Questions, Questions, Questions!

[emw]

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It's about a month to go until Fergal's (and my! (w00t) ) first open show (Stroud), and I have a million and one questions to ask all you wonderful people! Please bear with me as I am a complete amateur! :unsure: :unsure:

1. How do open shows work? How will I know when to go into the ring?

2. Do you line up in any particular order?

3. If I want to show Fergal on the floor rather than the table do I need to ask anyone, or do I just set him up next to the table instead of on it?

4. Will he be penalised at all if I show him on the floor rather than on the table?

5. How long before the show should I cut his nails?

6. And how long before the show should I give him a bath?

7. Is there any other preparation I need to do? Like clean his ears or something!!??

8. How much should he eat before the show, and how long before?

9. Is there anything else at all that I should know???!!

10. And is anyone else going to Stroud??

THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Estelle

 

[JAX]

1 Open shows are just that OPEN to all . Champions etc , all KC registered dogs can enter .

YOur breed will be classifide I presume , generally Puppy , Junior, Post grad and open , If under i1 year he will be in puppy .

2 No particular order is ness , but Id go last , just so you can watch what is required ,regarding moving Fergal, What ever you do DONT tell the judge this is your first time showing

3/4 No good judge will penalise a dog for not going on the table , you do what is best for your dog

5 Nails should be trimed on a regular basis so they shouldnt need much trimming before a show

6 Unless he has alot of white and is smellie or grubby I personnally dont bath my dogs , but find a good brushing every other day is enough to get there coat in good order

7 Teeth must be super clean

8 Give him his breakfast as normal unless he is a bad traveller

9 Relax , TRY to enjoy it and dont forget WHAT EVER PLACING ( OR NOT) YOU GET, YOU TAKE THE BEST DOG HOME

10 Sorry, I would love to have given you and Fergal support but a bit too far

GOOD LUCK :luck: :luck: Dont forget , we all started at the bottom

 

[emw]

Thank you thank you!!!

What's the best way to get his teeth superclean? They're not superclean at the moment, and brushing doesn't seem to help much! If the answer is BONES (w00t) - which are the best ones and how often would I have to feed them??

 

[JAX]

Do you mean the back teeth are dirty or the main `canine` teeth ? The judge will look at the dogs `bite ` to check that he has a` scissor` bite , e g top teeth very slightly over the bottom set . Not all judges look at the rest of the mouth. But a clean set looks so much nicer than a grubby set :x

To get the front teeth clean , if you cant do it with a tooth brush some times a rough towel rubbed over them helps , ,

For the main back teeth and the large canine teeth I must admit to using a teeth scaler that I bought at a show , Is much like the ones that the dentists use , obviously if you can keep them clean with bones etc it would be better . I even do my cats teeth with the scaler too Marrow bones are the ones to get , but the minite they start to brake bits off , take the and throw them away

I check thier ears on a regular basis too , just to make sure that they havnt gone deaf when I shout them and they completely ignore me :- "

 

[dawn]

havnt gone deaf when I shout them and they completely ignore me

[SIZE=21pt]AsIf !![/SIZE]

 

[Zephyr]

Best of luck emw and Fergal - but beware, you could get addicted!!!

I am very much a newbie compared to all these old hands but

don't forget to take:

Show lead, poo bags, water and water bowl, comfy bed or cage (for Fergal that is), ring clip, bumbag with treats in if you use them, camera (for someone else to take) wet wipes (in case he gets muddy legs just before you go in), brush and piece of silk or velvet to give him that extra shine, tissues (for you - just in case you get a runny nose in the ring!!) money for souvenirs and refreshments

And I take Kalms before I go - but then I get really nervous! :b :b

 

[Karen]

6  Unless he has alot of white and is smellie or grubby I personnally dont bath my dogs , but find a good brushing every other day is enough to get there coat in good order

Frodo has a bath at least once a month if we have Champ shows and always has his feet washed, I guess its because I worked for a Poodle exhibitor (w00t) It make a good deal of difference to his look, he really shines when hes clean and adores having a bath. Hes a bit of a woofter.

Very best of luck to you and really try to relax, remember its not life threatening just a dog show.

PS, I have never shown Frodo on the table because he is scared of heights, see what I mean :b

 

[emw]

Do you mean the back teeth are dirty or the main `canine` teeth ?

The front ones and canines are all OK, but it's the little ones in between the front and back teeth that seem yellow! He doesn't like me fiddling around with his teeth - but it's all good practice for the judge having a look!!

Thank you for all the advice ... keep it coming! It's great hearing from people, and there are probably little things that you take for granted that aren't obvious to someone like me! :b

And I take Kalms before I go - but then I get really nervous!

This really made me laugh!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

PS, I have never shown Frodo on the table because he is scared of heights, see what I mean 

Fergal just seems too big for the table ... by the time he's properly stacked his front and back feet are right on the edge of the table and if he moves at all he starts falling off and it all goes haywire as I try to catch him and he thinks it's hilarious and gets all excited and jumps around even more!!! :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:

bumbag with treats in if you use them

This was another question I had ... I always use treats for Fergal to keep his attention. Is it OK to take treats into the ring and feed them to him????

 

[JAX]

This was another question I had ... I always use treats for Fergal to keep his attention. Is it OK to take treats into the ring and feed them to him????

Not a problem , But dont feed him whilst the judge is going over him .and nothing that will stick in his teeth :x I give mine treats as they wait for the judge to come round ( has Fergal got correct ear carraige ?) if he has, it will make him look more alert ,if not and he `flies` his ears I wouldnt give him the opportunaty to show them off !!

Some judges dont like them to have ears erect in this country ( unlike abroad ) I give mine a treat when they have done `their` move in the ring and are waiting for the rest of the dogs to be gone over ,, Just so they dont get completly bored while waiting :wacko:

And I take Kalms before I go - but then I get really nervous!

What are you like !! made me LOL too :blink:

Its meant to be FUN , but a little extra fast heart rate every now and then cant do any harm can it :- "

 

[shirlnmisty]

Sounds all good information I must keep it all in mind for when I get another whippet.

What I wanted to ask is can you show and race the same whippet do the judges prefer muscley whippets or fine showy ones

 

[dawn]

Hi Shirlnmisty

I dont know of anyone who shows and races whippets, there are many who course and show.

On the whole racing whippets are leaner and more muscled than the show whippets. A racing whippet would probably be too muscled for the show ring and a show whippet would probably carry too much weight to be competitive.

 

[Nicola]

I only started showing about three years ago, and remember how nervous I felt. I haven't been to a show for a year or so now so am a bit rusty myself, but these are the things that I was a bit unsure about at first.

I'd say when you get to the show, put your crate to one side of the hall and make your dog comfy. Go and look for the person handing out the catalogues at the desk. Have a look in the catalogue and note your class number and note the ring you are in. You can then keep an eye on classes being held and know when yours is on. It will normally be called out. When you go into the ring let the steward have your number and take the card with your number on it from them. Have your ring clip already attached to your clothing (whereever is comfy and visible) and then you can just attach the card. If you're a bit nervous there's nothing worse then trying to fiddle about trying to attach your card to your ring clip and then attach it to yourself. Definitely stand near the back of the queue and watch the others. The rest comes with lots of practice but I did find that ringcraft didn't teach you what to do before you go in the ring itself

Please correct me anyone if I've got any of this wrong...as I say I'm a bit rusty now. :b

 

[emw]

Thank you - this is fantastic - exactly the sort of advice I need!

RING CLIP ... ummmm ... where do I get one of those??? :unsure:

 

[Nicola]

I got mine at a show. Only cost about 25p. You can get some really nice ones with different breeds on but i just got a bog standard one for the time being.Maybe someone at ringcraft could lend you one? I used a safety pin for my first show, but in hindsight it does show you up to be a bit of a novice.

 

[jonesyins14]

I have only started showing this year. It is a minefield for the new boy/girl. I too, like you, have had to ask loads of questions. The terminology is extremely strange to the uninitiated - all that graduate, post graduate, limit stuff, didn't realise we were still at college! I'm afraid I end up asking endless questions and just watching. Still it has been great fun and I feel I have made loads of new friends and acquaintances. It amazes me how much there is to learn and other people aways look as if they really know what they are doing. As others have said before remember you take the best dog home.

 

[JAX]

We do talk a different language , thats true , My OH asks about what are stifles and patterns ( he meant pasterns ! !)when he first came with me . :lol:

We do take it for granted, that we think every one knows what we are on about , and as its been a year or 3 since I started showing Ive forgotten just how daunting and scary it can be when you really havnt a clue what you are going to be asked to do .

But one thing I can guarantee(sp) is that you will soon be hooked , just like I was all those years ago ) and I havnt regretted any of it , Ive made lifelong friends from around the country , and now through K9 from around the world too . I can and do , go to any show and meet up with friends with or without a dog in tow . :cheers:

 

[emw]

[SIZE=21pt]ARGH!!!! [/SIZE] (w00t)

The show is TOMORROW and both Fergal and I are completely unprepared!

We haven't been to ringcraft for ages (always something stopping us going!) and we haven't even had much chance to practice at home.

I am just off to search for a bumbag, some smart clothes (what are they?), a ring clip (hmmm - safety pin will have to do I expect - will try to buy one before we go in the ring!), some wet wipes (plenty of those in this house with two kids!), ... and .... a WELL BEHAVED WHIPPET - now I know I've got one of those somewhere, but all I seem to be able to find is FERGAL! (w00t) (w00t) (w00t)

Have decided against giving him a bath - haven't got round to it until now, and he'd probably go all dandruffy! Besides - I'm sure all the sea water he absorbed last week in Devon will just make him shine! :lol: :- "

Just cut his nails and for the first time EVER I just nicked the quick and so we have dots of blood all over the house and one red paw! Hope the judge doesn't look too closely at his nails!!

 

[Jasbri]

Which show are you & Fergal gracing with your presence?

Good luck!

 

[emw]

Stroud Open Show - I don't think any other k9ers are going ... sadly, as I could do with some HELP!!!

 

[Jasbri]

Sorry, we are off to Hastings!

Take a deep breath, Hug Fergal, Enjoy yourselves!

(And don't forget to tell us how you get on!)