@lvoss:
I suppose it depends on the male. My boy Nicky has always shown better with girls in season around. He has a reason to strut his stuff I guess. He stands taller, gaits nicer, just pretty much screams, "Hey girls, look at me!"
As for a higher risk for infection, I really don't think I have heard of any correlation with attending shows with an in season bitch and an increased occurence of pyometra. It is common practice in the United States to show girls in season and often nearly all the girls at the BCOA Nationals are in season either because they were when they got there or they were brought in by everyone else.
There doesnt really have to be any hard and fast proven correlation of infection in bitches shown in season for me. The fact that whilst in season the risk of picking up an infection is far higher, and the fact that many, many people will take sick dogs to show is enough to put me off showing an in season bitch. Would rather rule out the risk as much as possible Its only a show afterall, i dont think a prize card should ever be put above a dogs health!
Basi - never mind showing in the states, i wouldn't wanna judge over there :p Yuk!