Uff.
I have and have had a lot of expensive hobbies. Photography (film and digital), astrophotography (this is in a class of it’s own), flying, traveling, showing dogs… this list honestly could go on and on and on.
But when it comes to showing dogs in my isolated region it’s both a blessing and a curse to be as isolated as we are.
It’s a blessing because there isn’t a lot of Newfoundland competition and it seems like the people of the Newf world forget we exist. Not just the Newf world, the rest of the world too. That’s the real reason I live here… I don’t like people.
It’s a curse because aside from the two “local” shows a year, and by local I mean they are the only two dog shows in my state, everything else is a five-plus hour drive. And that alone gets pricey with gas priced the way it is and having to get a hotel for the nights I plan to be at the show.
The Show Entry
Yes, you do have to pay money to enter a show. The price of the show depends on the importance of the show.
Regular Shows
The price for a regular show is anywhere from $30-35 per day or per show. That can be plus or minus an extra $5 depending on how you choose to enter. You can enter online or by mailing in the entry form.
I typically only show on the weekends meaning Saturday and Sunday. I cannot be bothered to use my hard-earned PTO on a dog show except for a couple of hours here and there to leave early on Fridays. While I do truly enjoy dog shows, they just aren’t worth it for me.
I will however take off extra days for my local ones where I can drive home at the end of the day and sleep in my bed. And the occasional national specialty.
Regional Specialties
Regional Specialties are typically the same price as a regular show. You can expect to pay somewhere in the $30-$35 range depending on the show superintendent and how you choose to enter.
Regional Specialties are shows that are sponsored by the regional Newfoundland club to bring in a larger entry than what a regular show might bring in. Since it is sponsored by the regional club, it is called a regional specialty.
National Specialties
The Newfoundland National Specialty in 2024 costs $45 per entry for a conformation class.
National Specialties are put on by the Newfoundland Club of America annually and are a week-long event with multiple different events occurring during the week. Typically they are in a different part of the country every year. For 2024 the show will be in Duluth, Minnesota, and 2025 the show will be in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Gas
Gas prices are ridiculous. When are they going to officially say they have invented a car that can run on tap water? Realistically I know the answer is never, they have to leach every one of those dollars out of your pocket.
Anyway, on a five-hour trip, I use about a tank of gas there and a tank of gas back. Depending on the current price of gas that can cost me anywhere from $120-$160 in an average-sized SUV.
If you are planning on hauling a camper trailer to save on hotel and eating-out costs, you can expect your gas bill to be more expensive, but I would hope you’d know that since you own a camper.
Hotels
Ever since I stopped traveling on the regular, hotels have given me the heebee geebees. But thankfully I do have some residual perks from my globetrotting days, like credit card rewards points. Most of my stays are covered by a credit card.
However if I did not have credit card points or if I could not find a hotel to redeem my points on, a place to stay could cost me anywhere from $85 for a room in an Airbnb to $130 plus a pet charge for a hotel room.
If you want to get involved in showing dogs and do not have a camper trailer (putting one on my wishlist!) I strongly recommend doing research into a hotel rewards credit card.
Food
I feel like I’m an odd duck when it comes to food at a dog show, but I might be more normal than I give myself credit for, especially as costs continue to rise in the world.
I tend to bring a cooler full of my food for the weekend.
Not only do I now have ridiculous dietary restrictions because I am convinced most of the food sold to us is poison, I just don’t want to spend the extra dollary-dos when I can make a pasta salad and some egg sandwiches to bring along for the trip.
If you want to experience the food in the city you are showing in, you can expect to spend anywhere from $20-$30 a meal. Life is expensive now.
Photos
Did you win? Is this your first win? One of the required major wins? Your championship win? Of course, you need to get a photo!
Show photos cost anywhere from $40-$60 depending on the photographer. Most offer their photos in a digital or print format nowadays and can be purchased right from their website.
Grooming Space
You can reserve an indoor space for grooming. A lot of people opt to do this. I on the other hand opt to groom my dogs near the car. Saves money on having to reserve a space. But there are things you have to deal with if you opt to do it that way.
I have had this be an issue for me a couple of different times when it was raining. I do not have a pop up shelter to keep us dry (also on the wishlist of items!), Stitch and I did get a bit wet those days.
I have also had some really horrible people move all of my grooming stuff so they could park their car right next to mine while I was off getting my number and finding the ring. I had gotten there early and gotten a good parking spot they felt entitled to since they showed up a good hour after me.
Lack of power. If you need to blow out your dogs coat before going in the ring you will need to plan on an alternative. Sometimes, you might luck out and find a great space with a power source, but don’t count on it if you don’t pay for a spot.
Additional Items Needed for the Show
This is a one-time fee category, as in you buy it once or not very often. These are things you should have in your grooming arsenal for your Newfie whether you plan to show or not, so I’m not really sure it’s fair to add them to the cost of showing.
You will also need a grooming table, grooming equipment, specialty shampoos and conditioners, brushes, blow dryers, scissors, this list, like my expensive hobbies, also goes on and on.
Totaling it All Up
For a two-day weekend, shows can be done on the semi-cheap, but expect to pay around $300-$500.
So there you have it. Dog shows are expensive. But don’t let the price deter you from entering your dog if you want to try your hand at earning a championship.
And always remember, as much as it is a competition to see who’s dog more closely matches the breed standard, it’s all just a game and a form of gambling. Some people go to the casino to throw their money away. Others throw their money away at a dog show for the chance they get that beautiful purple ribbon with winners inked in gold on it.
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