How to prepare a dog for the show?

How to prepare a dog for the show?

About how and why to prepare your pet for the exhibition, you need to think from an early puppy's age. The exhibition is a kind of competition with its own strict rules, which means that your pet will be evaluated according to certain qualities. The first is appearance. Here, not only the exterior and standards are important, but also the neatness of the animal. The second is the pitch. The animal must demonstrate its ability to stay in public. It is on these two parameters that we have to work from the very moment the puppy is at your place.

You need to find out the standards of appearance for your dog's breed, learn how to independently maintain a neat appearance of the pet, and if necessary find a professional groomer. It is important to remember that the appearance of the future champion is very much dependent on the diet. High-quality balanced nutrition from the first months of life is something that should be given special attention. Also, emphasis should be placed on the condition of the coat and skin. There are special full-feed animal feeds that improve the quality of the coat, for example, the Purina® Pro Plan® line with the OptiDerma® complex.

Parenting and psychological training occupies a separate place in preparation. From a very early age it is necessary to start accustoming the puppy to the main commands: “to me”, “next to”, “sit”, “stand”, “lie”, “fu”, etc. The best way to train your kid in teams is to turn learning into a game. So the dog will be happy to perform tasks without waiting for additional incentives. In no case is it recommended to punish the pet during the training process. As soon as quarantine ends after vaccination, it is necessary to begin the socialization of the animal. As much as possible to be in the fresh air, communicate with other dogs, go out into public places, ride public transport - all this will greatly help the animal not to get lost and keep calm in the crowd.

In order to completely schooled a dog in front of the ring, it is best to contact a professional. Handler is a person who will teach your dog to move correctly in the ring, stand in a rack, select the necessary accessories, and hone the nuances of training. As a rule, handlers specialize in one or two dog breeds and are very well aware of all the features of their exhibitions.

What exhibitions are there?

There are monobreed and all-breed shows. They, in turn, are divided into ranks. So, all-breed can be international (CACIB rank) and national (CAC rank).

Russian exhibitions are divided into three ranks:

• champion of the national club of the breed (national exhibition, held once a year);

• winner of the club (interregional exhibition);

• candidate for club champions (regional exhibition);

Dogs compete in different classes depending on their age and status:

• “BABY” - animals aged three to six months;

• “PUPPY” - puppies from six to nine months old;

• "JUNIOR" - dogs aged nine months to one and a half years;

• "INTERMEDIATE" - from 15 to 24 months;

• “WORKING” assumes that the animal has a working diploma;

• “CHAMPION” (champions) - dogs with titles recognized by FCI participate;

• “WINNER” (winners) - if there is a certificate of Candidate in ChClub and winner of the National Club;

• Veterans - for dogs over eight years old.

What do you need to participate in the exhibition?
At the exhibition you will need to have a number of documents with you:

• veterinary passport with notes on vaccinations, treatments for worms and external parasites (fleas, ticks);

• puppy metric or pedigree;

• Veterinary certificate (issued at the state veterinary clinic).

Psychological preparation for the exhibition

The pet is in unusual conditions at the show. A large number of people, other dogs, loud music can scare the puppy. Therefore, walk the dog in crowded places, ride with it in public transport. Meet your dog breeders and walk your pets together. In preparation for the exhibition, it is recommended to drive the dog only on a leash so that she is used to walking nearby and not jerking forward.

What to expect in the ring?

                                           After completing all the registration procedures, you will be asked to put the dog on the table to the expert. Here, proportions, head, mouth, eyes, ears, testes (in males) are evaluated in detail. The dog should calmly respond to all touches. For the slightest manifestation of aggression, the judge may remove the dog from the competition.

 Next, the expert will ask you to walk with the dog in a circle and / or in a straight line. It assesses the setting of paws when walking, the ability to hold the head, back and tail, the overall silhouette.

 And at the end, the dog will be asked to stand up to form a final opinion.

 The whole judging process takes only a few minutes. In this short time, you must demonstrate the result of all your work so that the expert literally falls in love with your animal.

 It is important to remember that animals often experience stress before exhibitions, so you need to start giving probiotic supplements at least 10 days before the exhibition. A great example of this is FortiFlora® from Pro Plan® Veterinary Diets. It will help improve the digestion of the animal and prepare it for the exhibition.
Ammunition selection

For large dogs, choose a noose and a leash; for small dogs, choose a ring. Choose accessories according to the size of the dog, pay special attention to their quality. The main rule for selecting exhibition ammunition: it should be invisible on the pet, so as not to distract the attention of the expert.

• Trotting

             When the command "went" the dog should run next at an even pace at a speed characteristic of the breed. Practice movement first in a straight line, then in a circle.

• Exhibition stand

            The “stand” command means accepting an exhibition stand. At this time, at the exhibition, the judge examines the dog in detail, feels and determines its compliance with the breed standard. The dog should stand in the exhibition stand for several minutes calmly, confidently and motionless. Start to train your pet during the game, first hold it to secure the stand.The most important thing is that the lessons bring pleasure to the puppy. Encourage it with goodies and praise.

• Teeth showing

          Examination of the teeth is carried out in order to show the bite and establish their number. The pet should be calm about this procedure and show teeth at the command of both the owner and the judge.Your dog is prepared physically, psychologically, can already adequately show himself in the ring? Now let's talk about what it is worth choosing for a pet from exhibition ammunition.

The secret to successful ring performance

Without proper work in the ring, the dog will not win worthy titles. Experts advise starting ring training as soon as the puppy appears in your house. In addition to the basic commands that any trained dog should know, the show dog knows a few more: work, teeth, stand, go.

Grooming

An integral part of preparing a dog for an exhibition is grooming. It includes activities to care for the claws, ears, hair, eyes and teeth of the pet. You can entrust hygiene procedures to a professional or conduct them yourself.
Take care of your pet's hair from puppyhood. The dog should always have clean coat without tangle and parasites. The coat should shine and have a pronounced color.
Different breeds of dogs have their own peculiarities in grooming before the show. Shorthair and smooth-haired dogs are washed with special care products, then dried. Dogs with thick and long hair are sheared, for this it is better to turn to the services of a professional. Wire-haired dogs are trimmed 1-2 months before the show. Immediately before the show, the dog is washed, combed and stylized.
For bare breeds of dogs, skin care is required, which must be moistened with special oils. On summer sunny days, use sunscreen.
Proper grooming will help make your dog look brighter, emphasize her strengths and hide her imperfections if necessary.

What documents to prepare for the exhibition

Going to the exhibition, the dog owner will be unpleasantly surprised by the information about how many documents you need to prepare:

• Puppy card or pedigree to confirm pedigree;
• Veterinary passport, in which there should be marks on deworming and vaccinations;
• Veterinary certificate or veterinary certificate;
• Diplomas and certificates that are available.

Dog show in the ring

Ring training dogs is given great attention. Experts strictly evaluate the behavior of the pet in the ring.

The dog must:

• Show bite and presence of teeth;
• Trot in the group the required number of laps;
• Trot in a circle;
• Stand in the exhibition stand for 2-3 minutes.

Physical condition of the dog

The dog must look in accordance with the requirements of the breed standard.

Experts rate:

• The quality of the wool and its preparation;
• The condition of the eyes, ears and teeth;
• The length of the claws.

In this article, we told you about how to prepare a dog for an exhibition. Do not forget: to win you need an integrated approach and patience. The future champion must be brought up from childhood. Do not be upset if you fail to win prizes at your first exhibition. All comes with experience. On the next one, you will be lucky. Good luck and champion rewards!