Hello Guys

Been looking for a outfit for my nearly 6 year old daughter to start out jh.

I've looked everywhere and can't find anything appropriate.

Anyone seen a pale colour suit ?

Why not try ebay?

Wendy

School uniform type blazers from ASda or Tesco maybe?
Karen

tried ebay, nothing on there.  Tried asda, nothing there.  Went on line looking too, found a stunning jacket then I saw the price **£69**
I'm think i'm going to have to go into the city and look at the bigger shops.

Oh the joys of suits.  When I was younger I had afew suits from BHS and the likes.

Other options are wearing a smart blouse and trousers or skirt :) 

As for prices, you should have seen what it was like kitting out my brother...though his 17 now and still expensive (made more expensive by the fact of when Joe gets a new suit Dad wants a new suit!!!)

Hope your daughter does well in junior handling.  When she grows it wil be easier to find suits I promise! :D  Although I had my first tailor made one from my boyfriend at christmas as we went to thailand and it was cheeper then buying a decent duit over here!!!!

Reesy,

Have you tried charity shops??  They are a great resource for clothes that are only worn occasionally ;)  I would think Cardiff/Swansea would have plenty of Charity shops :) :)

Also consider shirt/blouse and trousers matching with a contrasting jacket - may work out a bit cheaper than an actual suit

Hi Rox

Is it just a case of looking smart at the end of the day - not a great lover of kids in suits personally - certainly not for an 8yo!

Can you wear a smart jumper/cardigan for example over the blouse?

My daughter is entered at our breed show for the handling next month and I really don't want to buy a suit for her!

Thanks!

Rach

I think I'll stick with trousers and a shirt.  I'm sure I'll eventually find something.  They've always got jackets around xmas time in Asda and Tesco. I rather pick one up from there than have to go into the city.

Bhs is good I got mine from their and quite cheap

when do you need it by?  I could make you one? 

have you thought about getting one made?  you could get a pattern from a dressmaking shop and approach people in your area so you ensure fittings are accurate?

just noticed you are miles away

have you thought about approaching the local fashion college and asking for one of the students to do this as a project?  you buy all the fabric and thread etc and you wouldnt have to pay through the nose... the students also benefit as it can go in their portfolio.... you also get something unique

I designed and made a wedding dress for someone when I was at Uni, it was a fab dress, at the fraction of the usual cost, even thought I used high quality fabric... the project was of benefit to me as I used the project in my portfolio and also on my CV and the bride had a superb dress on the day

Dont rule it out...... xx

Hi Rach, depending on the type of jumper and blouse it could work.  A friend had a lovely 3/4 sleave black jumper over a white blouse (all the fashion) tops for showing in and she at 15 could pull it off as smart as she has a very slim figure (one that I'm jelous of!!!)

At the end of the day it's lookin smart, being presented well and complimenting the dog.  Of course smart = suit but also = lots of other clothing idea's!!!!! :D

Thanks for the info, i think i'll just hold on and wait till i come across one when I go into cardiff.  Trousers and shirt will do for now.

Sometimes I find unless you find a nice suit youngsters can look silly in suits as it's always tempting to buy bigger so they last longer!!! :D

The main thing is the colour will compliment the dog so the dog stands out away from the handler :) 

Trying to think about the outfits I used to wear when I was younger was either black trousers or skirt and white blouse and a black waitscoat. :)

Even now on hot days I will drop the suit and go for trousers and shirt :)  No point being uncomfortable.

i know, and when she is just starting out (turns 6 next wk) she nervous enough as it is, she needs to feel comfortable.
She'll be handling a friends Puli (black) so maybe cream trousers and a pale shirt.

Oooh I've just had a little back flash of where we used to get my brothers suits when he was little....Indoor market stall!  It's a slim chance but maybe go round your local indoor markets and see if anyone caters smart clothing for younger people :)  A lady local to us used to have a varity of suits and outfits for younger people.  Might be worth a look?  Unlikely but possible!

good idea, I'll have a look tomorrow.  I really didn't think of that.

I finally found one.  I was browsing in peacocks last night and found a royal blue smock jacket. Paired up with with white/cream trousers looks very striking and smart.  I'm sure she'll look lovely walking around the ring with ziggy the puli :-)
Saturday is her first outing in junior handling, she only turned 6 on the 19th.  I hope all goes well and she isn't dissapointed.

Ziggy is a little darling, lucky her ;)

They work well together.  She tried with the boxers but they were too hard for her, when she's older she can try with them.  Ziggy is far much easier to handle with regards to size and moving.  Fingers crossed for her

lad you found a suit.  Good luck to your daugter.  But Boxers can't be too hard, that was the breed I started with when I first went into handling.  Even before I was 6  

Suit does sound lovely though.  Keep us updated with your daughters success and watch out for other JH's parents! :D

what breed are you in now?  sorry being noisy...................again :-)

Mainly Irish red and white setters :)

I thought you were someone else :-)
When my daughter trys to stand the boxers she stacks them, holds the head and lifts the tail.  But because she is so small she seems to squash the dog up giving the dog a roach back lol
She is learning and I'm sure she'll get it right...........when she's a bit bigger :-)

My daughter got the same problem with gundogs, she is dying to get her hands on one but her arms are not long enough to stack them :D

Just how I was, and my brother :)  You shoudl have seen him with our large (and quite long) Red and White setter boy who he handled.  He could barely reach the tail set! :D  Used to do well though despite as most judges would allow that he couldn't hold the tail out fully! :D 

I have same problem with my 6 year old daughter and the mastiffs!!!

But is it appropriate that a child showing a dog that is too big can be judged as 'handling' if clearly they cant!
Dont shout me down I have a daughter who handles, I just dont like seeing little ones who cant because of size, it just doesn't work if this is meant to be serious.
I do feel a lot of the judging that I have seen is wrong, with judges not fully realising how much training some of these children put in, perhaps that is another subject.

Karen :-)

I agree Karen. My daughter would love to do junior handling but she just isn't big enough to show my dogs properly. She cannot reach over their backs to stand them properly. Plus it worries me what would happen if there was any trouble in the ring as although my dogs are friendly towards other dogs if one was to have a go at one of mine who's to say what would happen.

She did show the puppy bitch at our club open show on Sunday but that was just abit of fun and because she couldn't handle her properly she got marked down to VHC when earlier in the day with me handling her she'd been 2nd.

She is desperate for a small breed for her to show but it is finding a breed that is suitable that is small enough for her to handle properly but I would prefer something in the working group so that I'm not having to go to the shows over 2 days.

desperate for a small breed for her to show
German Pinscher?

My daughter who was big for her age wasn't able to handle our dogs until she was 8 years old, and started from scratch with a pup (now 10 years old) at age 10.  She simply had to wait until she was old enough and strong enough to handle them, and she started off with a steady adult bitch.

I was never tempted to get her a smaller breed of dog as the interest may not ahve lasted, so iut was my breed or none, but I was right as after 3 years she lost interest.

Couldn't agree more which is why for now anyway she enjoys 'handling' in the garden with our lot and also practises with a friends shiba inus!!

She also shows and jumps her pony and there are only so many hours in a day!!!

This is exactly what my youngest daughter is doing now - learning with the pup as he learns too - and they are doing very well together - she too is 8.

My older dogs will not show for her - Maxy too much of a mummies boy and Angus too strong (and a bit of a nutter between me and you ;) )

I don't really want to look at another breed either - she has her first show at our breed champ show next weekend so hope it goes ok!

But you can allow maybe for a child who can't suit hold a setters tail out for example if they stand there, working with the dog, still placing the feet etc and talking to the dog.

It's another story if the handler can't control the dog.  No handler should be put into the ring if they and the dog are going to be an inconvinece to others. 

I don't think it's right to buy a different breed of the dog for a handler as you need to remember the dog will be around for 10 years or so, if the handler losses intrest what do you do then?

My first experiance in teh ring was when I was 18 months, with a boxer and myGrandad there to keep me under control (dog was fully trained, I wasn't!) by the age of 4/5 I had been handling the boxers and a friends rough collie at exemption shows.  I also handled a friends poodle and they would take in one of our boxers.

By the age of 7 I had my first setter. :)  My brother was the same.

Now I'm sure we all know of Erin with her munster on here :)  Now thats a small child, with a big dog who can prove you can control a large dog in the ring, not just confermation or handling.

Hi Rox - what we say to Jess is to just show the tail set - so not to worry about holding right at the end - some adults in the breed rings dont' hold right at the end either!

I agree as long as they have 'control' then I don't see why they cant' show a larger breed - but totally agree that children with an out of control regardless of size shouldn't handle them.

Yup my brother use to strech right out and hold the tail set so the dogs tail looked horrible but he still demonstrated he knew how to show his setter.  Now he can easily reach and to think my parents considerd getting him a smaller breed such as a cocker however his now 6ft, the cocker could be about 8/9 now if they had got him one and he might not have been intrested in having a smaller breed.  He likes showing the larger dogs and they look better with him :)

Just thought I would update you.  My daughter had her first junior handling class on Saturday. she was so nervous, but was happy when she came out with a 4th place.

Well Done to your daughter. 

thats a good place for her first handling class.  There is some strong competition around at the moment in 6-11 age group...

Only way is up :D

Well done to your daughter!!!:-D

Well done, I did see her and thought she  looked lovely and done really well :)

Thank you, she was so nervous

Awww bless, nothing to be nervous about the Juniors are a friendly bunch, I'm sure she will soon settle into it

I hope so too.  She wasn't happy that she had to choose between her horse riding lesson and jnr handling this Sunday.  Now I have to try and get her riding lesson for Saturday.

Will pop over and say hello on Sunday - Blackwood ?

ok see you there. If you can't see me look out for the boxers I won't be too far away or look out for ziggy :-)