Hi everyone
well it was Mabel's first show today at Ardingly and mine too. All I wanted was for her not to bite the judge and not to placed last - you guessed it both happened!:rolleyes:
All was going well until she got onto to the table and the judge started to go over her, I was worried about this part as she can show dislike to this. The teeth checking was fine and i breathed a silent sigh of relief but as he moved his hands down her her front legs and over her body she decided she'd had enough and mouthed him with her glistening white adult teeth - no growling and no real apparent angryness, just a firm gentle holding of his hand! he said dont worry we allow puppies room at this age and he continued - and so did she
anyway onto to the trot round the ring which was horrendous, she wanted to charge and bunny hop. I couldn't get her to somehow just walk. In the end he said to me look she really isn't going to do it today for you but conintue with ringcarft etc. We came 5th out of 5. The grass wasn't long but not short either and although i do not want to make excuses for not strutting her stuff properly she doesn't like the feel of the grass tickling her tummy so just jumps. This i will sort by doing lots more lead walks and getting her used to walking on grass. Think she was a little hyper too as it took 2hrs to get there and then i didnt really give her much exercise before going in the ring and being only just 6mths she needed to burn some energy. At the end of the class he just said she was very exuberant - not sure if this is good or bad.
Now I need to know please how to get her to stop this heavy mouthing that she does to strangers, its not aggressive but more a definite please get off me. Not keen on visitors that we have and still attacks feet and shoes and tends to shy away from being fussed. I have never smacked her so cant think why she would have this sort of fear within her. I have 4 other dogs which she gets on well with (one is her mum).

next show at Dorchester next weekend and already worrying esp after today and thinking should i bother or wait another few weeks before attempting again.

Lorri

Do you go to ringcraft every week?

yes i do but dont feel i get a great deal out of it. Not a lot of instruction really. There isnt another one that i know of for some miles.

It might be worth travelling because the first thing that your pup needs to learn is to be gone over.  Without that ......... :(

Hi Lorri,

Sorry to hear it didn't go as planned, could you bait her at all while the judge is going over her although probably not a good habit to get into ..........still go next weekend and treat it as a bit of practice, at least it won't be so far to go :)
I think if you could talk to Penny at Ringcraft, she'd be really helpful, but I know what you mean about the lack of instruction.

There is a Ringcraft near Romsey, but I don't have the details for it

which one is penny??

yes could use food and had some in my pocket but forgot to use! also needing extra hands to hold lead, hold tail and food

When the judge comes to the front of the table to start looking over the dog drop the tail and get hold of the food to get her attentioin, take something hard that she can chew on. :)

Also if you can find another ringcraft, even if it means travveling, try and do it.  Get as many people to go over her as possibly without over doing it at one go.

Unfortantly we sometimes get placed last, even the best of us.  My brother took at the same show today our group winning aussie in and came 3rd out of 3....must have just not been the judges type!

Or sometimes they just don't sparkle.  My younger champion bitch is like that she comes first if she is on her toes abut at other times she will come down the line as she cannot be fussed.  The dogs performance wil effect how the dog looks and if others are of similar quality and yours shows indifferently then it will be beaten.

Actually today I'm not so bothered about being picked last and did see that coming after we had performed. My main concern is not being happy about being handled, perhaps starting ringcraft at 12 weeks was too early and made her fearful?? or is it still puppy behaviour??

thanks for the advice that you have all given so far.

Nope strating ringcraft at 12 weeks was not to early.  Mine all go from day one :)  If she is fearful its more likely she's had a bad experiance.  Has anyone at training been rough with her on the table?

Penny is the lady with Golden Retrievers...............took the class the week before last, but I'm not sure you were there that night looks a bit foreign but it's so nice when she does take the class as she will put you right when you are doing it wrong ;)