The one day show was a rarity, most were scheduled to
last between two and six days, exhibits expected to be
available, and on view for the whole of that time, dogs
often sent unaccompanied, and handled by staff
provided by the promoting company. Panels of two or
three judges usually conferred together on each breed,
but the small number of available judges, with the same
ones appearing at each, and every show, made it difficult
for those with dogs which did not appeal to the prevalent judges of the day.
Despite the popularity of all things Scottish, and Queen Victoria’s attraction to the Collie, Sheep-Dog entries, which included Rough, Smooth, and Shaggy Collies as well as Old English Sheepdogs, were not numerous.
The first decade of formal canine exhibitions producing only 26 known opportunities to promote the breed, although there may well have been occasions where records failed to survive the passage of time. 1861 saw just three shows, at Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester, scheduling suitable classes. The situation remaining unchanged at the end of the decade, with Sheep-Dog classes confined to Crystal Palace, the first show to schedule separate classes for Rough and Smooth Coated Sheepdogs, Birmingham and Manchester in 1870.
