Originally Posted by pkb1

you will definitely NEED ringcraft, an experienced exhibitor might get away withnot attending classes but certainly not a complete novice with a big powerful dog!.........Proffesional handlerswill only take on "good" stock.........not being derogatory but unless you get the dog out and seen at shows there's not much hope of getting a pro, to show him.Besides its 90 % of the joy and fun doing it yourself, anm d if you have to pay a handler you will either have to board the dog at the handlers home/kennels [ not cheap!] or get it to every show anyway some how............so if you have to go you might as well show yourself...........you'd be EXTREMELY lucky to find a handler on your door step so you still have the problems of the handler charging you to come to your home every week to take the dog for his/her one hour class [ not feasable if they live more than a few miles away!] or you doing without your dog for months at a time whilst on the curcuit with the handler................hard to integrate dogs back into the home every few months too especially if it has been kenneled outdoors!............fighting big dogs is not funny!....neither is a non housetrained adult [ or for that matter BIG puppy] poo'ing on the lounge carpet................i think you'd definitely do better to find someone you could just pay petrol costs too and having a go yourselves................with the money you'd save NOT having a handler you could learn to drive.............lol
Pauline