Or if this is more your style: “Nice dog! Talk later?” Either way, the exhibitor will probably be delighted to hear you like their dog and once the breed is done showing, will stick around to answer your questions.
Check out the dog show rule book
What the heck are they doing in the ring? Why did that dog get a funny purple and white ribbon? Why did that dog leave and another one come in to take his place? To learn more about the rules of a dog show, click here. Or visit the Superintendent’s desk and see if they have a copy of the AKC Rules Applying to Dog Shows.
Have fun!
A dog show is a great place to learn more about a breed and to meet people who care enough to show dogs bred to breed standards. There are obedience and rally events where dogs show off amazing skills, you have vendors with all sorts of dog shopping: from treats, to food, to grooming supplies, to toys, to jewelry for you AND your dog! Go, learn about your breed, and have a great time!
