It's Not (just) About The Dog

[Salukifan]

You look composed and confident in that pic Trish - well done!

On leads I have currently adopted the "throw the lead on the ground and focus on the dog" approach. When I'm organised I sometimes put it around my neck but I find it difficult to stand up and get sorted quickly without garotting myself. I"ll have to watch how the guns do it.

Here's Dodge and I yesterday (photo courtesy of Wreckit). I should be further behind the dog, on both knees and pointed more at the Dodge's head. Next time!

Edited April 20, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[espinay2]

Well done! Can you try 'folding' the lead in your hand by sort of walking your hand down the lead. Hard to explain ... Practice without the dog attached first.

[Rottshowgirl]

Well done! Can you try 'folding' the lead in your hand by sort of walking your hand down the lead. Hard to explain ... Practice without the dog attached first.

If you want to try the fold up approach, I recommend tethering it to something while you're relaxing on the couch (edge of couch, pot handle, something to keep the clip in place) and just keep repeating the folding. You'll get to the point where you just fold it on autopilot

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Well this thread has really changed my showing - a complete turn around.

Today when Bazinga and I were in the ring for Junior In Show a good friend of mine who is a very accomplished exhibitor/handler asked me as I waited if I'd been having professional handling lessons. As I said to her - simply a change of attitude and its gone down the lead. Since I've changed my attitude I've had so many comments about how great me and my dogs are looking so if you haven't given it a whirl yet I highly recommend it!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Great news! Congratulations

[OSoSwift]

That's fantastic :) I will be channeling you when I next get in the ring - which could be MONTHS away but I will file this thread away for future reference.

I also tend to go out with the attitude I am almost apologising for my ineptness. No longer :)

[Dogsfevr]

]

If you want to try the fold up approach, I recommend tethering it to something while you're relaxing on the couch (edge of couch, pot handle, something to keep the clip in place) and just keep repeating the folding. You'll get to the point where you just fold it on autopilot

This is the method we suggest to the junior handlers out there .

Looking at the photo of the Fauve though i would sooner have a dangly lead & get the stack right & that is the options you need to weigh up in that brief time frame .

In an ideal worlD the lead not dangling is great bu sometimes you have to decide what is best for that moment .

The other problem is people use the bead leads (me included & they don't fold up easily & quickly like a plain lead does ) so if this is an issue go back to simple .

Edited April 24, 2013 by showdog

[RallyValley]

I so agree with the sentiments of this thread. Last November I travelled interstate with my bitch and spent time with her breeder. Her breeder gave me awesome advice and handling tips, plus seeing my bitch hold her own in top company gave me a good confidence boost.

After that I came home and showed her like she deserved to be a winner. In her second show after I came home she won an Intermediate in Group and the next event after that weekend was Puppy of the Year where she finished 6 points behind the Group 3 winner. We have had a couple of other shows since and even though we have not had any wins at group level I leave the ring on a high, knowing my girl looked awesome out there and we showed well.

I find a short lead helps with folding it up and I don't need a massive long lead for my bitch. I also think we are at a point where we really 'gel' in the ring, we both know the routine now. It takes me less then 6 seconds to stack her up (I know, I have it on video), which I thinks really makes a difference.

Here is my girl at Puppy of the Year, this was a candid taken in the line up.

[blitz3]

i have been following this topic since the beginning and i want to thank you all, i now go into the ring with the attitude of my dog deserves to win as much as any other dog here and since then my boy has had 4 best of breed 2 best of group 6 open of group and an open in show, so thank you all

[rebelsquest]

i have been following this topic since the beginning and i want to thank you all, i now go into the ring with the attitude of my dog deserves to win as much as any other dog here and since then my boy has had 4 best of breed 2 best of group 6 open of group and an open in show, so thank you all

Well done!

[Trisven13]

i have been following this topic since the beginning and i want to thank you all, i now go into the ring with the attitude of my dog deserves to win as much as any other dog here and since then my boy has had 4 best of breed 2 best of group 6 open of group and an open in show, so thank you all

Wow that is awesome!!! :thumbsup: Well done! I know a number of people who have now had the same results just from improving their OWN attitude. So important to remember!

[Salukifan]

i have been following this topic since the beginning and i want to thank you all, i now go into the ring with the attitude of my dog deserves to win as much as any other dog here and since then my boy has had 4 best of breed 2 best of group 6 open of group and an open in show, so thank you all

Wooo hooo

[emery]

I went in confident at our specialty the other weekend, my 6 month 1 day old pup came third of three graded promising but he stacked and stood still and looked good he is going through a massive awkward growth stage and up against older comp in his class i was thrilled with that, all I wanted was for him to stand still for 10 seconds and i got longer than that with enthusiasm :D

My girl (kelari) came three of three but i went into her class going we are going to get her second V rating (grading of excellent) and we did i was so thrilled.

My neuter boy (only boy entered) i went in and i got him to stack he is a tap dancer rofl he then went on and got opposite neuter in show beaten by the bitch but he moved beuatifully and considering he only comes out to shows maybe once in 6 months and he ran around the ring like he owned it I am thrilled.

Now to enter some all breeds shows with the same attitude :D

[mish13]

Loving this thread and love this saying

7. Remember that you take the best dog TO the show and no matter what anybody else thinks on the day, you also take the best dog home with you.

I get so nervous it travels straight down the lead and rescue remedy and alcohol have been used at times :laugh:

Most of the time I have no competition so lost confidence in my dog because of the saying a six point win is a hollow win. This was until he won an in show award and I was on cloud nine thinking he cant be bad after all.

Lots of great tips here and plenty of tips to put into practice, thanks everyone

[Salukifan]

Thought I would add another dimension to the discussion after my trip to the 2013 Whippet National.

To my very great delight, Dodger won the Intermediate Dog class in a strong line up. I was so overwhelmed I couldn't stack him for the winners photo - we had to do it outside the ring a few minutes later

So not only do you have to get "into the zone" to compete, you have to think through how to handle it when you DO win!

Edited May 29, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[Diva]

That was a lovely win HW, it is such a competitive breed!

[Affirmation]

Some big home truths re having the right frame of mind can make all the difference

It's been a while since my last show outing but hopefully I'll be back in the ring again soon and can put the great tips into practice.

Congrats to all of you above who have "converted" and reaped the rewards....well done !!!!

[Juddabug Whippets]

:) awesome win HDW!!! :)

[Trisven13]

Got a really helpful tip this weekend from another exhibitor that I thought I would share on here, strange as it sounds. I was told today that if you sing to your dog as you handle them (breed/group/show line-ups etc) that they will do better. The theory was that when you sing you relax and that goes down the lead.

Tried it today, together with a few other things, with my imported boy and he did much better and I really did feel more relaxed. I wouldn't say that I actually sang a song but there is a silly little line from a song that I've always sung to him which I decided to use in the ring and it, combined with bait, resulted in a much more animated and showy dog. We had a blast

So don't be surprised if you hear some crazy singing in the ring

[dotdashdot]

Here's my experience....

This weekend just gone were 4th, 5th and 6th shows. My girl is 2 and I started when she was 6 months old, so our efforts have been spaced out and I've been a nervous wreck each time.

This weekend though, was our biggest show yet and far from home, at Hillsborough (we're from Coffs Harbour). On Friday I got to meet some new dally people, friends of my friend. Obviously they saw my efforts and my nerves and offered to help me on the Saturday morning, especially with going over Cleo's head as she shied a bit from the judge on Friday.

So they did, and I also got some GREAT pointers on how to stack better, and got lent a different show lead. Cleo was also complimented which gave me a HUGE boost and it showed in the ring!

At the end of the day, I walked away with my biggest achievement yet - neuter in group. Doesn't matter to me that I didn't have to beat anyone to get it, because I was so proud of my girl!

Now, my husband can't wait to get his own dog to show! And we're planning to enter many more shows soon.

I'm only a newbie with a neuter, but I can't wait to get back in there!

[Diva]

Got a really helpful tip this weekend from another exhibitor that I thought I would share on here, strange as it sounds. I was told today that if you sing to your dog as you handle them (breed/group/show line-ups etc) that they will do better. The theory was that when you sing you relax and that goes down the lead.

Tried it today, together with a few other things, with my imported boy and he did much better and I really did feel more relaxed. I wouldn't say that I actually sang a song but there is a silly little line from a song that I've always sung to him which I decided to use in the ring and it, combined with bait, resulted in a much more animated and showy dog. We had a blast

So don't be surprised if you hear some crazy singing in the ring

Lol, I used to do that too when I first started, until I was told that someone else in the group was spreading the rumour that they had heard me singing made singing sound like a euphemism for some strange occult ritual. I had to admit that I did in fact sometimes sing. Shock horror!

Dotdashdot, sounds like you had a great weekend, well done

Edited June 30, 2013 by Diva