It is important to remember that showing dogs is a SPORT and good sportsmanship must be practised at all times. No one likes to lose but you must remain objective about your dog. No dog is perfect and there will be judges who will prefer a competitor's dog over yours.
Do not take the disappointment or anger at a loss out on the exhibitor who's dog defeated you. He just showed his dog. It was the judge who made the decision. Always remember that, by entering your dog, you asked for the judge's opinion. Accept it with grace.
This is not to say that every judge is right. If you seriously disagree with a judge's opinion, it is your option not to give him another entry. If, however, you notice that your list of "judges that you won't show to" is getting rather long, it may be time for some re-evaluation.
Once you have developed some confidence in your basic knowledge, you can turn your attention to preparing your dog. Do not be in a hurry. One of the biggest mistakes that exhibitors make is to show their dogs too soon. Time and again new exhibitors are overheard making the statement that they have entered their dog just for practise - they do not expect to win but are using the show to train and to teach their puppy to have a good time. It is unfair to your dog to put him in a losing position and showing an unprepared dog jeopardizes your credibility.
While it is important that a puppy enjoy his first experiences in the ring, a championship show is a very expensive place to train and should not be used as a practice ground. That is the purpose of handling classes, fun matches and sanction matches. Your dog should not be entered in a championship show until both of you are ready and your goal should always be to win!
The next article in the series focuses on the preparation and training of your show dog. Your comments and questions on this and other articles are welcome in the Discussion area.
 |
