Horrendous Handling Blunders

[BittyMooPeeb]

I made a huge handling error at a show yesterday. When the judge started to move the first dog in the BIG lineup, I took my girl back from the line for a little sniff break, only to turn around and see a dog after me in the lineup being run . I just assumed that the judge would run each BOB winner (nice day, no time constraints, no announcement from the judge that he would only be moving some exhibits, etc). I don't know if we would have been run or not, but I was so embarrassed at having my dog absent and my back to the judge as he came past .

So I have learned two lessons:

- DON'T turn your back to the judge

- DON'T assume (anything LOL).

What handling blunders have others had, so we can all laugh learn from them?

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Something I did more than once with my first dog who had a very sound front: I'd move the front feet after she pulled up beautifully.

I know I did it more than once because more than once I had a judge say "she was fine before you tried to fix her".

Have also done the usual stupid things like calling a female judge/steward Sir and getting so nervous I fiddled the dog's lead right off its head without noticing. Fortunately said dog was sensible enough to just stay there anyway.

Edited April 27, 2010 by SkySoaringMagpie

[GoldenWei]

At my first show the judge asked me to do a triangle, no idea what I did, but it definately wasn't a triangle.

At the Royal this year in baby puppy sweepstakes Willow was the first dog in the line-up for gundogs, after the judge looked her over, she said to take her round to the end of the line, well instead of gaiting her around the length of the ring and to the end, I just took he straight back to the end of the line!!! Major stuff up....

[poodlefan]

The only dumb thing I've done recently was continue holding my dog in his stack while the judge stood there holding his hand out to award him BOB. Took me over 10 seconds to realise.

Note to self - look at the judge ya drongo!

Havent fallen over in a Championship show but did during judges training - narrowly missed a star picket too.

Edited April 27, 2010 by poodlefan

[kendall]

My first show (club show with baby puppy), the steward told me to go straight to the table so I picked Amber up and carried her to the table oops

[fifi]

Oh dear, how long have you got ??!!!!

My first show, the judge waved his arm at the ring and said..."go round and do a triangle"....my poor nerve addled mind went into meltdown and I did some weird hexagonal or something...the judge said crossly..."what sort of geometric nightmare was that"? and I felt the tears well up !!

Think I've mentioned this one, but my boy Navarre & I were a few steps into our run round the ring, when the clip broke on the lead. I stopped and stood there like an idiot wondering what had happened, while Navarre continued his circle and had stopped at the judge, stacked himself and was patiently waiting. My nerves took over and instead of walking straight over to my dog, I RAN AROUND THE RING to arrive there !!!! lots of laughter at ringside & the judge - who by this time was laughing and goin over my boy, said to me...."you didn't really need to be here did you"?!!!!

My nerves still make it hard for me to see or hear, although I think I'm marginally better than my first show !!!

fifi

[Kaffy Magee]

OMG Fifi, that had me in stitches....I can just imagine it....Did anyone get it on camera by any chance?,lol.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Kaffy Magee

[angelsophie]

slightly OT but you guys need to print this kind of stuff off into an australian beginners show book! something with a little sense of humor thrown in would be awesome........BMP sounds like something for you when I was contemplating showing this is what I looked for but couldnt find out there. Although I did have your stories gail and jo laughing when my dog pooped in his first metre of walking in a showring ever. I was so nervous the judge had to tell me to stop so he could poop judge commented "bet he walks better now" with a hearty laugh -thankdog the judge was awesome and chatty and relaxed me

[Poo-Fong]

My very first show, I did a lovely triangle... only problem was that it was backwards!

Not really a blunder as such but have gone A over T whilst running a Standard Poodle for group... I dropped his lead but thankfully he was good enough to come back to me while I was still laying on the ground... he had this look on his face as if to say "what on earth are you doing, woman?!" I picked myself up, took his lead, finished my lap of the ring and slotted back into line...

Funnily enough, I did NOT get group that day.... thought that performance would have at least deserved RUBIG due to the sympathy vote!

[nabs]

Fifi what a crack up! Just loved your story!

[fifi]

hehehe Kaffy, luckily no camera that day, but Navarre did take I think it was RUBIG !!! (WITH me in the ring!!)

PD888(with the square thing at each end) I love your backward triangle !! I've gone AoverT as well, but luckily I hung on to the lead !! and no sympathy vote on the day for me either !

Reisanhaft (just realised it was you !) yes, I'm a goose, my nerves get me, which is usually good for a laugh ! The broken clip one was at Moree some years ago !!

fifi

[Guest CaptainCourageous]

Nah, don't worry about looking up at the judge, just concentrate on making your dog look good.

If the judge has to tap you on the shoulder that's fine, you've still won and the rest of the world has seen a good looking dog for a few seconds longer.

[Bisart Dobes]

Good lord how long have you got.

In a really muddy ring I went AoverT once and nearly landed on my poor minor puppy boy who then proceeded to jump on me and lick me ofcourse - finally very embarassedly picked myself up and ran around to the end of the challenge lineup - settled myself and my boy went onto get RCC, RUBOB & Minor In Show - Yup I managed to stay on my feet and when I came out of the GS Ring our group judge said to me with a smile on her face - see that was worth falling over wasn't it . NO !!

At a specialty after the judge had gone over my dog she sent us on the out and back and then around the ring - on the around the lead slipped off my finger, my boy just kept on moving so I just stayed with him - he stood in front of the judge looking up at me like a good boy and then when the judge was about to send us around to the end of the line - she said with a smile on her face - 'around to the end of the line thankyou and pick up the lead if you need it' . . .

And the day I fractured my toe was probably one of the funniest - running around the ring and my shoe got caught in a slimy clump of taller grass (really bad ring), nearly fell on my poor girl, but managed to dislodge my foot and keep on moving forward hoping like !!!! I wouldn't fall over - only to finally stop and look up to see that my face was about one foot away from the judges groin ;) and he was standing there with a stunned look on his face with his arms out ready to catch me (or stop me from hitting him ) - once I had my balance he very calmly said with a very straight face "perhaps we should do that again she was a bit off balance" . And yep, I actually managed to fracture my toe which took eight weeks to heal properly - everyone thought that was just hilarious and kept saying that the judge looked more than happy to catch me (protecting himself more like it ) . . .

I alone could write that book .

[fifi]

OMG Bisart, are we related ?!!!

When I went for my AoverT, the lovely judge actually picked me up off the ground !!!

fifi

[Lowenhart]

I made a huge handling error at a show yesterday. When the judge started to move the first dog in the BIG lineup, I took my girl back from the line for a little sniff break, only to turn around and see a dog after me in the lineup being run . I just assumed that the judge would run each BOB winner (nice day, no time constraints, no announcement from the judge that he would only be moving some exhibits, etc). I don't know if we would have been run or not, but I was so embarrassed at having my dog absent and my back to the judge as he came past .

So I have learned two lessons:

- DON'T turn your back to the judge

- DON'T assume (anything LOL).

What handling blunders have others had, so we can all laugh learn from them?

You were not alone in moving back from the line at that show. I did the same thing, but looked up and saw him moving down the line and not running all the dogs as I had assumed. Quickly I jumped back in and thankfully my girl free stacks like a trooper - cos he was coming to us.

It does pay to pay attention, but after 4 days of showing it is not unexpected to be a little out of it.

[BittyMooPeeb]

My first show (club show with baby puppy), the steward told me to go straight to the table so I picked Amber up and carried her to the table oops

I did this too! And the judge said sarcastically "oh look, a flying dog'

I was embarrassed at the time though - judges should be a bit kinder to new exhibitors.

[BittyMooPeeb]

I made a huge handling error at a show yesterday. When the judge started to move the first dog in the BIG lineup, I took my girl back from the line for a little sniff break, only to turn around and see a dog after me in the lineup being run . I just assumed that the judge would run each BOB winner (nice day, no time constraints, no announcement from the judge that he would only be moving some exhibits, etc). I don't know if we would have been run or not, but I was so embarrassed at having my dog absent and my back to the judge as he came past .

So I have learned two lessons:

- DON'T turn your back to the judge

- DON'T assume (anything LOL).

What handling blunders have others had, so we can all laugh learn from them?

You were not alone in moving back from the line at that show. I did the same thing, but looked up and saw him moving down the line and not running all the dogs as I had assumed. Quickly I jumped back in and thankfully my girl free stacks like a trooper - cos he was coming to us.

It does pay to pay attention, but after 4 days of showing it is not unexpected to be a little out of it.

Lucky you saw and made it back into line, as it was worth a BEST IN GROUP

[conztruct]

Not so much a handling error but maybe a lucky save........my boy is not the happiest in the show ring so can be a bit difficult at times.

We were lined up for a group once and he decided it was time to go and completely slipped his lead. As I saw the glint in his eye as he realised he'd just managed freedom (which is usually followed by tearing off into the sunset), I dove on him....so while everyone else has a nicely stacked dog in the line up, I'm sitting on the ground with my dog in a headlock as he's trying to squirm his way to freedom until I could get the lead back on him.

The judge had a little smirk on his face along with a few of the others and one lady from the ring next to us later came and told me what a great save it was - apparently a "try-saving" tackle....LOL.

[BittyMooPeeb]

Nah, don't worry about looking up at the judge, just concentrate on making your dog look good.

If the judge has to tap you on the shoulder that's fine, you've still won and the rest of the world has seen a good looking dog for a few seconds longer.

I was actually out of the lineup CC, about 2m behind letting my dog sniff around ....

[-Megz-]

Nah, don't worry about looking up at the judge, just concentrate on making your dog look good.

If the judge has to tap you on the shoulder that's fine, you've still won and the rest of the world has seen a good looking dog for a few seconds longer.

I was actually out of the lineup CC, about 2m behind letting my dog sniff around ....

I think CC meant PF's efforts.

I have taken many stacks, not realized a ring rope had been there and alike but my favourite stack was when Denis the Pug pulled me off my feet.

It was quite a damp night and Denis was in the mood to move so he went before I was ready and I slipped forward. Anyone that knows Denis knows that I was very quickly on the receiving end of wet Pug kisses but who can get mad at that face

I did a full Barrel Roll in Alice Springs a few years back with a Dalmatian - the dear just wagged her tail at me and waited for me to get up and keep going.

Ripped my favourite, very well worn pair of trousers at a show once and mum had to take me home to change