Has anyone done Brace classes. I have always wanted to but up til now have never had two Danes the same colour. Any tips on handling would be lovely.

I find one of those short & lightish benching chains with one ring in centre & two clips best, on a very short lead, I find you have to hold the lead 'high' with a brace and a short lead saves you 'bunching' too much lead and gives you less to worry about.

And a good response to the word WHOA will help :D :D :D

<<short & lightish benching chains with one ring in centre & two clips best>> Its called a "couple" :)

and I hope you are tall if you have to hold the leads high for your danes :D :D

<<Its called a "couple">>  Ta :P

:D :D @ Sarah

And a sledge for getting into the ring and out again in very fast time

Same here, but this time i have entered, at the Southern bullmastiff show in April, i have entered mum and daughter, but i have visions of me flying around the ring :), my girls are very enthusiastic (sp?). will let you know how it goes, i'm going to be doing a bit of practicing over the fields before hand.
Karen.

I don't use a couple, because I feel I don't have full control over each dog but very many do. IMO you can twitch a forefinger or litter finger on single leads and imagine (?!) it works. I'd practice both ways and see what suits you best. Oh and think big. Next time go for Team and the one after Progeny too ;) :)

Best of luck

I've had a few practices and my arm felt like it was going to drop off afterwards, is it better to have the larger dog next to you, mine will be brother and sister, with the smaller on the outside and does the judge go over them like normal showing or do you just run round the ring and stand at the end. Do you get a rossette for not falling over ??

It always seems to me to be judged on 'looks' and then 'movement', as opposed to construction.

I try to keep the smaller to the outside, but it doesn't always work, it is more important to get them 'moving' together imo.

I love team.....unfortunately so do the Sibes

Assuming it's a Dane club show, you'll probably get a rosette even if you DO fall over - there's not usually many people daft enough to try :D

M.

when are you doing it .. id love to come and watch :D :D :D :D :D :D

Do you know this is something I have always wanted to do, and as each pair of dogs go into the ring I try to see if it would be possible to show as brace. To date I have not been able to persuade any of mine that the ideal would be to face the same direction at the same time and find moving with one going forward and one back is not the ideal.

LOL @ Jackie!

Although most Breed Club shows have the Brace it is actually the Birmingham Champ Show in May, they seem to have Brace classes in nearly all the breeds so we could all have a go and then compare bruises and broken bones. The worst thing about it is that I will be showing puppies and they will have to wait right to the end of the breed classes for the Brace. Are they Crufts qualifying classes ??

I showed a group once at an exemption show (hardly the same I know :P ) it was Irish group so I took in our two Afghans and our Bichon, they were actually quite well behaved and moved in sync (apart from the Bichon who just hid behind the Affies :D :D )

What always intrigues me, is, are they judged on their conformation/movement etc as per a normal class....or are they judged on their matched likeness????

Having shown in many brace classes they SHOULD be judged on conformation, movement(as an individual & a brace)& then whether they match as a brace(which traditinally is a dog & a bitch a couple is two dogs os the same sex)

When I had my beardies they won a number of brace classes at all levels & were always shown on two separate leads.

The oddest decision I have ever seen was a certain(now deceased)top terrier judge/handler place 1st two pugs-one fawn one black handled by two people, neither dog moved correctly & they did not move together in any way :O Later we discovered that the owner of the "brace"was the judges sister in law & handled in the ring by their nephew & niece.then people tell me there is no nepotisim in dog shows :)

>>>>>two pugs-one fawn one black handled by two people, neither dog moved correctly & they did not move together in any way<<<<<<< But of course they were a brace they were both pugs ;)

     Well I may go to B'ham just to watch the braces then, sound very very very interesting...may even bring a camcorder with me....plus a few bandages :)
     Karen

Well traditionally they weren't because the they both males & ergo a brace, but KC rules just say two dogs. the reason they didn't move together or well & needed towo handlers was they obviously hated each other & were trying to have a fight right thrioughout the class :D