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Dog shows - all you need to know
All around the world, a large number of dog breeders and owners prepare their dogs for dog shows. If you're interested in preparing your dog for a show, or you just want to find a reputable and responsible dog breeder, you should attend events like these.
What are dog shows
"Dog shows, specifically conformation shows, are events in which purebred dogs compete against each other based on their breeds' standards." (Source: AKC)
The main purpose of dog shows is not to compare dogs one to another, but to compare dogs to general standards for their breed. Why is this important?
The better dog conforms to standards, the better will his reproductive "power" be: its puppies will be closer to a breed's standards. That's why mix breed and spayed/neutered dogs are not eligible for dog shows.
If you want to win, you should do 2 things:
- know your dog breed's standards
- prepare your dog as best as you can
Search the internet and find all the standards for the specific dog breed and what the judges are searching for. Be objective: know where is your dog now in the dog show training process, and do as much as you can to bring everything to perfection.
Prepare your dog for dog shows
"Victory loves preparation" - the same goes for dog shows! According to the article by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS, there are 2 parts of preparing, or to be specific - training your dog for a dog show.
First part is preparing your dog for dog show training:
- make sure your dog is eligible to participate
- attend some dog shows
- get the right lead
- enter your dog in a local ring raft class
The second part is the actual training:
- practice gaiting
- teach your dog to “hand stack"
- teach your dog to "free stack"
- bait train your dog
- teach the dog to tolerate the examination
- start showing for local clubs
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