Training You & Your Pup

Training your puppy for the ring is also required. When you first select your pup you need to work especially hard to get them out and about to socialize them to new situations, sights and sounds. I like to take mine to Home Depot or PetSmart.Just know that at PetSmart they will be admired and you'll have to talk to people who will ask you lots of questions.At Home Depot there is less attention paid to a puppy in one of their larger and deeper carts.

I take a pad along in either case to keep themfrom getting a paw caught in the holes in the bottom of the carts. In warm weather, you can also walk them on the sidewalk in front of most stores. This gets them  leash training and socialization.

A Handling, or Conformation classes, ae usually offered by your local all breed dog club. You can find the contacts for these organizations on the AKC web site. If you contact the club's secretary for information they can tell you how to proceed.

Once or twice a week, for a month or two should be extremely helpful for both the new exhibitor and/or a new show pup., but daily training sessions are important. Pups have a short attention span, so keep them short and simple, one to 3 minutes several times a day is better than one 30 minute lesson a day.

I start table training as soon as I can. I simply put the pup up on any flat surface and get them used to it. In the kitchen, a piece of Rubbermaid shelf liner will make the surface less slippery and give the pup more confidence. This is helpful if you don't have a grooming table, but any surface will work. I've used a sturdy coffee table, footstools, etc., and I just set the pup up in a stack, and if the pup stands still for even 5 seconds, I give lots of praise.
Small pieces of cheese or chicken, liver, whatever you'd like to use for "bait" will keep the pup's attention, but remember, it may not be the direction to go once you're actually showing the dog.



I started using bait in the ring, but have now moved to using it as a lure to keep attention only, and only give it to the dog after we've left the ring and the dog is not thinking about it. The reason, I want them to focus on me, not the bait. I want them to not associate getting it as soon as we leave the ring, so they don't try to bolt for the exit when we're going around past it. I do give them some if they win, while we're waiting for the ribbon.

For a new exhibitor, bait is a two-edged sword in my opinion. You need to have yourself trained and comfortable with using and moving the lead. This isn't always easy, and having a piece of meat in your hand makes it harder. It is the reason to learn how to use it sparingly, so you're only managing  a small piece while in the ring.

Show attire isn't something anyone talks about much, but it is important if you want to be taken seriously. As a new exhibitor, you might want to check out the Junior Handling competition. This is the part of an AKC Dog Show that involves youngsters competing with each other on their handling skills.



There will be a wide spread on the skills at the Novice level, but the Seniors should give you a good idea of how the judges expect you to present your dog. Remember, in this sport you're competing with professionals. If you expect to win, you need to present yourself in a way that shows you're serious.I've had the experience of attending a George Alston seminar and I can tell you some of what I've learned over the years, but each person has to find their own way of showing. Some are more at ease, some pick it up easier, but the bottom line, you are there to present your dog to the judge in the best possible light. That means you should be all but invisible to the judge. Nothing you do should detract or distract the judge's vision of your dog.

Why do people complain that they lost to a professional handler? You hear it a lot among the owner handlers. If they think they have a better dog, perhaps they should consider improving their handling skills.

Handling involves more than taking the dog around the ring, putting it on the table, and not making mistakes. It involves a lot of hard work from the training of the dog and how it's groomed, to knowing how to show the dog in a manner that brings out it's best qualities. It's about looking like you're making an effort, not waiting for a bus, while you're waiting your turn on the table. It's about making sure the dog isn't just on the end of the leash, but presenting the best picture possible, each time the judge's eyes are on the dog.

Watching people in the ring I sometimes wonder what they're there for. They don't even glance at the dog, and either stand there looking bored, or chat away with those next to them, or even folks outside the ring. The dog isn't focused, why would it be? The handler isn't focused, so why do they expect to win? Would a participant in any other sport expect to win if they were not focused? Just an observation.

Good manners, good sportsmanship, and good grooming never go out of style. Practice all three, learn by observation, read up on the subject, talk to the professionals another one better, that doesn't mean he, or she, loves you any less!

Show Equipment

Now that you have that special pup, what's next? What equipment do you need to get started with that special new pup? The right show lead is the most important piece of equipment needed to show the dog.

Second, is good grinder to keep those toenails nice and short. Third, in my opinion, is a really good pair of thinning shears. I would assume you already have a nice brush, even pets need a good brushing on a regular basis, but I also like a nice metal flea type comb for removing dead undercoat.

Next, you need some kind of crate, unless you're only taking one Pug to the ring, and you don't mind hold it for several minutes during the down time outside the ring.

If you bring a crate, you'll probably want a crate dolly. Of course no one starts off with all that, but one dash to the ring from the parking lot, carrying a dog to avoid mud puddles, in the pouring rain, and you'll figure out it's easier to pull the dolly while your Prince, or Princess, rides safely inside the dry plastic crate.

If you have a big coat with a hood (I live where it rains a lot), with a grooming coat over your show clothes, can prevent arriving with a soaked, mud caked show dog, too, so it's up to you how you want to arrive at the ring.

Ring side, some folks carry a chair and/or grooming table, tack box for those last minute touch-ups, or wipe-downs, as I call it, water bottle for you and your Pug, and  any additional weather appropriate equipment. These might include a battery operated fan, cool matt, etc., whatever you need to be comfortable and ready to show your dog.

All this extra stuff, however helpful, is just along for the ride. The only thing you need is that show lead, and the dog, of course!