I have a puppy coming out in July and would appreciate some advice please. I have shown another breed for many years - so its particularly "Lab" stuff I need to know rather than about showing in general.

I am going to buy a fabric cage (in the hope she doesn't roly poly it round the showground LOL) - what size should I get that will still fit her when she is adult? Any brands I should avoid or definately buy please.

I have bought a leather slip lead - is this ideal or would a fabric one be easier to use, I am concerned the leather one may not close up quickly and that she may escape if she gets a fright at her first few shows?

Bathing. How close to a show should she be bathed ( if at all?) will the coat texture/bloom be affected?

General grooming. I use a brush a bit like a horse body brush - but it doesn't seem to get her mother that clean. I also use a damp cloth rubbed back and fore with a spot of puppy shampoo on it and then go over her again with a damper watery one and then dry her off. Anything else I should be doing please day to day or in preparation for shows, apart from trimmimg her nails?

Also I think I need to cut off the extra hair on the end of her tail to make it look as short as possible?- should it be cut blunt or pointed?

Thanks in advance. I am so looking forward to showing a new breed - I just cant wait. There seem to  far fewer Open Shows these days - such a shame. When I used to show regularly ( several years ago now) each CS used to put on 2 Open Shows a year often a Limit Show as well. Anyone know why this  has changed?

Hi

I cant give you much advice on showing labradors but with regards to the fabric crate I would go for the canine camper which can be ordered from berriewood (advertised in the back of dog world) IMO it is the most sturdy, I often get asked about it at shows - last week I had to do a demo to a lady of how to put it up and take it down :D :D

It is a shame about the open shows being fewer, I think people dont do open shows any more and save up for the champ shows.  I went to one show at the weekend and there were only 5 dogs entered throughout all of the classes in my breed, there was only one in puppy and mine is a breed which is usually quite well represented at most shows.

Hopefully someone else we be along soon to help you with your other queries :)

Sorry I cannot help you about Labs but just wanted to say that I too am hoping to show my new puppy in July and like you am excited but also a bit nervous!!. It is nearly 20 years since I last showed a dog and now that I have changed breeds from a large working breed to a 'table dog', so that will be quite a change. For my breed I bought a fabric cage from Croft and am really pleased with it, one of its plus points being VERY easy to put up and down. I agree with you regarding the lack of Open shows, but think that these days people are saving their money and just going to Ch. shows, but a limited show was a great place to take a puppy for its first outing. If you have a companion dog show near you they serve the same purpose..
Best of luck at the shows.

Thanks for the replies, though I am a bit sad I'm not getting any replies from Lab exhibitors.

Good luck with your pup cardy, what breed is she? I am doing the opposite to you - going from a "table" breed to a free standing one. It is nerve wracking - I never used to suffer from showing nerves but after a 4/5 year break from the ring, and about 10 years since I showed on a weekly basis, I am nervous about showing a new breed, its like starting all over again.

Thanks ClaireyS, I shall definately look at the Berriewood one.

Hi there,

I am now going to start showing one of my labs, I own working labs and they do not have the looks for show dogs!! but I have a chocolat bitch who sadly (not her fault) didn't work out in the field so we are going to have a go in the showring as her pedigree is 3/4 show and only 1/4 work, she is a bit on the small side and have had varying opinions on her from "yes I like her" to "she's no good" but we are going to have ago anyway. I have attended countless companion shows in the past but only Two open shows (not with the chocolate) so its a bit scary. We have been to a couple of companions over the last month and I bathed her the night before the show, big mistake she had little white bits over her the next day but we still took Forth out of about 15 in the sporting class. but I left her now and her coat seems fine just a quick going over with a damp cloth and shes fine. As for the tail I just trimmed the pointy bit off and made it rounded in appearance, it should look a bit like an otters tail, all the judges I have seen has always measured the tail aganist the hind leg with the tail coming down to about the hock. As for the lead I used a material slip lead (don't know what material!!) the same colour as the dog (brown) If the dog pulls away suddenly then it should automatically tighten, just make sure that the stop is not too far up the lead. I hope I have helped but I'm not a pro so I hope maybe another lab show goer will come and have a look shortly, Good luck and I hope you all the success.

Kerry

Yep that's how I learnt too. No bath is best, although my Yellow would usually manage to get oil on her as we got out of the car. The beauty of Labs is virtually no preperation, don't put anything on the coat, just give her a good wipe down with a damp cloth and a shine with a shammy(sp) On hot summer days a damp towel is good to put over her body. I like a leather lead myself, brown for choc, black for yellow & black. I find them easier too for when you stand your dog and have the lead loose over the shoulders. I find the hardest thing is teaching the dog to have their teeth looked at, keep practising and enlist some help to get her used to it. I like the club shows myself but expect an average of thirty in a class. Try and relax and have fun, just think of it as another ringcraft, it's much nicer if you have a friend to accompany you, mine moved to Scotland :(  I have not been in the ring this year yet as mine have been too young but I shall be out soon with a puppy bitch. Set yourself a limit on mileage and stick to it, otherwise it can get very expensive and addictive.
Enjoy yourself :)

Hi, sorry can't give you any info on the fabric crates, as I still trundle a heavy metal one around. Only because I need it to be secure to hold 3 Labs. Labs can open the zips of these crates very easily. I use a 36" crate, which hold two adult labs comfortably and three sandwiched (which my lot seem to prefer) :)

I have different show leads for different Labs, it depends on the dog.  Tia has a fine round leather lead, Summer and Ellie who are younger, have a thicker woven one, but will be going on the finer leather shortly.

Do not bath your Lab before going to a show, this may destroy the natural oils and ruin the 'hard' texture of the coat. 

Grooming...My brush has bristles on one side and metal prongs with nobbly bits on the other, (sorry for poor description, no idea what they are called)  The metal side gets down to the skin, and rakes, it also helps massage the skin to produce the natural oils which help keep the skin and coat in good condition.  The bristle side is used to remove 'top soil' and debris.  before going into the ring I give a quick wipe down with baby wipes, this removes dust and debris, a quick bristle brush and a rub down with a velvet cloth.  The velvet give a good sheen to a black Lab. A baby wipe is also useful for going over face, eyes, and also great for the nose.

The tail should be niether blunt nor pointed, but nicely rounded in profile.  Take the tip of the tail between forefinger and thumb, at the sides, and with very sharp pointed scissors, cut away from the tail a 'V'.  Repeat this, but take the tip of the tail from top and bottom.  Then Hold tail and check any stray hairs straight across.  The straight across cut should be limited to 2mm. The tail should just reach the hock,

>also use a damp cloth rubbed back and fore with a spot of puppy shampoo on it and then go over her again with a damper watery one and then dry her off.

I would not do this, I try never to get the undercoat wet at all and never rub back and forth. Alway rub in the direction of the hair growth. A good deep daily brush will get all the debris out

If I have forgotten anything, just ask :)
Kay

I would definitly NOT bath a lab before a show a good rub down with a chammy leather and yes trim the tail I believe they used to singe them in older days but I just trim it. I have agreat hand mitt its soft on one sied and wiry on the other great for a lab coat.
Expect massive competition at champ shows maybe start at the open ones first but with a decent judge an open shows lab entry can often be the highest number entered.
On crates I cant answer as never used them but a friend of mine has gone onto the fabric ones and thinks they are good. she shows labs
Forgot to say Ive two pups coming out the same time ;)  first new babies for quite afew years :)

Ahhhhhhhhh Mattie, didn't know you had some new puppies????

We went to an open show on Bank Holiday Monday and my Luke was the only Lab in the show!! There were masses of Hungarian Vizlas, and Golden Retrievers, but no other Labs :-( Luke was in the AV gundog class.

Hi Carene, I think most of us Labs were at the Border Counties Gundog Open on Monday. :)

Sorry for my ignorance - but where was that?

Carlisle, Cumbria.

Dawn R.

mmm....rather a long way from Northampton ;-)

Yes we have two rather special girls  waited a very long time send me your email and ill send you some pictures.

So pleased to see more replies when I logged in - thankyou so much all of you.

Yes I know that there will be very stiff competition - thats partly why I am sad there are so few Open shows now. I just want to have a nice day out, meet stalwart Labbie folk, learn more about the breed and have some knowledgable people tell me what they think of her, ( yes really LOL) I dont expect to hit the headlines, though a placing at a good show in good company would be wonderful. Her dam is nicely bred and her dad is from a consistant Ch Show winning kennel. Her dads full brother won his class at Crufts for the 2nd year running,  so I have the basic material, I just may have to wait a generation or two before I get really ambitious.  I have waited sooo long for a quality homebred Lab puppy to own and show.

I have just got the schedule for SWKA - £20 for first entry - OUCH, LOL. Still I shall enter there and the WKC and hopefully any at the NEC. I have a friend that lives in Cardiff so I could stay overnight to split the journey to any shows further afield, but if £20 is an average entry fee for CH shows I shant be doing the whole circuit.
What is the standard like in Eire/Ireland as I am very near the ferry, and could maybe go over for the day to some shows. I assume the KC cover Northern Ireland and the IKC covers Eire - is that correct?

Good luck with your babies mattie

Hi,  I have just started ringcraft training with my labrador pup.  Ready for showing in June.  I find the hardest thing is the free standing, trying to keep them entertained and standing is a challenge.  I feel like you that the competition in this breed is going to be very competitive but feel just to get the enjoyment and to meet other labby people will be great.  I use a material slip lead which controls him very well, he actually work better for me on it than a collar and lead at home!