If people are having fun with working dogs, promoting them in an enjoyable and safe fashion and....not taking themselves too seriously I am all for it.
Better than an ugly dog competition, or whose dog looks the most like their owner award, or the smallest, largest, fuzziest, etc. type of things that usually go along with dog fun events in the community where everything is all touchy feely, spayed and neutered, and emasculated in more ways than one.
As long as there are no meanest, baddest, most angry dog competitions it can be fun for people to see a side of dog work that often is ignored and misunderstood. PR is important and good control over who plays and preventing the idiots who potentially can wreck it for all from participating or heckling those that do.

I understand exactly what Kevin means, and I have attended those gatherings.

But. Even silly gatherings can have a purpose.

Near where I live, a bunch of Pugs dress up in costumes or maybe just a stars-n-stripes collar or bandana and march in a parade on the 4th of July. It is silly, we know. But the Pugs bring the crowds out, and their "outriders" are extremely well-trained examples of "scary" breeds, including GSDs.

The "scary" breeds walk along in kind of a phalanx around the Pugs, to do nothing more than serve as emissaries with good Ob for their breeds.

I have both.

On Dogs in the Park Day, too, there are very silly contests. But there is also a booth with BSL information manned by a couple of humans with their well-trained scary dogs.

As Kevin says, good control is crucial. Good PR rests on that.

Control is heavily weighed in the scoring.

Of course there are usually a few dogs where the control is lacking, those dogs are not scored highly. I don't like to bash people's dogs or training at the show, but we always highlight the dogs that have the best control...The crowd knows which dogs are trained better, it is apparent on the field.
Thanks Kevin and Connie.....just waiting for Will to come back around...
Joby

The spectators being allowed to have their dogs accompany them does worry me. So does a "hardest-hitting dog" contest. But that's straightforward. Not a bashing session.

I am glad to hear that you already have a waiver and liability insurance, a lot of groups don't think that far ahead :-) Good luck with your competition, I wish I was closer to Chicago to see it.

Connie....

We have done 4 shows with no incidents between dogs or people...I imagine if they become too big then we may think about not letting dogs in unless competing, but for now I still say its a great place to socialize. Really its no different than the "cute" "funny" events that you described, where everyone brings their dogs... except we also have a working arena on-site... I understand the concern though totally...Not taking offense..

We do NOT run one of those BRICK-WALL type of Hardest Hitting contests, with guys standing still, jamming dogs..(when we first started these shows people were so strongly against the hardest hitting events, as a joke I put up picture of our decoy....a cinder block wall with a sleeve. I thought it was funny, some people didn't)

We use ONLY experienced SCH decoys for our hardest hitting contests, that properly catch the dogs, it is no more dangerous to a dog than a Schutzund courage test, certainly less dangerous than a KNPV type courage test, and considerably less dangerous than a PSA courage test, which in my opinion is one of the most dangerous courage tests out there.

I have seen the "hillbilly" shows out there, and can understand your concerns.

Even so, I am positive more dogs have been killed or have suffered serious injuries in Schutzhund and KNPV than hardest hitting contests. I think there was SCH trial where 2 dogs died in the same trial just last year...(I think, I could be wrong)

I personally like the HH, if its done safely, it gives people a chance to compete that may not have dogs that can compete well in the PP tournie, there is no pressure...it is an easy send...

For this show we are making it an obstacle filled shoot that will slow dogs some I am sure...

Not trying to win you over on HH contests, just explaining my view on them...

Have great day..
joby

 Quote: joby becker

Connie....

Even so, I am positive more dogs have been killed or have suffered serious injuries in Schutzhund and KNPV than hardest hitting contests. I think there was SCH trial where 2 dogs died in the same trial just last year...(I think, I could be wrong)
joby

Ummm, sure, more dogs have been injured in SchH and KNPV trials than these backyard "HH" contests...........because there are *hundreds* of SchH and KNPV trials that go on every year, as they're organized sports, versus how many of these types of "HH" contests per year? Two maybe?
Just simple mathematics wins out there, no surprise.

However, a SchH or KNPV trial can award a dog a title that *means* something and is recognized worldwide as a significant accomplishment for training a dog - something that winning a "HH" contest doesn't.

I have to say I agree with what Will and others are saying. HH competitions to me at least, seem to only be there to get oohs and ahs from the crowd, I don't think they prove anything with regards to the dogs. Why take a chance on injury for nothing?

I see your point of view and it is noted, I too have seen some stupid, dangerous HH contests.

I also still say that the way WE execute ours is no more dangerous than a Sch courage test, or any other long send done even while training for courage tests. Safe catches by SCH certified decoys. Period..

Joby