SHOWING DOGS
Introduction
You have now been told either by your breeder or by someone in the circle of dog showing enthusiasts you have a very nice looking dog why don't you show him/her?
Where do you start? Your breeder may not be close to hand to start you of on the path.
Dog showing can be daunting the first time you step inside that ring.
No matter how much you look forward to showing off your dog.
There is much preparation before hand as a novice.
This page is I hope a little help to get you on your path to a very enjoyable hobby.
A very expensive hobby as dog showing is not a penny a show.
Dog showing is also a great way to meet people in your breed and many other breeds.
Your classes maybe held in midweek usually around 6.30pm-8.30pm
They will charge a few pence from everyone at the entrance to cover there expense of having these classes.
It could be a local community hall or church hall.
You arrive at your ring craft even this is a little nerve racking. Just remember you're not the only novice!
You could look at this situation in a couple of ways.
1. All these people except a few could be well known breeders or exhibitors and I will make a complete fool of myself.
2. Some novices as yourself with some experts.
You have the knowledge and wisdom of the experienced or you have great fun with your dog learning.
After all we all started somewhere!
Introduction
You have now been told either by your breeder or by someone in the circle of dog showing enthusiasts you have a very nice looking dog why don't you show him/her?
Where do you start? Your breeder may not be close to hand to start you of on the path.
Dog showing can be daunting the first time you step inside that ring.
No matter how much you look forward to showing off your dog.
There is much preparation before hand as a novice.
This page is I hope a little help to get you on your path to a very enjoyable hobby.
A very expensive hobby as dog showing is not a penny a show.
Dog showing is also a great way to meet people in your breed and many other breeds.
Your classes maybe held in midweek usually around 6.30pm-8.30pm
They will charge a few pence from everyone at the entrance to cover there expense of having these classes.
It could be a local community hall or church hall.
You arrive at your ring craft even this is a little nerve racking. Just remember you're not the only novice!
You could look at this situation in a couple of ways.
1. All these people except a few could be well known breeders or exhibitors and I will make a complete fool of myself.
2. Some novices as yourself with some experts.
You have the knowledge and wisdom of the experienced or you have great fun with your dog learning.
After all we all started somewhere!
Tommy aged 6 months
Bait in hand resting onto my bum bag keeping Tommy's attention
Rottweiler's are normally shown using bait. This could be boiled ox liver cut into bite size bits or your dog's favourite treat. Now there is a lesson in this part alone.
Don't be cutting them into bite size bits literarily! Let's not have our dog chomping away when we need him to look like he/she is a champion when the judge arrives to you for inspection.
When baiting we use either a bum bag or pockets of our jacket
(A little plastic bag might come in handy here inside your pocket.)
There will be many other breeds at your ring craft classes.
There maybe other Rottweiler owners able to give you help and advice how to get the best out of your dog.
Remember your dog must see this as fun.
A game if you start off like that you will get ten times back from your dog.
Rottweilers are easy to learn making things into a game and lots of praise that comes with it you shouldn't look back.
Starting with a puppy it's a great way to socialise with other dogs and people too.
The ring craft class you join maybe a hall with long rubber mat.
This maybe in a format of one mat straight up and down the hall or it may look like a triangle.
Everyone with there dogs will be standing around this mat and at the top will be your judge.
Everyone will take it in turn to arrive at the judge you will stand your dog in the rottie pose for the judge to have a good look at your dogs conformation and to gently lay there hands over your dogs body, looking and feeling for the construction.
And also ask to see the dogs teeth if they are all there and to look at pigmentation within the mouth.
Rottweiler's are normally shown using bait. This could be boiled ox liver cut into bite size bits or your dog's favourite treat. Now there is a lesson in this part alone.
Don't be cutting them into bite size bits literarily! Let's not have our dog chomping away when we need him to look like he/she is a champion when the judge arrives to you for inspection.
When baiting we use either a bum bag or pockets of our jacket
(A little plastic bag might come in handy here inside your pocket.)
There will be many other breeds at your ring craft classes.
There maybe other Rottweiler owners able to give you help and advice how to get the best out of your dog.
Remember your dog must see this as fun.
A game if you start off like that you will get ten times back from your dog.
Rottweilers are easy to learn making things into a game and lots of praise that comes with it you shouldn't look back.
Starting with a puppy it's a great way to socialise with other dogs and people too.
The ring craft class you join maybe a hall with long rubber mat.
This maybe in a format of one mat straight up and down the hall or it may look like a triangle.
Everyone with there dogs will be standing around this mat and at the top will be your judge.
Everyone will take it in turn to arrive at the judge you will stand your dog in the rottie pose for the judge to have a good look at your dogs conformation and to gently lay there hands over your dogs body, looking and feeling for the construction.
And also ask to see the dogs teeth if they are all there and to look at pigmentation within the mouth.
Don't worry if at this point your puppy is playing around and doesn't like the idea of some stranger or even you wanting to open his/her mouth never force the issue.
It must remain fun.
What would be in the puppy's mind at this point? Who is this?
Why open my mouth?
Just a gentle quick look over by the judge will be fine at this point.
The judge will then ask you to move your dog. You will keep your dog on your left side and at a trotting pace move up the mat to the end and then back again. This will be done twice.
Talk to your puppy with words of encouragement don't worry that people will be listening we all do it at sometime.
It must remain fun.
What would be in the puppy's mind at this point? Who is this?
Why open my mouth?
Just a gentle quick look over by the judge will be fine at this point.
The judge will then ask you to move your dog. You will keep your dog on your left side and at a trotting pace move up the mat to the end and then back again. This will be done twice.
Talk to your puppy with words of encouragement don't worry that people will be listening we all do it at sometime.
Moving coming towards the judge
Moving away from the judge
On your return to the judge have a quick look to see where the judge is standing and place your dog in the pose again using your little bit of bait to attract your puppy's attention or your puppies favourite toy.
Lilly standing for a toy
Your puppy can be standing with feet all over the place at this point the first lesson is learning your puppy to stand still.
The command used at this point is usually wait or stand you choose.
Some move into the stand naturally
The command used at this point is usually wait or stand you choose.
Some move into the stand naturally
Once this has been done on many occasions your puppy will learn to enjoy the attention from this person
and learn that they are not in anyway a threat, this can be quite a pleasant experience.
Always praise your dog after the judge has done there examination or give little titbit for a reward.
You may find after a few weeks of doing this your puppy will start to pay more and more attention to where your hands are. When put your hand into the bum bag or pocket its treat time.
There attention will be focussed on you the judge in the background will be ignored.
This is when refinement of your Rottie pose can be achieved.
This will be more detailed in the pictures trying to put that into words is daunting for me!
and learn that they are not in anyway a threat, this can be quite a pleasant experience.
Always praise your dog after the judge has done there examination or give little titbit for a reward.
You may find after a few weeks of doing this your puppy will start to pay more and more attention to where your hands are. When put your hand into the bum bag or pocket its treat time.
There attention will be focussed on you the judge in the background will be ignored.
This is when refinement of your Rottie pose can be achieved.
This will be more detailed in the pictures trying to put that into words is daunting for me!
YOUR FIRST SHOW
Always start with an open show.
This supports your local dog clubs and is great practice for you, your dog and the up and coming judges to the dog world. These shows are also cheaper to enter than your championship shows.
The best papers to find out the information where any open or championship shows are held is the Dog world or Our dogs.
These are available from your big newsagents or can be ordered through your local newsagent.
There will be advertisements for dog show society's up and coming open/championship show.
Call the secretary for a schedule this will be posted to you or look online nowadays to can enter online.
It will contain a list of your judge's who will judge the various breeds.
These will be placed into groups; the Rottweiler will be under the working group, it will also contain rules and regulations for the show. Don't get flustered about these they can look quite confusing you will learn about these as you go on showing.
There will also contain an entry form where all your dogs' details will have to complete.
Those are your dogs registered details from his/her registration form.
You will pay a fee for entering your class along with a catalogue.
Always start with an open show.
This supports your local dog clubs and is great practice for you, your dog and the up and coming judges to the dog world. These shows are also cheaper to enter than your championship shows.
The best papers to find out the information where any open or championship shows are held is the Dog world or Our dogs.
These are available from your big newsagents or can be ordered through your local newsagent.
There will be advertisements for dog show society's up and coming open/championship show.
Call the secretary for a schedule this will be posted to you or look online nowadays to can enter online.
It will contain a list of your judge's who will judge the various breeds.
These will be placed into groups; the Rottweiler will be under the working group, it will also contain rules and regulations for the show. Don't get flustered about these they can look quite confusing you will learn about these as you go on showing.
There will also contain an entry form where all your dogs' details will have to complete.
Those are your dogs registered details from his/her registration form.
You will pay a fee for entering your class along with a catalogue.
A closing date for the entry and of you go and post it.
Keep up with the lessons and attend your first show.
Keep up with the lessons and attend your first show.
Show day has arrived.
When you arrive at your show on entry you will see a club official at the door giving out catalogues etc. Pick yours up and look in there for your ring that your dog will be exhibited in. Look for the working group and then Rottweiler's. Your dog will have been entered as a number in the catalogue. This can be found along side where your name appears in the catalogue. Look for your class also; you will see your dogs name alongside others you're competing against. Memorise this number, as you will be required to ask your ring steward for your number. You will be given this and you will clip it to your ring clip that by this time you should have or bought on the day of the show.
This day is what you have been practising for.
You may come away with a placing or you may not but don't let that get you down.
I have always told new owners who have decided to go on the show path.
There may have been one judge in the ring but there are many others who are on the outside looking in. who will disagree with that judge's decision!
This lesson you will learn as you become more involved in showing. You will yourself become one of those looking in and making your own decision on what you thought was the best.
Good luck.
Remember you took the best dog home!
When you arrive at your show on entry you will see a club official at the door giving out catalogues etc. Pick yours up and look in there for your ring that your dog will be exhibited in. Look for the working group and then Rottweiler's. Your dog will have been entered as a number in the catalogue. This can be found along side where your name appears in the catalogue. Look for your class also; you will see your dogs name alongside others you're competing against. Memorise this number, as you will be required to ask your ring steward for your number. You will be given this and you will clip it to your ring clip that by this time you should have or bought on the day of the show.
This day is what you have been practising for.
You may come away with a placing or you may not but don't let that get you down.
I have always told new owners who have decided to go on the show path.
There may have been one judge in the ring but there are many others who are on the outside looking in. who will disagree with that judge's decision!
This lesson you will learn as you become more involved in showing. You will yourself become one of those looking in and making your own decision on what you thought was the best.
Good luck.
Remember you took the best dog home!
