The Kennel Club is becoming increasingly concerned at the amount of electrical equipment being used by exhibitors at shows, including hair dryers and hair straighteners and other grooming devices.
Electrical equipment should not be brought to shows unless absolutely necessary. In rare instances where it might be required, it should be PAT tested and permission sought from the secretary of the show before it is used.
The Kennel Club has also been informed of recent instances of exhibitors commandeering certain areas of a venue in order to have access to powerpoints so as to use electrical grooming equipment. This is totally unacceptable and particularly unfair on the breeds whose allocated areas have been cramped because of this selfish behaviour.
A Kennel Club spokesperson said: “The number of exhibitors using electrical equipment at shows appears to be on the increase, which is of concern to both show societies and the Kennel Club. We have even heard of instances of dogs being brought along to shows sopping-wet, which is totally unnecessary as most grooming should be done at home, with the dog merely requiring a quick ‘brush up’ before it goes in the ring. These are conformation dog shows and not grooming competitions, after all.”