Show Teams - Page 1

This may seem awkward, posting in the conformation section, but it is definitely a part of conformation exhibition.

How do people end up in kennel partnerships?  I can see the pros and the cons, but do the pros really outweight the cons?  At what point do people consider kennel partnerships, and why?

I do think that the pros outweigh the cons.  There may be more time flexibility (if one person can't go to a show, then the other one may be able to) and more resources (investing in dogs, purchasing stuff in bulk...)

Kennel partnerships require a lot of trust, integrity honesty, respect and history, best if both parties have known each other for a long time.  Both parties need to have the same breeding goals and preference for the same "type" of dog.   Both parties need to contribute equally (if one contributes more money or space then the other may need to contribute more training or time, etc.)
Rare is the kennel partnership that lasts. 

I have a really good friend who raises working line dogs.  I trust and respect my friend, they are honest and have integrity, I have a history with my friend with both high and low points that have shown me just what a good friend I have.  We share resources and help often. 
But I'll never go into a kennel partnership with my friend, because we have different breeding goals. 

If you mean wearing the same t-shirts and sitting under the same EZ-Up at shows, mostly it's just being friends or having a dog from that kennel.  Usually when I'm at a show I'm kind of by my lonesome so I'll glom onto some kennel team that is friendly even if I don't have dogs from them.  Mostly they have plenty of handlers availabe.  They get paid for another dog; I get a handler that knows what they're doing, so it's a win-win.

The team is a necessary part of the GSD program. Nobody, I repeat nobody does it successfully alone. Find a breeder that has accomplished what you want to accomplish. No one can get you where you want to go unless they have been there themselves. Find one with similar goals and objectives. Check a few references. See how long the people that are on the team have been on the team (sign of retention ability). Distance is a factor. Cost is a factor. Be prepared to discuss what you can offer the team. Go from there. It's a place to start.

Oh, I wasn't looking to join anybody's team.  I was just curious in general.  AmLine GSD "teams" are also much different than the ones in Euro circles.

Good advice though, which I appreciate.

Dog1 and Euro great posts and I agree. I am in a partnership with my mentor. When I met her I was interested in conformation showing and because she had been doing it a few years (over 30) I told her maybe we could get together. Once I got my hands on one of her dogs, I really liked them, and when I found out how she was mixing the lines I was even more into it. Now we are very good friends, we have the same goals, mostly.......She has taught me so much about the breed, structure wise--her mother is our driver when we go to shows and one day we're going to a show and she asked me if I ever felt like I was at school. I told her yep and loving every second of it. But as has b een said before, you have to be very honest about the whole deal. Being mentored to start with, you definately have to pay your dues. Most people will help anyone but they want to make sure they are for real. First time I ever met her, I proved that to her by things I said. And I have kept that same attitude, never backed down from anything I said................these guys treat me like family and we help each other in different ways. It's a give and take situation. She knows the American lines, I know the German lines (working and DDR mostly) so we click in that way, I put mostly up there because there are things I want to do just a little different and even so we have talked about it and agreed upon it. She did an AI breeding not long ago--puppies due the 10th that I'm not sure I would have done but I agree with why she did it. Complete outcross to a beautiful American dog, Dash, owned by Carmen Battaglia, who is also a personal friend of her family. So yes at the Nationals every year I get to pick his brain. But anyway I will stick with her to the end and I have never regretted getting hooked up with her. So many goals I had and KNEW I needed help and now I am seeing things materialize.

I have not been a member of a "team" in the SV meaning. However when I showed AKC, co-ownerships worked very well for me. I had 3 daughters and a 6-7 day a week job and a very poor location for placing puppies, so co-ownership with people who could make shows was very beneficial.

The downside for the sponsor is that maybe 1 in a 100 will actually uphold their end of the bargain. The upside for the novice is the opportunity to benefit from many years of experience of the breeder and maybe bypass some of the horror stories we read here.

Anyway, an interesting question and kudos to Xeph for asking.

Rik