How do I find a breed mentor?

Question

This may be a stupid question, and I'm sorry if it is, but I'm looking for a mentor who can teach me about showing and breeding Dalmatians. The problem is, I'm very shy and don't know how to approach people about this, even if I knew where to look. What do I do?

Answer 1

Join a local all-breed club or (better yet, if you have one) a local Dalmatian club. You also could make inquiries of the national club, and see if they could put you in touch with someone local... many clubs have a mentor program. Also, go to any and all conformation shows you can... watch the Dals in the ring, hang out where most of the Dal people seem to be crating... introduce yourself, but find an appropriate time (after they have been in the ring, not before when they are busy and preoccupied). If anybody is carrying something heavy or lots of stuff, offer to help carry things for them LOL! Seriously!



ETA: I forgot about e-mail lists! There will be all sorts of Dalmatian Yahoo groups and other e-mail lists. Join all of 'em, figure out which ones are pet lists and remove yourself, and stay on the more serious ones. You will "meet" more folks this way than any other way, and you can lurk in the background as long as you want getting a feel for who is who. Introduce yourself after a while, and ask for help finding someone local to mentor you... actually, long-distance mentors can be useful, as well.

Answer 2

Start with the breed parent club. Contact some breeders in your state or within 100 miles of you and tell them you are interested in the breed. Ask to meet them at a show. Most fanciers love to talk about their breed and about dogs. I know many fanciers of many breeds and they all will help educate an interested person.

Go to a dog show and watch the Dals. Hang out at the ring. Find a person with more than one Dal and ask if you can ask them a question. Say "I am really interested in getting into showing and I love watching Dalmnatians, but I have no idea what to do about it". Don't mutter, because someone standing close by may hear you and jump in. Heck, I've seen a person use that approach and in a minute there were half a dozen fanciers (with more than eighty years experience between them) ready to impart their knowledge. After all, we're dog people.

Answer 3

Start with the breeder of your dog (if you already have one). If they are reputable and sold you a show/breeding prospect, they will want to mentor you or to refer you to someone they know in your area who is competent to mentor you.



If you don't already have a dog, or if your dog's breeder is not that reputable (i.e. unwilling to help teach you the ropes) then start by finding the closest breed club (start here: http://www.thedca.org/reg-club.html) the folks you want as mentors will be involved. Start with an e-mail, then once you have a bit of rapport, try to meet up at a club meeting or dog show. Go from there.



If you are a minor, the 4-H dog program (if there is a club in your area) and the AKC Juniors programs are great ways to find amazing kid-friendly mentoring and get an introduction into the dog world.



Good luck!

Answer 4

Start by joining your local kennel club. If you are under 18, enroll in 4H. Any conformation person can teach you how to show in conformation. The routine is the same for all breeds. For dals in general, join the national breed club. As far as shyness, you will have to figure out what will work best for you. I can tell that showing in conformation and being successful takes a confident person. You will develop confidence as you become more knowledgeable in the sport.

Answer 5

Fist your local AKC shows, show interest in the Dalmatians, and the breeders will start talking to you. Who doesn't love to talk about their dog. Let them know you are interested in getting stated with the breed.

Answer 6

contact the breed club.