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Getting started Handling training Show dog training

Standing you dog – part I

Standing you dog – part I
You may have heard the terms stacked dogs and free stood dogs. Over the next couple of blogs I will explain each of these terms and how best to go about standing your dogs in either of these ways.

Stacked dogs
When you stack a dog you place the feet into position and then hold the head and the tail (if applicable to your breed). It’s important to consider many things when you stack your dog to make sure you present your dog to its best advantage.

Present your dog with outstretched arms and stand/crouch back from him. Keep your own posture too, in particular keep your back upright.

Do not lean over you dog.  This will spoil the overall picture and may also affect the dog.

Always keep the dog straight from nose to tail to avoid ‘the banana dog’.

Many people find it easiest to start at the front and work back.

When stacking your dog, the order to go though could be;

  1. Position head and check for clean eyes and ear position.
  2. Now while holding the head in one hand position front legs as needed
  3. Stroke the dog as you move towards the back legs and place them in the required position for your breed and dog.
  4. Finally have a last check that nothing has moved and check that the dog is in a straight line, (Not impersonating a Banana), place the lead in the correct position
  5. If necessary hold the tail out and present with outstretched arms.

With practice a good handler and a trained dog will be able to get the stack and present in under 10 seconds and it can be useful to practise doing this.

If your dog moves a leg, calmly place it back into position giving another ‘stand’ command. If they move completely, move them off the spot and start the sequence again. Getting flustered will ultimately affect the dog further.  Likewise, telling the dog off might confuse him. He might think you are telling him off for standing there.  A quiet ‘No’, or ‘woops’ followed by a repeat of the sequence should suffice.

Some judges will ask you to freestand your dog on completion of the pattern work. With this in mind you should practice free-standing your traditionally stacked dog too.

Stacked dog, head a tail held out. Handller arms stretched out. The dog is focus of this overall picture
Here the handler has stacked the dog and is only holding the head with the lead. The dog is holding his tail in the correct position himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this photo, the handler is leaning over the dog. The overall picture doesn't look as good as the other two.

 

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Getting started

Back to basics

Back to basics
The basic points of showing your dog

You are there to show YOUR DOG. To emphasise the good points and minimise any faults.
You want the judge’s thoughts on YOUR DOG.
You want to leave the judge with a lasting impression of YOUR DOG.
You want to persuade the Judge to put YOUR DOG first.
GOOD HANDLING will help achieve all of the above.

“A good handler can make a poor dog look good, whereas a poor handler can make an excellent dog look poor.”

Guidelines for showing
1) Treat your dog with respect

There is nothing worse than seeing someone mis-treat a dog at a show, or drag them round the ring, or force them to something they don’t want to. Make each and every show fun for your dog and remember, you want them to enjoy showing!

2) Always be polite to the officials and other exhibitors
A polite thank-you to the judge, and a well done to other exhibitors costs nothing.  Even if they are your sworn enemy, you being polite to them will only get them wondering. Also think about all the people who are watching around the ring.

Also, remember that dog shows are run by a committee who give up their time to provide a show for you. Accept human errors graciously and forgive when something doesn’t go to plan on the day.

3) Dress appropriately for the job in hand and to compliment your dog. 
See more details under What To Wear to a Dog Show or Dress Code

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Uncategorized

Happy Mothers’ Day

Happy Mothers’ Day, Mum!
I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish my Mum and Happy Mothers’ Day.

Mum has worked so hard all these years to help me in the world of dog showing/training/judging. Firstly from convincing my Dad that I NEEDED a dog of my own and everything since then.

She is the one who does everything behind the scenes of a show, the entries, the paperwork, keeping us organised, getting us ready, making sure we have everything we need.

When I was a Junior Handler, she would be buying me suits, show leads, taking me up and down the country for training and competitions.

Of course, there was also the huge things like keeping Giles from our previous litter while I finished Uni, training him for me and now I’ve come back from Uni, have a full time job and my own home, she looks after him every day so he isn’t left alone for long hours.

So thank you Mum for everything you have done. I hope you enjoy Mothers’ day, getting to spend it with me at my first Irish Setter judging appointment!

Also a Happy Mothers’ Day to all the other mum’s out there who do the same thing. I’m sure your children all appreciate it too!

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Handling training

Waiting your turn

Waiting your turn
Ah, a British established hobby which involves queuing, who would have thought!

This is the bit where the judge looks at the dogs individually which can leave a lot of waiting in line for you and your dog. However, this doesn’t mean the judge isn’t assessing your dog. Often judges will look around and a dog can catch their eye for either being fantastic, or poor.

Think about, is your dog happy while he is waiting, showing a good expression and wagging his tail?  Or is he standing there with his head hung low or tail tucked under? An alert dog is more likely to catch the judges eye with the judge thinking “Wow, can’t wait to put my hands on that dog, looks like it could be my winner.”

Many handlers also use this time to chat to each other without a care about what their dog is doing.  I have known exhibitors to be so busy chatting that they did not realise that the judge had finished the last dog and was now taking a last look round.  Guess where they didn’t come!  If you do want to have a chat with fellow exhibitors, remember you must also keep an eye on your dog and the judging, or wait until you are out of the ring for a really good natter!

Remember, standing around can be boring for your dog, talk to him/her and if he/she is looking a bit fed up the have a little play, (so long as it does not interfere with other exhibitors), and gee him up. I personally use quick little trick to keep Giles’ attention. He loves to do his little tricks, so anything that can keep him entertained and on the spot so not disturbing other dogs can help keep him happy. He also loves a cuddle and a chat! Find what can motivate your dog! Make it an enjoyable experience so they don’t see standing in line boring.

Ideally you want your dog to be standing at ease, ready to be pulled into a show pose in a matter of seconds. I have had it described to me (many, many years ago) thus;
‘A dog and handler can be likened to a soldier. Standing to Attention, (Show pose), Standing at Ease, (ready to show), and Standing Easy (relaxed).’

Winning Paws can help you find some small motivational techniques to use in the ring and teach you how to use them so not to disturb your fellow exhibitors.

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Uncategorized

Dress Code

I’ve been having a dig around some old documents written for our Junior Handlers at Stevenage Ringcraft by myself and my Dad (Ray McDonald). I thought I would start sharing them on this blog, no point them just staying on my hard-drive! So here’s for the first one I thought I would share. I think this was written by Ray McDonald and a few inputs from me!

Dress Code
It is well known that handlers dress smartly. There is no need to dress over the top with a dinner dress/suit but at the same time jeans and t-shirt are just too scruffy.  In all breeds the dog is presented well with most breeds being bathed and trimmed before a show and having a good brush at the show to make them presentable, so why not make yourselves presentable as well.

Also remember while looking for a suit, the colour of the dog you are showing.  A black dog gets lost against a black suit. So is not the best colour. Try and find a colour that will compliment your dog to its best, dark dogs stand out against light colours and visa versa.

Don’t forget, you don’t have to be in these clothes all day, take them with you and get changed at the show before and after you go in the ring (highly recommend for the young ones who want to play in the mud while not showing or the dry clean only suit.).

For girls:
Skirt or trouser suit or Jacket and trousers/skirt
Blouse or t-shirt
Long hair tied back in your choice. Make sure it stays out of your eyes.
Sensible flat shoes that are comfortable for running in and have grip.
The Mature ladies may want to think about investing in a comfy sports bra.

Do Not wear trainers, high heels (try running in stilettos on grass!)
Do Not wear short or long skirts.  Knee length gives you room to move and long enough to be sensible. Long flowing skirts will flap into your dog.
Do Not wear lots of dangly jewellery.

Boys:
Suit
Shirt
Tie
Trousers and shirt are ideal for the warmer weather
Waistcoat
Sensible flat shoes with grip
Long hair tied back

Do Not wear trainers
Do Not wear jeans
Do Not wear shorts

If you really want you may wear a skirt!

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Uncategorized

Crufts wins for Stevenage Ringcraft

Crufts is over and hope that all of you who went had a fantastic time.  As most of you know, I also help run and train at Stevenage Ringcraft which was started by my grandparents and now has 3 generations (of human breeding) working hard to provide training for all abilities.

I wanted to post all the Stevenage Ringcraft achievements at Crufts. We are proud of everyone’s achievements and hope you all enjoyed your day.

Louise Dee – Chihuahuas
1st Limit Dog and RCC with Perry
2nd Junior Bitch with Pandora

Mandy Thomas – Welsh Springer Spaniels
3rd Junior Bitch – Ruby
5th Open Bitch – Izzie

Lindsey Wedge – Golden Retrievers
Shortlisted Post Grad Dog – Oscar

Ann Cladwell – Welsh Springer Spaniels
1st Puppy Dog and Best Puppy In Breed
1st Veteran Bitch – Cerys

Linda Stone – Russian Black Terrier
3rd Post Grad Bitch – Babushka

Fiona Baker – Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
1st Junior Dog – Harvey

Abigail – Junior Handling
4th YKC handling with Duster

Angela – Akitas
2nd Puppy Dog with Hooch

Not forgetting our own Moya who won Veteran Bitch and Good Citizens Bitch!

I will continue to update these results as I hear of them, don’t forget to let us know how you did and keep checking back for final full results.

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Getting started

The importance of Ringcraft classes

The importance of Ringcraft classes
Most people find it easier to learn in one to one or small group situations and many trainers find those who have one to one lessons will learn much quicker. This happens on all walks of life from school education to dog training!

However, Ringcraft classes still are important to you and your dog’s training.

The difference is in one to one sessions you and your dog get individual attention, having time to listen and talk to you and work though many ideas for an hour (or maybe more). At Ringcraft you can be sharing a two-three hour session with 20-30 other people and dogs, without the time and individual attention that you may need.

But why are Ringcraft lessons so important?
It’s quite simple, they are regular (weekly) and cheap enough to attended regularly (price from £1-£4). They are great for socialisation with other dogs of all types and sizes and you can get a few different people to go over your dog and get advice from. They are also great for puppies where the socialisation is so important and also ideal for experienced handlers who just need to practice somewhere different with their latest pup.

Ringcraft is also a great social evening for you, where you will meet other local people with the same interest (dogs!). You will find these same familiar, friendly faces at your local shows.

Ringcraft classes can offer so much and are different to one to one session. I have been a trainer alongside my parents at Stevenage Ringcraft for many years now which was set up by my Grandparents. We are all so proud of any of our Ringcraft ‘babies’ who do well at shows, or other disciplines and we know many other Ringcraft trainers who feel the same way.

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Getting started

What are your options when you don’t have pockets?

What are your options when you don’t have pockets?
You have found the near perfect outfit, but the one issue is the pockets or there lack of. There are many options that you can go with.

My personal favourite is a small leather pouch that has 1-3 pockets depending on size and comes in black, brown or beige. They are on a piece of string so you can use them as a shoulder bag, or in my preference, round the waist. They are called Nappa bags and can be purchased from most Championship shows.

Bumbags are common and come in  a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. Have a look around websites and shows to find one that suits you.


The treat bag can clip onto your belt and can be left open or shut tight by a pull string. Personally I find this more  ideal for training than in the ring as they flap around when you run.

My favourite training treat bag is the Karen Pryor Treat bag, It has a snap shut mechnisem which means you can open or close it with one hand, and it will stay closed or open. Other manufacturers have also now copied this design and all very similar. They have a front pocket, ideal of keeping a small toy, target stick and clicker too!

There are also other ideal places to keep different items. Below are a few examples.

  • Place your dog’s comb in your hair
  • Toys in bras (done more often than you might think!)
  • Brushes in waist bands
  • Treats in armbands
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Show dog training

Big brown eyes

This image made me smile today and reminded me of a huge mistake that lots of people make while training their dog(s), and even worse is when my boyfriend does it with my dog! (Maybe I should try withdrawing chocolate unless its to reinforce positive behavior.)

Remember to keep high value training treats or toys for training and don’t make them a normal treat by giving in to those beautiful eyes! It will only end in you being well trained, not the dog!

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Getting started

The Boots are Made for Walking

What footwear is best in the ring?
Many people ask the question, what footwear they should wear in the ring.

It depends what you find comfortable and what goes best with your outfit. My main two types are worlds apart. Either ballet pumps. Comfy, look OK with suits and come in so many colours there is a pair for each suit. My other showing favourites are my Dubarry boots due to their extreme comfort, warmth, support and grip, plus I just love them and live in them anyway!

When your next at a show, have a look around to see what people are wearing. You will see a variety of different shoe and boot styles.

Think about something that is comfortable to you. Find a shoe that fits well and doesn’t slip off as you move your dog round the ring and that has good grip, you don’t want to be slipping. If you have a small dog and always wear heels, then find a comfy, non-slip pair, but consider what you would wear if you were showing on soft grounds.

Also get used to the idea of wearing wellies/waterproof boots. I have had, on a number of occasion’s worn wellies in the ring along with a majority of exhibitors due to the wet British summer and outdoor shows.

I do believe, gone are the days when you have to wear something unfashionable on your feet in the ring. You will find something that’s fashionable and practical if you look around, try them on and run up and down in the shop!

For men, as always there is less choice but try to avoid trainers. A smart pair of shoes will look good and will go with suit/trousers or help smarten up a pair of jeans. (Sorry men, I’m not up on the male fashion, maybe someone could comment on this blog to advise further!)

Happy shopping and remember, if you’re not moving properly, your dog is unlikely to either. So your shoes could be very important to your dog’s performance.

simple, comfy, black shoes