Hi everyone,

My male Dobermann is now 11 months old. We're still going to training classes and last week our trainer brought in some leaflets for some dog shows coming up in a few months. A few of us were interested so she recommended a ringcraft class we go to. We ended up going to the adult class as the cut off for the puppy class is 12 months and he'll be 1 next week. I felt a bit out of my depth and, although the trainer tried to help me when he could, didn't have much of a clue as to what I was meant to be doing (and we got "told off" for pacing! :D). Do you think it is too late for us to be doing ringcraft now? On the stand he makes eye contact with me the entire time instead of looking straight ahead, even when I wave a treat around in front of him, as we were taught to teach the command "watch me" at his regular training class right from when he was teeny.

Also, we have been practicing "teeth" at home (he is fine with me checking him over, although very shy when strangers even just approach him) and I've noticed that although his incisor teeth are in the correct position, his top front teeth overlap the lower ones quite prominently. Would that be a disqualification?

Thanks for any help!

His top teeth are meant to overlpa his borom teeth but there should be no gap under them.

No it isn't too late, but I would find a class that actually know how a dobermann is meant to be handled in the ring.  For the judge they are presented stacked, so you will be moving him into positon and iof needed placing his legs in the correct position and keeping your hand under his muzzle and other hand holding his tail.  Quite often at the end of the movement a judge may want to see the dog standign free, but when you go back in line you would stack him again.

I ddidn't start showing my oldest Elkhound until she was 22 months of age.  At first she was a bit put out by haing to have ehr tetth looked at, but this is a must.  The judge will put theri handsl all over the dog (though with a dobe they can see most of what they are looking for), and he will ahve to tolerate having his testicles felt for and his mouth and head examined.  Most handlers use food to keep the dogs attention and off what the judge is doing.

Sorry I just realised I meant his canines are in the correct position, not sure the incisors are! The top incisors overlap the bottom and there is a gap inbetween if that makes sense (they don't come down  directly right in front of the bottom teeth).

A slight gap in a puppy will not be unusual as th lower jaw grow for longer than the top jaw, so a very tight scissor bite would be at riusk of becoming level or undershot.  Surely the trainers at ringcraft can tell if his bite is correct?

Yes, but he wouldn't let them look! He seems to be going through a very shy phase anyway, and was overwhelmed by a hall full of new dogs and people. By the end of the session he happily trotted round the ring with one of the other handlers, but was not brave enough to be examined. They tried a couple of times, but he started flipping out on the end of the lead and ducked in and out between my legs when they got within a couple of feet.

How long did it take for you to get your Elkhound used to standing, moving and being handled? I do training with him everyday and have alot of time to practice, but it's strangers he seems to have a problem with so I'm not sure how we're going to get around that. He lets us at home feel all over him.

The class we went to came very recommended, so I think the problem is more to do with us being beginners in an advanced class. He did try to give me some one-to-one but we were a tiny proportion of a very big class. Everyone seemed to be doing free-standing..? (there were 2 other Dobes there who turned out to be his very close relations! I didn't get much chance to talk to them though). Did you go straight into an adult class?

I wonder if they are expecting a bit too much and forgetting he's new to all this? How did they approach the mouth exam - was it the same both times?  Introducing a new experience like this to a pup of this age needs to be done carefully, or he will quickly learn that his reaction gets the result he wants - he flips out, they give up on the idea of looking at his teeth.........

Try getting friends & family to look him over at home - I got anyone I could look at my dog as she hated her ears & mouth being looked at when she was a pup.

She is fine now though.

Jo