were starting showing soon but our pups are still doing ringcraft, can someone just put a list of the type of show we should start entering and what we should hope to get to if they do well. e.g open show- then what do we go onto?

sorry but this is all so confusing to me.

Hi,
try your Pug breed club, they'll have a website and may well detail championship shows for the next year. You should definitely attend your club breed shows. Breed clubs normally have an open show and a championship show each year. It's a great way to meet others in the breed and perhaps to find a mentor for your son. They'll also know all the shows to attend and can advise accordingly. Your pups breeder may be a good first point of contact, or the breed club secretary. They'll be pleased to hear from you and thrilled to support a youngster interested in showing the breed.

In addition, to championship shows your breed club may also know about open shows. Failing that, I would have thought your local ringcraft could advise on this. They will certainly know of naything local, as well as the bigger open shows.

Open shows are a good place to start campaigning your pup, once it is 6 months. It'll help you get to know the ropes and a little about show etiquette. But do start at a few companion shows too, just to get a feel for being in front of people, for the pup's sake, if nothing else.

By the way, has your son considered doing junior handling? Again, it's the best way for youngsters to learn about showing and those who pass all the stages and exams often outshine us adults. It's also a great way to get known in showing. Handling is a real skill and good handling gets noticed irrespective of how much or little quality your dog has.

he did think about junior handling but when we went to watch a show he was a bit put off as they were like 10 yrs old and said he would be a bit embarrased. i've never heard of companion shows could you explain? im actually taking the pups to someone on the pug dog club commitee as she is a champion judge who will give an honest second opinion, i hope this is the right thing to be doing?

thanks.

Personally I think comp shows are great practice for both dogs and handlers BUT you have to remember that the level of judging can be very iffy. However, most comp shows are in the summer so there are not likely to be many coming up now.  We find these shows by searching the internet version of a free paper - Friday Ad - not sure if you get it in your area.  Also for open and champ shows look at the KC diary of events - anything of interest I send  SAE.  Or you can pick up details of some shows in Our Dog online or Dog World - these ads usually list the breeds for which there are classes unlike the KC listing.  Here are the links

http://www.ourdogs.co.uk/

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/exhibiting.html

Good luck!

Louise

You've had a good reply about companion and other shows, so I won't go over that. Suffice to say the former is a fun dog show, as found at your local fete etc..but , yes, the summer only. As the Op said, the judging can be iffy, but you still get an initial feel for being in a ring and so on.

I still think the best introduction to formal showing might be a breed club show. There you can compare notes and see how best to present your dog and so on. People will be happy to advise a beginner and perhaps have more time to so do.

By all means have your Pug looked at, but different people have different views within any breed. Some prefer one type, others another. Also a promising pup can go off the boil and vice versa. If your son is serious about showing, as opposed to simply wanting the experience of winning, then let him try with your pups. They may or may not be championship material but he'll learn a lot along the way. Ideally an outstanding dog should always shine through, but expert handling can make even a mediocre dog shine. That is why big winning champions are often handled by a professional handler at shows like Crufts.

thanks for the post its really helped.

sorry another question. can he compete with the normal people in the shows or does he have to go into junior untill he is 18?

Anyone can show in breed classes 8 or 80!

Shows are age relevant ot the dog, not the handler (apart from Junior HandlingYKC classes).  There is a pug open show coming up in Scotland - whereabouts do you live?

i started showing this summer,and my first port of call was my breeder, she supplied me with a load of schedules, helped me fill them in, gave me loads of afvice, came to my ringcraft class to help me. i went to a few open shows over the summer and a few champ shows, only local ones at the moment for me. good luck.

anybody of any age can handel a dog in the breed classes, my 13 year old daughter handels my boy both in breed and junior handeling just because he works better for her than he does for me, and because he works better for her i feel he looks better in the ring and so i have let them get on with it, Im just a taxi lol

Yes anyone of any age can show in the ring as long as they can control the dog but you have a pug so that wont be an issue.

Also I would say to compete in open shows at first as they are a lot more friendly and a good place to learn as ringcraft can only teach you so much.  Plus more chance of a rosette which is always nice.
Schedules are available on http://www.fossedata.co.uk/ and also http://www.highampress.co.uk/download.asp but the second one has more champ shows than anything.  Also you breed club will do open shows as well and these are particularly good as you learn all the tips and tricks that only people in your breed will know, the schedules for breed shows are sometimes published on the breed clubs website but most you have to ring up for them to send you a copy.

Try not to enter too many shows at once as even though it is exciting a young pup can lose their show spirit and by the time they are a year and a half no longer perform as good as they could do.  I set myself a max of one show a month at the most. Make it super exciting and dont tell them off while they are there, always fuss them as if you have won as they dont know what is happening they just know that by standing still and trotting around they make you happy.

Also main thing, enjoy it :-D

Emma

And yes, another site for schedules

http://www.penneypine.co.uk/

You can't enter online but can run off schedules and entry forms for the shows which PP prints for.

Much as I love my internet access to all things doggy, don't forget the canine press 'Our Dogs' &  'Dog World' they both have a full & comprehensive list of every type of forthcoming shows as well as Breed specialist columns/ Judges critiques (when they can be bothered to write them)/ Seminars on all aspects of showing/ General articles on the dog scene etc. You need to order then via your newsagent but they do have very useful information all in the one place.

>he was a bit put off as they were like 10 yrs old

The handling is for anyone age 6-16 (JHA) and 6-24 (YKC) There is also adult handling which is becoming more popular (17+) The handling is done on the handler, not the quality of the dog.  My brother is 18 and has been handling since 6 (5 at companion shows) and has done alot of top winning including crufts YKC handling. I'm 20 and been doing it all my life and My Dad is a regular competitor in Adult handling.  If your son is interested in handling then get him to Join the YKC.  This supports handling, showing, flyball, agility, obedience, gundog work, pet ownership and more!  the JHA you join after winning a top 3 place at a JHA qualifying show and this will also qualify you for the semi finals (Which are being held this weekend as we type)

THE YKC and JHA side could give your son something to do whilst you want to show the dog in breed classes (While you only have one dog) or else like my poor father you could end up dogless which will lead to having to get another one for yourself! HEHE

Good luck in starting out!

im in cambridgeshire, i cant take them yet tho there only 3 and a half months, just locating a ringcraft at the mo.

> there only 3 and a half months, just locating a ringcraft at the mo.

OK, ringcraft needed in near future then.  Meanwhile basic training should be started at home, but a bit difficult if you have never shown, nor had any experience of show training.  Are they walking on a lead happily?  Now is also a good time to get them used to standing on a table, allowing feet to be arranged and whoel pup to be "gone" over.

they walk on a lead perfectly, well they get a little bit bouncy sometimes, but there rubbish at standing any ideas on how i could practise, also how they should be walked all i know is that it should be on the left.

One of the best ways to learn if you are on your own is to set up a table in front of a mirror (or Patio doors in the evenings), making sure you have a non slip mat for your pup to stand on. By using the mirror you will be able to see your dog as a judge would, and you can practise from all angles. Obviously you need someone to give you guidance on the correct stance for your breed. How near the A1 are you?

o thankyou, not far at all from the A1

puggg, if you refer back to the ringcraft directory forum you will find a listing for a class in Wootton Beds, it is not too far down the A1 taking the new Gt. Barford by-pass (about1/2 hr)  you can contact me direct if you would prefer. That is if you have not found anywhere closer yet.