Tips To Prevent Disqualification Of Your Dog
Assuming that you have entered your dog for a show, let’s hope you have investigated carefully, and that your dog has no disqualifications. In certain breeds the Standard of the Breed (by which all judges are supposed to judge) lists certain faults as complete disqualifications. In all breeds, cryptorchidism (male with no testicles) or monorchidism (males with one testicle) is cause for disqualification. In some breeds an undershot mouth (under jaw protruding) will disqualify. In some breeds an excess of the color white will disqualify. As well as having no disqualification, it would be well if your dog had no faults listed as serious in the Standard of the Breed. These are the reasons why you should so strongly know your breed before you buy the dog and before you start to show him.
The True Definition Of A Female Dog
There is a “dog definition” that we really should discuss, one that is somewhat taboo due to current day’s language meanings. You see, in the world of dog shows you must learn to speak the word “bitch” without hesitation and to hear it without flinching. There is no other correct word to take its place in the dog world. You would not think of saying you were going out to milk the female bull; you say milk the cow. You do not get eggs from a female rooster; you get them from a hen, although the rooster and the hen are both chickens. Probably the main reason for the confusion is that the word “dog” has more than one meaning.
The Largest Dog Show Ever
Very few people realize just what a LARGE dog show is like. Perhaps they have seen a local pet show or a small show in the neighborhood, but few have any conception of a really big show. Let me tell you something about a large show. As an example let us use the largest outdoor show ever held in the United States: the last Morris and Essex Kennel Club show in Madison, New Jersey, in May of 1957, at Giralda, the beautiful estate of Mrs. Geraldine R. Dodge. The lovely grounds were not used for any other event except this one dog show one day each year.
The Joy Of Attending A Live Dog Show
The atmosphere of most any dog show is that if extreme excitement and happiness, almost too exciting, especially during the early hours of the show day. Everyone arriving is wearing a smile, even if a bit forced and tense, everyone is wearing his or her best manners as well as best clothes. They are waving hello to friends they haven’t seen for almost a year as well as to those they saw just last night. Most are hurrying to find a spot to place their equipment so that they can rush to get their car parked, rush to get a ringside seat, so that they can place an article on it, and rush back to prepare their dogs for the big entrance into the ring.
The Day Of The Show
Here are the things to take along which are considered necessities: the identification card and dog show ticket, a water pan (although you can always use the cardboard ones supplied by feed companies at most shows), a sponge and towel, a bench collar and bench chain or wire bench crate, a show lead, and finally, a comb and brush. If you use a tack crate (a crate with drawers), these very useful and necessary articles may be permanently stored in the drawers and will always be ready to go. If you do not use a tack crate, you will probably “latch on” to an old brief case or small overnight bag which will accompany you to shows, and these things can be stored in it and will always be ready to go.
Studying The Results Of Experienced Handlers
Good advice for people who want to show their dog is to watch the good handlers in your breed. It is also wise of you to know your breed well. Here is one very good reason why this is important: A novice watches a good handler show a dog. He sees the handler place his hand on the dog’s rump, between the hipbones and the tail set. The handler makes sure the judge has seen him do this. The judge looks at the same spot on the other dogs in the class and gives the first prize to the handler of whom we’re speaking. The novice, if he doesn’t know why the handler acted as he did, mimics the handler when he shows his dog but with disastrous results. Why? The novice did not know he was pointing out a fault in his dog whereas the handler was pointing out a good spot on his dog. The Standard of perfection for the breed in question states that this breed should have a medium-high tail set. The smart handler noticed when he came into the ring that his dog had a very good tail set but the other dogs in the ring were faulty at this spot.
