Newbie at showing....

I have my first ADBA dog show coming up in July... The pup I am going to be showing is absolutely gorgeous, and fits the standard very nicely.... The only problem is she gets to anxious... especially around other dogs... She tries to challenge the other dogs, and has a hard time focusing on me, and allowing me to stack her... When she gets that anxious, she lets her hocks fall in.. and she looks almost cow hocked... In a natural stack, this dosnt happen... Any ideas on how to get her to settle down a bit, and not be so "willing" to start a fight??
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I'm not an expert at showing as I went to my 1st show this past Sunday. All I can say is that a pup will be a pup; and if your pup tries to get at other dogs in the show ring that is usually a plus for you and your pup as judges like to see them active and full of energy IMO. Don't force anything just be natural; its both y'alls 1st time. Just go out and both of you have fun!!!

 

So then what can I do about her stack..?? Just keep working her on it, and hope she gets more comfertable with it??​

 

All I can say is that Dog Shows start at home. This is were you must begin to harness you pups naturall instinct to please you, and direct it towards a Master/Dog attentiveness. When Mamma/Daddy Growls, pups tend to listen and pay attention to them. Not saying that you should actually growl...LOL but Socializing you dog and making them sit between your legs, even in the presence of other dogs is Very Very good training. Get them tuned to the "Just the Two of Us" attitude. Im taking my Khaki to the show in Corvallis Oregon tomorrow, not sure how he's gonna act, but Im pretty confident in my training and I think he will do well. Wish Us Luck =O)

 

Thanx!! And good luck with your man Khaki!! Do you have any pics?? How is he bred?? Is he still a pup??​

 

Some judges don't like you to stack a dog. In most cases, they seem to like the natural stance better. Don't be afraid to ask this question at the judges meeting prior to show! There also seems to be a trend to go towards calmer dogs in the ring. Our dog is a spit fire too, and all I can say is keep track of the judges and what they seem to prefer. Remember conformation is one persons opinion only in the show ring. One other tip, always keep track of your dog in the the ring. The judge will generally size up one dog against another when picking a winner. Just when you think you can relax he may glance your way, and this could be your winning moment. Also in holding if you find your pup gets real excited around certain dogs, make sure you don't stand next to them as you enter. This is your choice. Hope this helps some!

 

At the show we recently went to, the judge seemed to favor the dogs acting up and enjoying themselves, he also seemed to like the dog and its natural stance, don't over correct your dog when trying to "stack him".

BB

 

Most judges don`t mind a dog acting up because the ADBA standard that the judges are supposed to be judging by are those of the orginal game-dog but who knows what each indivuable judge is looking for? My opinion is conformation is a $15.00 opinion but dont let me discourage you,I truely wish you all the luck.

 

let pups be pups. judges like to see a young pup that is "firey" shows they are confident in themselves. attitude is being looked at also. i have a young gyp that when gets "cow hocked" to me but the last three judges she has shown under have given her first. she is a ball of fire one of the only ones in her class acting up. we also championed another female in 6 shows and hope she can keep it going in the champion class guess we will see.

 

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to say Way to Go Crossfire! How has she done after her championship?

 

I have been to several shows/weight pulls and am going to a show next weekend. Just remember, you are showing a puppy in a puppy class...? The first show my puppy ever won was my and her first show. I didn't know anything! I walk her in and we walked around. Shows are to meet like minded people and to have a good time. That is the bottom line. Just have funny...it doesn't hurt to have a good pedigree.....lol

 

I've got some trouble makers that i show. Here's my advice. First, let your dog be a dog. the only time you need to worry about how the dog is standing is when the judge is watching you circle the ring, when he does the individual look (teeth, profile, down and back) and when he looks the class over before the places are picked. Second, make sure to keep your dog nose-to-tail to the dogs around it. This will greatly help keep your dog calm and the dogs around it calm. I don't know how many times i wished the people around me would have taken this advice because my dog was going crazy. Third, and this may be a little tricky... instead of physically stacking your dog try walking him/her in a wide circle and letting him/her do it on their own. This is what i do w/ my dog trouble because he does a lot of 'Talking'. I'll either let him walk in a "down and back" motion or in a complete circle around where i'm standing and then hold him taught in the middle of a step and he seems to stack himself. If this dosen't make any sense, just PM me and i'll explain better. I didn't read the other posts, i'm sure there is a lot more good advice. Let me know how your puppy shows and if you would like more advice,, i'm always around. I've been showing for almost 7 years. Good luck!!!

 

My mother shows dogs and gave me a great tip! At health food stores, they sell this stuff called Rescue Remedy. It's for humans, but is fine to use with dogs. Just a few drops into the water bowl or on the tongue. It helps keep dogs' nerves calmer in the show ring. I used it more spefically for separation anxiety and it also helped out with that by keeping her calmer througout the day. Hey and if you get nervous in the ring also, you can use it too! lol