Acclaimed show dogs

Purchasing dog show equipment is one of the important steps necessary in preparing yourself and your canine for international dog shows. There are many ways in which you will need to prepare for life as a professional dog trainer.

Steps to Becoming a Dog Show Owner

Have an AKC registered dog.

Dogs purchased from reputed breeders will be sold with the papers necessary for registering your dog. Dogs bought at a local pet store are often originally from puppy mills and thus are not bred to be show dogs. You can ask the pet store to retrieve papers from the dog's breeder if necessary. If you plan on raising a show dog, it is better you visit a reputed breeder to avoid headaches..

Provide your dog with current inoculations.

This should be an easy step as it is part of keeping your pet healthy through regular veterinary care. Be sure to ask your veterinarian any questions you may have about inoculations or other health issues that may affect your dog's perfor mance in dog shows.

Learn proper grooming.

Whether purchased or made on your own, bows can make a nice touch. Be sure not to tie too much hair as the dog may develop a sore or matted hair. A tightly tied bow on top of the head may hamper your dog's ability to blink.

Scissors should be nice and loose and used only for cutting dog hair. They should be loose enough to close on their own when held sideways. Have a spare as dropping them several times will ruin the scissors.Bathing should be intensive.

Large dogs should be bathed only once in every three to four months as bathing takes away natural oils and may soften the coat.

Teeth should be regularly cleaned and maintained as they are easily noticed on the face. Be sure to lift the lips to check for anything unusual when brushing. Tartar of the teeth has been known to cause kidney, liver, and heart disease later in life.

Hemostats and ear powder are common tools used to clean the ears. Lightly powder the ears canal with powder, but do not use too much. Use the hemostats to shake and pull the hair gently to take only a few hairs at a time. Take hair out of the ear canal as far as y ou can see. Next dip your cotton swab in alcohol squeeze the excess liquid out of it and swab the ear canal. Consult your veterinarian if the ear becomes extremely red. Clean the hemostat in alcohol after each ear to prevent the spread of ear mites or ear infestations.

When cutting nails, always hold the nail cutters straight up and down or sideways. Stop when you see a black or white spot in the middle of the nail. Check for dew claws on all four feet to prevent the dew claw from growing into the leg.

Use the small end of a comb unless you are trying to remove mats. Remember to always comb on poodle legs. Rolling the comb back causes the hair to stand out.

In order to get out mats, brush aggressively but not hard enough to scrape the skin. Brushburns can be painful for the dog and frightening for the owner. If you brush into a mat, stay with it or cut it out before moving on.

Learn proper presentation.

Be sure that your dog is well trained to follow your directions. You w ill need your dog to remain still and walk around in specified directions during your presentation.

Learn handling techniques to ensure that you will be able to direct your dog around the stage with seemingly effortless motion. You should be able to use very subtle gestures to control your dog's movement.

Train your dog to trot as this movement will be crucial during presentation to allow the judge to properly view it.

Acquire proper dog show equipment.

Purchase equipment includes grooming crates, dog show leads, and other dog show supplies.

Join a breed club.

This offers you an opportunity to consult with fellow dog owners and learn from others' experiences.

Attend dog shows.

Not only will you be able to watch winners as they successfully display techniques, you can also learn from people's mistakes and ot her difficulties. You will also feel more comfortable for the first time in the ring if you know exactly what to expect and become familiar with the process.

Attend handling classes.

As stated above, handling classes will ensure that you have appropriate control over your dog during shows. Before you know it you'll be sharing your dog show handling tips with others.

Organizations such as the Dogpatch provide a variety of information ranging from tips to ways of locating dog shows around you. If you master the information, then you will easily enter the world of international dog shows. Acquiring proper dog show equipment and dog show training will prepare you and your dog for this exciting sport.

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