Puppy Show Prep!

[RidgieAmy]

Hello, so we picked up our RR last friday, and after going to a dog show with his breeder and discussing it with her we have decided to give showing a go!! His conformation classes start on the 7th of feb, but silly me has taught him to sit and lie down.. just off phone to breeder and she's like your meant to teach him to stand!! anyway hav been practising and hes getting there, any more tips on the stack? I have been rewarding him when he stands and then again when he holds the stand, its difficult though as he always wants to sit silly me!!

ALSO. Puppy schools starts next week and they'll want him to sit!? so can i ask them if we can practise stand instead? or can i carry on with the sit and face him sitting in his conformation classes <

[Dogsfevr]

You can train both but i always preferred to teach a sound stand .

Puppy School may teach him many manners you don't want in the ring but a good trainer should be happy with you wanting a stand but just take into consideration that pup needs to learn that dogs aren't for playing with all the time

If you havea table or raised area i would practise standing on there until pup is to big that way its neutrel ground to both & you can gently stack

[Jbea]

Just explain to them at Puppy School that you intend to show, they will understand. I did the same as you and had awful trouble at shows stopping my boy from sitting. Although the judge is forgiving when they are baby puppies. When you stack him just place your index finger under his stifle, this prevents them from sitting. You will get there! Good luck and most of all enjoy yourself! Where abouts are you?

[Sandra777]

It's your puppy - if you want to train him to stand on command he can practice this when the other pups are practicing sit. If the puppy school instructor has an issue with this then you're in the wrong class :)

Lots of dogs do obedience and conformation, they learn the difference just by a different leash (and the sights and sounds of the 2 rings are different which helps) so your pup can certainly learn stand and sit and down.

Don't make it boring though, babies should be having fun in the ring or they can very quickly get stale and hate the whole idea.

[Teebs]

I have never got this

I had someone show Atlas and they had the shots because he sat when stopped, I told the person that all they had to do was say stand and he would. They told me no, that's to much work and wouldn't show him again!!

[Starkehre]

It's your puppy - if you want to train him to stand on command he can practice this when the other pups are practicing sit. If the puppy school instructor has an issue with this then you're in the wrong class :)

Lots of dogs do obedience and conformation, they learn the difference just by a different leash (and the sights and sounds of the 2 rings are different which helps) so your pup can certainly learn stand and sit and down.

Don't make it boring though, babies should be having fun in the ring or they can very quickly get stale and hate the whole idea.

Agree with this.

His stand will get stronger in time. Practise many times a day but only for a minute or less at a time. I ask for a stand at meal times.

All my dogs are taught to sit, drop, stand, come and more from 8 weeks (or younger if I have access to them) and I never have any issue.

You are doing an awesome job, just keep it up, keep it short and fun and it will come.

:)

Added... judges do not want to see robots as babies. As long as your puppy is confident and looks to be having fun in the ring, the odd sit and play is fine and perfectly acceptable and far better than a shy or apprehensive puppy. so remember to spend a lot of time on QUALITY socialisation as well.

Good luck with him.

Edited January 10, 2013 by dyzney

[Poodle Mum]

I teach puppy training classes at my vets. If someone is planning on showing....(like me.. )...I tell them not to worry about sit, just work on the stand.

Just the same as if I have an elderly owner & a small lap dog....I don't worry if they don't get their pup to drop, but keep practicing a nice reliable Sit.

I show my poodles and I don't bother teaching sit til they have finished in the confirmation ring! I used to try and do both, but I bait my poodles into a free stand.

Its just what works for me....and at home stand & look at me means the same as sit for my "showies" :D

[Sayreovi]

I wouldn't worry too much about a puppy sitting :p Even my adult dog at 8 years of age sometimes sits in the ring after doing a circle or triangle. Only happens when his mind is elsewhere and his automatic behaviour is an instant sit when I stop but the judges just laugh when I apologize and say 'obedience dog'

Then again my breed isn't really looked at as a show breed ;)

[Jumabaar]

Mine all have an automatic sit (most of the time ) and I have just taught them stand as a separate command. I teach it first as them getting up from a sit or drop so both those commands are handy! I then start teaching them to walk into a stand, then I up the criteria so its a nice square stand once they are a few months old and strong enough.

They also have learnt the body language- if I turn into them to get them to stand/stack infront of me at a show they dont sit because they know whats coming, as opposed to me stopping without turning into them so they sit.

[RidgieAmy]

Thanks for everyone's advice!! I will take everything on board, have been practising today a few times! If he sits i normally just move the treat forward and then he stands and i reward him and say 'stand'' he's quite good at holding it also! only if theirs still a treat to be had!! I think for now i'll not encourage sit and not practise it with him, and concentrate on stand and when he fully understands stand i'll move on to sit :p He def will not be a robot in the ring! he has far too much personality (or NAUGHTYNESS), even if it means embaressing me!

I'm glad about the puppy classes!

[Poodle Mum]

Have a look at std poodles in the ring!!!!.....then you will see "naughty"........and prob me attached!!!!

I don't care.....they are supposed to be fun!

[RidgieAmy]

My friend back home in Scotland has two standards!! they are gorgeous, Tia and Milo!!! Total menaces don't know how she handles two!

[Poodle Mum]

Lovely pics :)

Yes they are clowns of the dog world!! I have 5 & am showing 2, a 3 year male & a 5 mth old ratbag!! :laugh: (his daughter!)

Good Luck with your baby

[zeebie]

Totally know where Poodlemum is coming from being owned by a poodle puppy :laugh:

Yes we went down same track having had a totally different breed (boxer), previously and never having anything to do with puppy preschools or show specific training. I worked for a breeder at the time and just did what she told me and how she told me, and now know she had robot dogs (mine included).

Now I am older and a little bit wiser one dog is totally obedience orientated and competed in this area and now agility.

Miss Poodle has done all the preliminary puppy obedience classes and stacking is a huge issue as she is what I call 'bum aware', that is hates having her bum touched, so if judge is examining her down she will drop or go sideways anything to avoid her rear end being touched. so with lots of handling by lots of different people we have nearly overcome this problem.

Next is stacking, suddenly at 13months she has finally decided that if mummy puts her in a particular position she must stay put until I give her the release command. So persistence pays off and don't fret too much it will come with maturity, and as was said by another poster once dog understands the different commands of 'Sit', 'down', 'stay' 'stand' etc then you will have minimal problems, so just keep working on it , rewarding and having lots of fun.

[espinay2]

Babies need to have fun in the ring :) I have had naughty babies roll their way around, bounce their way around and leap on me, knock me over and lick my face when I was kneeling down to stack them! :laugh: On the whole though you just go slow and calmly encourage them and praise them lots. but don't stress about any performance being 'perfect'

Here is an article worth reading: http://caninechronic...udging-statues/

When it comes to sitting - I always teach both sit and stand right from the beginning. I can never remember having an issue with sitting in the ring. They quickly learn the difference if you are using different body language (for example if the dog is walking/running beside you, if my left hand holding the lead is out towards the dog, they will stand when we stop. If my left hand is tucked in front of me they will sit). Doing both conformation and obedience too I find different collars and leads and the dogs know what the difference is and perform accordingly.

Edited January 12, 2013 by espinay2

[mirawee]

My guys learn stand fractionally before sit and I don't tend to have a problem unless one of them goes into slight obedience mode but they don't tend to as they more differently as well :) The only dog I have really had an issue with is my youngest kelpie but she taught HERSELF to sit! In fact sit or drop is the default position for her not stand She has figured it out now though :)

I don't worry if my pups sit when a judge goes over their teeth - just wait until the judge has finished looking then ask for stand again. Better for the pup to sit and have a nice teeth experience than for them to get confused with being asked to stand at the same time. As they get older and their teeth are less sore they are usually happy to remain standing without it ever being a big deal :)