Some Winning Strategies – For the Juniors Ring
By William Given
When I was considering the topic of “Winning Strategies,” I seized the opportunity to put some of my colleagues on the spot by asking them about the strategies that have helped them achieve a great deal of success in the ring. Almost all said they really didn’t have one or any. But as I probed, it became evident that their individual strategies were developed over so many years that it was all just second nature now.
Junior Handling is highly competitive. It always has been, and it is a virtual certainty that it always will be that way. As a competitor in the Juniors ring, you can only take so long to hone your skills and develop strategies designed to help you become a consistent winner in Junior Showmanship.
Have the Best Partner You Can Get
It is your handling ability that is being evaluated in Junior Showmanship competition and not your dog’s conformation. The quality of your dog should not even be a factor. But consider this, it is easier to look good if you are showing a good dog.
Part of what you are being judged on is your ability to minimize your dog’s faults. Some faults such as a poor head, sagging topline or lack of angulation are pretty tough to hide. You are also being judged on your ability to accentuate your dog’s virtues. What do you do if your dog has few, if any, real strengths? Do you see how you could be at a disadvantage? No matter how well you handle your dog, you may only be able to look so good. Your dog has to be at least of average quality.
Much more important than his overall quality is his “ring presence.” If your dog enjoys being in the ring with you, showing off and being the center of attention, then he becomes eye-catching and the judge’s attention will naturally be drawn to him. He can help you tremendously by making the handling look easy.
Develop a Positive Mental Attitude
Whether in the Juniors ring or in the breed ring, those exhibitors who win consistently naturally develop more confidence in their ability which, over time, fuels a desire to excel and become the best. Some call that a “winning attitude,” but a winning attitude can be diminished by a big loss or a series of small losses. It can take you to a place where you may think and maybe even verbalize, “Well, I did the best I could.” That really sounds a bit defeatist, doesn’t it?
Instead, I want you to develop what we will call, a “positive mental attitude.” It can be a powerful component of a winning strategy for the Juniors ring. A positive mental attitude will not even let you think, let alone vocalize, “Well, I did the best I could.” If you have a positive mental attitude, what you know in your head and feel in your heart is, “Of course, I did my best.” It is so solidly laid in your foundation that what you think and feel, and more importantly, openly express, is “I’m glad I won” or “I’m happy that Jack or Jane won, he or she showed really well today.”
I have said it before and I will say it again, just because you did not win first place in your class on any given day at any given show, does not mean you did a bad job or even that you did anything wrong in the ring. It simply means that the judge saw something in another competitor that prompted him or her to award first place to that competitor, that’s all.
If something goes awry while you are in the ring, remain calm no matter what happens. If you keep your composure and continue to work in an unhurried manner, your dog will likely stay relaxed and on his game and your chances of winning will improve. Never give up on your dog in the ring, give extra effort instead. A little extra effort may just be what your competitor doesn’t give and that gives you the winning edge.
You Have to Work Outside the Ring
I am sure you have heard the sayings, “Practice makes perfect” or “How you practice is how you perform.” There is a great deal of truth in both of those sayings. Some breed clubs and many all-breed clubs have weekly or monthly handling classes. These classes are often taught by highly experienced members of the club or occasionally a professional handler will volunteer to do them.
Any handling errors that you may be making in the Juniors ring that have gone unnoticed may very well be noticed in the handling class because there are less distractions and the instructor will have more time to spend with you. You stand to receive some valuable critiquing of your handling technique.
If there are no handling classes in your area, help start one. Contact a local breed or all-breed club for assistance. Often all you have to do is bring the need to the attention of the leadership and they will find a volunteer to help find a location and instructor for the class. Many private dog training facilities also conduct weekly handling classes. Don’t forget to check with your county’s 4-H extension office. 4-H has an excellent junior handling program. City and county recreation centers may also have handling classes or facilities where you can practice.
They may have rooms designed and set aside for dance classes. Using these types of rooms can be especially helpful because the walls are often mirrored and you can watch yourself set up, bait and move your dog. If you have someone that can work with you during your practice sessions, it would be highly beneficial to videotape your practice. Most new smartphones have video capability. Watch these videos with a critical eye to see where you can make changes for the better.
Know Your Competition
Many years ago, my mentor taught me to take the time to “size up” my competition just as soon as I got set up after the initial go-round. Over time, I learned that knowing my competition, their strengths, their weaknesses and being able to anticipate their next move took much more time and attention than that provided for in the Juniors ring.
Learning your opposition’s strengths and weaknesses is really best accomplished by observing them in their breed ring. It is in the breed ring that your competition is gaining experience at showing their dog to the best of their ability. Your toughest competition is working to get better, they want to win, too. The Junior that wants to win the most, who practices the most outside of the ring, and works the hardest in the ring with the least errors, generally wins. There is absolutely no reason that young person can’t be you.
Know Your Judge’s Ring Procedure
All judges use a ring procedure that they are comfortable with and from which they normally deviate very little. It is important that you know what his ring procedure is and are prepared for any possible changes.
If you are not in the first class to enter the Juniors ring, you should certainly take the opportunity to observe your judge. This will provide you with the chance to watch the class go into the ring, see where the class sets up, see what patterns the judge uses, and watch how he makes his placements. The probability is high that whatever the judge does in this first class is exactly what he will do in all subsequent classes.
If your Junior Showmanship judge is judging any breeds prior to Juniors, watching him judge his breed classes is a must. It is very likely he will use the same ring procedure while judging the breed classes. Be certain to note any changes in his ring procedure. If your judge has any need to change his ring procedure in the Juniors ring, he will in all likelihood revert to what he is most comfortable with and that will be the ring procedure he uses when judging his assigned breeds.
Know Special Presentation Techniques
Most judges know which breeds do not require that the bite be checked, but will expect Juniors to know how to show the bite. I firmly believe that Juniors should know how and be experienced in showing their dog’s bite and there are good reasons for you to show your dog’s bite and dentition to the judge. The most important is that by showing your dog’s bite to the judge, you are in control of the situation. Your dog will be much less likely to shy away from the judge and eliminate the possibility that your dog would bite the judge.
Also, your judge will be examining the mouths of many dogs throughout the course of his judging assignment. There is always a possibility that the judge could transmit a disease or illness from another dog to yours. Many male judges wear aftershave and almost all female judges wear perfume and you never know if the scent is still on their hands. A great many judges now frequently clean their hands with alcohol-based cleansing wipes. Either could cause your dog to have an adverse reaction. You greatly minimize the possibly of anything going wrong if you show the bite yourself.
The methods of drawing attention to your dog’s strong points are very similar regardless of the breed. By looking at one of your dog’s better features, his head for example, or turning your body toward his strong rear you can draw the judge’s attention to that area. Some years ago in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I watched a professional handler showing a black lab. His dog had an exceptionally nice head. He used both hands to frame the head and then slightly tilt it towards the judge as he approached. If your dog has a good head, you can accentuate it by “framing the head.”
Many, many years ago in Savannah, Georgia, I saw a professional handler showing a Doberman Pinscher with a great forechest and depth of chest. When he set the dog up, he had his dog angled obliquely toward the judge so the judge could not possibly miss his dog’s best qualities. Should your dog have an unusually good front end assembly, you can highlight it by stacking your dog at a slight angle with the front end facing out a bit toward the judge.
Recently at a local all-breed show I had the opportunity to observe a young lady in the open intermediate class showing a whippet. She expertly showed off her dog’s outstanding topline by running two fingers from the whithers across the back to the croup.
Know Where Your Judge Is
You have to know where the judge is the entire time you are in the ring. This is so you can have your dog stacked, baited and showing to his best advantage when the judge will be looking at him. Don’t stare at the judge, but you should attempt to make periodic eye contact with the judge. This will show you are alert and interested in everything that is going on around you.
Often a judge will walk down the line of stacked dogs prior to making his decision on placements. He may ask you to move to another position or gait your dog again. If the judge has moved other juniors forward for further consideration, when he approaches you and your dog, you should appear as if you expect to be moved next.
If a judge pulls you out of the line to move your dog again along with other Juniors, you should attempt to position yourself to be the first to move out. There are two important reasons for this. The first, when you come back to the judge you will be in a better position to stack and bait your dog in front of the judge than will your competitors. The second is if the judge finds you both equally talented, he will be inclined to place you as you are in line. You are in the front and in first place.
Another good reason to know where the judge is, is in the event there is a large class you can take the opportunity to relax with your dog. You should take your dog out of the judge’s sight by moving back behind the others competitors in line when you are not in close proximity of the judge. Play with your dog, let him jump up on you, climb up in your lap for a quick tummy rub, or whatever works best to reduce the tension for the both of you.
I strongly recommend that you not spend time in the ring talking to other competitors or persons outside the ring. If noticed by the judge it could be taken as a lack of concern with what is going on in the ring. Worse yet, your temporary loss of focus could cost you the win. The judge is the only person in the ring whom you should focus your attention.
Know All of the Ring Patterns
There are five gaiting patterns used by judges for evaluating the movement of dogs. The down and back, the triangle and around the ring are the three most common and are used in the regular classes and in Junior Showmanship. The “L” and the “T” are more complicated patterns, and although they are seldom used, they still rate as “must knows.”
I would be somewhat hesitant to use the “L” and the “T” with novice competitors. However, all Juniors competing in the open and masters classes should be thoroughly familiar with both of these patterns and able to execute them smoothly. More judges should use the “L” and the “T” more often as they are an excellent way to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Conclusion
An effective ring strategy is just one of the key elements necessary to achieve consistent success in the Juniors ring. You must remain focused and on task the entire time you are in the ring. That does not mean you can’t let your dog relax or even play with him in the ring. You can and you should, because you are also in there to have fun, but you have to stay mentally alert to where the judge is and what is going on in the ring.
Be consistent in your preparation and presentation. Do not change your handling routine from show to show. Your partner will appreciate your consistency and you will be more successful.
Seek out and accept constructive criticism. Some ideas and advice will prove helpful, some not quite so much. The wonderful thing about successful winning strategies is that they are fluid and not fixed. They are adaptable, ever-evolving and you can modify your strategy as conditions change.
ABOUT?THE?AUTHOR
William Given has owned, exhibited and bred purebred dogs for more than 25 years. He has competed in conformation, obedience and rally. William is an AKC licensed judge for Junior Showmanship. He solicits your suggestions, comments and ideas for future articles. He can be reached at wjgiven@live.com.
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Posted by subschron
on Jan 9 2013. Filed under Current Articles, Featured, Health & Training.
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