Hi all, thought id bend some ears. I am new to the show ring and have just started with my 7month old Bullmastiff bitch. We attend ringcraft and have had her in 3shows so far. She does really well, APART from when she wont keep her head up when running round ring, which makes her entire frame looking hunched and out of proportion. Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Nikkiid

You might find that a tasty titbit or a small squeaky toy used at ringcraft
might help in training to keep her head up.
You must hold titbit or squeaky toy at her head level with your right hand (your left hand holds her lead)
You may be able to hold the titbit in the same hand as the lead.
If your ringcraft is a good club they should be able to show you how it's done.
The other thing is use your voice to encourage her and to make her happy talk to her as you are moving
her around the ring. If you can give can give her confidence you may not even have
to use toys/titbits

Best of Luck :)

Thank you, We've tried the titbit but she doesnt respond to this going round the ring, only for stand/stay. A small Squeeky toy sounds like good idea though.I'l be getting one of these this week and see how she does. Is that allowed in the ring, i mean, the other people won't start moaning that i am distracting their dogs and i don't want the judge to look at me funny:rolleyes:

Nikkiid

Have you tried a sausage cut longways, so that it's long and floppy??!!!  If you hold it (at the end so that it wiggles) in your left hand with the lead, and keep your hand low, in front of where you want the nose to be, I'll be very surprised if it doesn't keep your dog's attention! :)

I have used a squeeky toy and played with her out the ring with it but then hidden it in my right hand pocket and frequently put my hand in to which keeps her attention each time and i have never needed to bring it out until after the class is over.

Works well for us.

Please don't use squeaky toys in the ring or around the ring when other dogs are being judged - some dogs really hate them & can be totally put off when they hear them.

I was just going to say that i used a squeaky toy and was told off, rightly so though they were giving tickets out in the next ring.  I had that problem myself, when your at ringcraft or at home practising you could teach her to make eye contact and then praise her with a treat, then just carry it on and hopefully she will then keep her head up.  good luck anyway with showing.

Warm regards Susan

Depends on the breed partly doesn't it? Some breeds routinely use squeaky toys etc, others don't. :-)

Some handlers routinely upset the breed in the next ring too .........

And some breeds routinely ignore the doble handling rule -and get away with it.

hold the head up with the lead - having said that there is no need for the head to be 'bolt upright' moving, infact this woul be equally wrong.