How Not to Go Crazy Preparing Your Dog for a Show

Dogs, as a rule, do not realize the importance of the event (or maybe they are too aware), so they can behave in the ring in a completely different way from what you saw in your rainbow dreams. The pet may be frightened by noise or a crowd of strangers, go to sort things out with that impudent boxer over there, or (oh, horror!) growl at the expert. As a result, no matter how ideal a representative of the breed he is, he will receive a low rating. To avoid this disorder, you need to prepare the dog. Then she will certainly be imbued with the solemnity of the moment and show herself from the best side.

How to prepare your dog for the show

Quickly, as you know, only cats will be born. Preparing for an exhibition is serious business. It is divided into two stages.

Step 1

Teaching the kid important exhibition tricks: to stand correctly, show his teeth resignedly (do not bare his teeth, no), calmly respond to a crowd of people and a gang of dogs, move correctly around the ring.  We communicateYou can not even waste time walking. Combine business with pleasure: communicate with other dogs and people, introduce your pet to different objects, visit a variety of places, including crowded and noisy ones, reinforce the learned commands in the puppy’s memory.  RackAt 2 – 3 months, you can already begin to learn the stance.

1. Give your puppy a good walk and then place it on a flat surface. It is unlikely that he will like to remain still, therefore, no matter what happens, breathe evenly and repeat the motto of the great Carlson: “Calm, only calm!”
2. Align your baby’s front paws so they are straight and parallel to each other. The hind legs are slightly set back, slightly apart. The back should not be arched or hunched.
3. Get the puppy interested in something: he should lean forward a little, but not step (so hold his chest).
4. With the other hand, support the pet under the front paws or stomach. And do not skimp on the praise!

For the first time, 2 seconds is enough. Then the rack time increases. And at 9 months, your pet will already have to stand in this way for at least a minute.

 Scolding a puppy for “lack of diligence” is impossible. All impressions from exhibitions and preparations for them should be only positive.  Showing teethDon’t forget about showing your teeth? Excellent. Start exercising right now. Sit the dog down, grab the lower jaw with your left hand, lift your lips with your right hand so that the teeth and gums are exposed. At first, 1 second is enough, later increase the time for showing teeth.  We work out the gaitYou also need to be able to move around the ring. As a rule, dogs run at a sweeping trot. But if the pet is not prepared, he will joyfully gallop, or even begin to jump. It’s fun! Experts usually do not have such a good sense of humor, they are unlikely to appreciate it. Therefore, start by teaching the “Near” command. Remember that you will always move counterclockwise. Mark an area about 20 meters by 20 meters and practice. Angles are important: the dog must be able to turn beautifully and smoothly at the same time as you. It is also worth practicing to cross the ring diagonally – you may be asked about this. Just walk at first, so speed up. However, remember that your task is not to win the Olympic race. Different breeds have different pace of movement, choose your own and stick to it. 

Start using exhibition ammunition immediately. Just in case, let’s clarify: a strict collar is prohibited in the ring.

Step 2

The event is codenamed “St. Bartholomew’s Night”. The intensity of passions reaches its climax. You trim, cut, wash, comb your pet, brush his teeth and tidy his claws. And you are shaking so that he does not violate this beauty. But he manages to chase the cat and knock out a strand from the styling – and you comb him again. And brush your teeth again – just in case … To avoid misunderstandings, you can cut the dog in advance (for example, a month before a significant date). The groomer can make a mistake, in which case you will still have time to fix everything, instead of yelling: “The mustache is gone, boss!” Even if you do everything yourself, it is better to trust a specialist. Well, or train in advance. Very in advance. A week before the exhibition – a bath day. If you leave this for the last evening, you will wash away the natural oils from the skin, and the coat will appear dull. Examine the dog again. Once again. And … tell yourself “stop!” Stop and exhale. Leave the dog alone and take care of the selection of ammunition. By the way, the color of the “blazed eye” does not always look good, especially on light-colored dogs. And some collars may shed – check this in advance.