Troubleshooting The Troublesome Show Dog

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182 – June, 2023

By Sandy Weaver

Maybe you’re new to showing or maybe you’ve had show dogs for decades. Wherever you are in your conformation life stage, you can end up with a dog that drips in type, moves like a dream, stacks like a Lecourtier bronze and won’t show any of that off in the breed ring. Read this article for ideas you can use to help your gorgeous dog become a show dog. You might even want to save this issue of CC for reference, in case you need it in the future.

SOCIALIZATION

Many attitude problems seen in the conformation ring stem from one thing–a failure to properly socialize the dog when it was young. Covid lockdown puppies, anyone? This is something judges hear a lot–“(s)he’s a covid puppy” has become the go-to excuse when dogs misbehave in the ring. While appropriate early socialization will maximize a puppy’s personality potential, the lack of appropriate socialization can be overcome to a certian degree. You may never have the super show dog you would have had with proper early socialization, but you can still have a dog that will behave in the ring if you get really focused on the game of “get out and see the world.”

Different trainers have different socialization ideas, and two of the easiest and most effective ones to use are “100 people in 100 days” and “100 new things in 100 days” experiences. Pick one–they both work great. These work best when used in the first 100 days of a puppy’s life and can still help at any stage of a dog’s life. Mark your calendar for your puppy’s 100th day on the planet, or for 100 days from today if you’re working with an older dog. At the beginning of each week, block out the time in your schedule that you will use to expose your dog to the world. Ideally you can take your puppy/dog away from your house for one new person or thing each day, and because life happens, it’s okay to pick two or three days a week when you and your dog can experience two or three new things or people. Trying to do 7 all in one day each week may overwhelm your dog–shoot for multiple trips per week. They don’t have to be long, just filled with a variety of surfaces, smells, sounds and experiences. Take soft, fragrant, high-value treats your dog doesn’t get anywhere else. Let your dog show you what’s interesting and what’s scary, then ignore the scared behavior while rewarding the brave behavior. Keep the sessions short and happy and you’ll have a far more social dog long before you hit the 100-day-mark. Don’t stop, though–go at least to 100, and keep going after that because it helps build the two of you into a team.

SHYNESS

Click here to read the complete article
182 – June, 2023

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