Hi all, I have a bit of a problem....

We have only been showing since February and my pup is standing nicely and is on the table with no problem...but....for the last 2 shows, she has decided she is a bloodhound and just sniffs her way around! Despite this, she did manage VHC at our 1st champ show! We have done some off lead work at ring craft and she does actually watch me but as soon as the lead goes on, her nose is back on the floor :( Is she bored already? she is nearly 9 months old.

Does anyone have any tips or advice , thank you

my girl went like that when she was in puppy, her breeder gave me a big cunk of dehydrated liver to keep waveing infrount of her so she would lift her hea to smell the tasty treat, shes a vallhund so it was a bit of a streach trying to walk straight and bend so the treat was by her noes but we pulled it off and she walked around with her head up that show.

I used to use garlic sausage,rubbed onto my hands,just before i went into the ring My little silky terrier would really focus on the smell and when I drew my hands up ,up would go her head.It worked very well ,especially for the walk up and down/ stand for display at attention.

Aside from food try perfume on the dogs paws and a dab on her chest, worked for many others

Haha that is how it's like with my pup too, Jo! To reach her nose, I have to walk looking like a little stooped old lady! :D Great tips, guys, thanx so much. We are at Ardingly on Sunday but will practice to see what works best for us over the next few days! Thanx again :)

The food tips, I've used but I also used a command with the garlic sausage too.  I would swipe the sausage across his nose and say "Head up".  Eventually, I could say the command at the right time without the treat.  I then started to incorporate the "head up" command into the puppy ringcraft training instead of waiting till I had the issue.

Just remember to GIVE the dog some of the treat offered as a lure eventually, as otherwise she will quickly learn it's pointless looking at it as it's never offered! There was somebody at our training classes once who always used a large treat for the dog to look at during heelwork. The same treat was used week after week (giant biscuit so didn't go off!) but the dog was never given any of it so soon stopped paying any attention to it whatsoever.

Yes, I lure the head up and also teach it as a command. Just a slight jiggle on the lead (not a check or jerk, but just something to make the collar move to catch their attention to the fact I am asking them to do something) now gets their attention!

Thank you everyone, you've all given me something to try and different ways to think about it! I've started to think she just doesn't like showing but I realise it may just be we both are still not sure what to do or how to achieve it! I have a few more open shows to practice with before Southern, so will hope that we are both up to scratch by then...lol. Thanx again. x