How I got involved in dog shows after moving to France

We moved to France in 1994 because we wanted a simpler life for our children, then aged five and nine. 

We bought in Charente, but moved to Charente-Maritime in 2001.

Not long after arriving I got a pair of Yorkies as pets, but in France when you buy a pedigree puppy the pedigree is conditional. 

It has to be confirmed at a dog show when they are around 12-15 months old. 

So off I went to get their pedigrees confirmed at a dog show, and I had a great time. I made lots of friends and it was like a drug. I loved it. 

I ended up owning a dozen Yorkies. My dog breeding and showing career lasted 25 years. 

I eventually became a judge, and travelled all over Europe, the US and Canada.

In time, I discovered Chinese Crested dogs and I began breeding them and showing them instead of Yorkies. 

I just fell completely in love with my first Chinese Crested, and he won a lot of competitions. They are wonderful dogs, very lively and bright.

The best thing about showing dogs was the people I met. So many different people from all over the place. 

One amusing thing about French dog shows is that whether it is national or international, at midday everything stops for apéros and a proper lunch. 

It was a wonderful life. One year we went to Macedonia, Bosnia, all over the ex-Yugoslavian countries. 

Unless you have done it, you would never know what goes on at dog shows. 

It is not at all chichi. Some dogs are not even groomed, although the top level is very serious and posh, of course. 

I did not do it for money. In fact, it can be an expensive hobby. 

At that time, I was head of sales with the estate agency Beaux Villages. 

Now I am semi-retired and still work for them, but just as an agent. 

Entry to dog shows is between €25 to €100 depending on the age of the dog and the size of show. 

However, travel and accommodation are super costly. I have spent €1,000-plus to show in the US. 

In France, the most I spent was for the Championnat de France near Dijon, where I showed two dogs. With travel and five nights in a hotel it was expensive.

Some pedigree dog breeding in France is only about money. 

Most people, around 99%, are just passionate about their breed, but behind all that there are people breeding for financial gain. 

The definition of a grand élevage is a breeding facility with more than 200 breeding bitches, which gives pause for thought. 

There is a huge amount of rescue dog work to be done in France.

I don't breed dogs any more, but I still have six Chinese Cresteds, a pom and a chihuahua.

Jacqueline's tips for showing dogs

• Go to shows and talk to breeders before you buy a dog. Develop a passion for a particular breed. Do your homework – not just on the way the dog looks, but on temperament and behaviour.
• Visit breeders and find a breeder with the same values as you. You cannot buy the perfect dog, but your first dog will teach you more than any other dog you will have.
• Use your breeder as a mentor. Ask questions; get them to help you. Go to puppy training classes. They usually start at the rentrée. (There are very few specialised show training centres.)
• Start going to small local shows. Talk to people. Try to get informal mentors. Watch people who are showing their dogs, so you know what to do. Find shows and search for expositions and séances de confirmation on Centrale Canine. You always enter online.
• Enter a small local show and start to gain experience. Copy the way the people you admire handle their dogs.
• Learn to lose with grace. When you lose, smile and congratulate the winner. Remember, whether you win or lose, you always take the best dog home.