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quote:

Originally posted by Redyre Rottiess:
What age do you start show training puppies?

What techniques do you use to teach stacking, mouth exam, etc?

Do you use stacking blocks? A grooming table?

If yes, why?

If no, why not?

I do very little actual "show training". Puppies get socialized like mad, leash broken, I teach them a "stand stay", to look at bait and to have their mouth examined. (LOL, the "mouth examination" training is a natural by product of impatiently checking to see if they're going to have a full and proper mouth.)

Other than that, I pretty much leave them alone. They pick up what additional training they might need in the ring itself.

If a dog is square and balanced on both ends, they shouldn't NEED to be taught to stand four square, it's something they do naturally. IMO, the more a dog has to be taught proper paw position, the more faulty they probably are.

It's worked for me so far..I've had puppies pick up points at specialties at their first show with no prior show training whatsoever. Razzle wnet Best Puppy at a specialty at her first show, and was getting reserves to majors on her second weekend out. That was when she was 8 months old, she'd only been stacked twice (for picture taking purposes) since she was about 14 weeks old. She'd never had anyone "go over her" prior to her first show...no problems, but then she's a well socialized, stable dog.

Edited to add: I use pro handlers. I think it's probably more important for owner handlers to do a lot of prior show training with puppies..in order to get THEIR handling skills up to par. As with anything else, the dogs are the easy ones to train, the people much more difficult.

My experience has been a pro handler can take a pretty much untrained puppy and have it showing like a million bucks fast. They really PREFER to do it themselves, rather than having to undo bad training.

I know by Razzle's third weekend out, Andy was doing his little trick where he took the collar/lead completely off of her while she was stacked. She was showing like a seasoned show dog, and in 4 shows went reserve to the major twice, and got the major one time.

I started with Ivan at 8 weeks. I started off using a small end table to keep him still. Most of the training I did with Ivan was to get him to stand. I have never had a dog that would plop down so fast and eagerly as him. Most had to be taught to sit, not him. I didn't use stacking blocks(or tuna cans right away) not nessiarly to show him where to place his feet but to make it more difficult for him to sit (yes its still a problem lol).
As far as mouth and testicle exam, everyone that came over or when we where out walking checked his mouth out, very few wanted to do the testicle exam on him.

The moment I lay hands on them, conditioning starts. I've never used the blocks and tend to agree with Murreydobes on this one. (tuna cans, etc. that would be me, SRT. lol)

I do use a grooming table. Being such a big fella, I've taught him "easy-up" to gently put his feet up and wait for me to lift, instead of hopping on up. It's very cute how slow and gentle he is. Only problem is he LOVES the table and thinks every grooming table at the shows are his. Once packing to leave I had him on a long lead tearing down his enclosure. I turned around and he had snuck two feet onto a chins table, WHILE THE LADY WAS GROOMING! She just smiled and said "He's fine." He makes friends where ever we go.

quote:

Originally posted by SRTboxer:
Well so far with the puppies/dogs i have worked with, every dog is different so things can be changed...but the basics for me...

1. What age do you start show training puppies? -Well with harry i started the day he came home. But as a general, 8 weeks when they come home, or if it were my litter, When eyes were open and they were steady! lol

2. What Techniques do you use to teach stacking, mouth exam, etc?-Well honestly i try to teach free stacking first. With harry is came natural as he is balanced and "used" himself best that way. Then i taught, STAND....and STAY..., then onto bites, i would stack the dog and have anyone and everyone come and see mouths, by that i mean i start out by saying show me...and then i have other people (family, KC teachers...etc.) come around at any time and just open their mouths. When hand stacking i would teach picking up a foot and saying stand and then another foot and stand. Then Stay. Work with the front first and then move to the back. All of it is fun, and there are TONS of rewards....

3. Do you use stacking blocks? A Grooming Table?--Now i use stacking blocks, but my cheap butt used vegetable cans or tuna cans at first. And yes i used my grooming table to teach stacking as well as proper etiquette when i want to show groom them or do whatever i want. I even pull out the table and have them sit or lie on it while i watch TV. Always supervised, but they get to see it isn't such a bad thing!
I think stacking blocks are wonderful for the Vertically challenged as well as for the dog. Some dogs don't get the idea of when you place a foot still it should stay there. This reinforces the idea of STAY when you give them their "commands"


Yeah i babbled, but i tell ya when i got harry freestacking, he freestacks better than i can handstack him!!! All you have to do is put out a hand and say stand...>BAM< there it is!


Sarah

He is such a lovely dog, SRT.

Thanks for starting this post. I am trying to train my first real show puppy and was not sure where to start. I remember showing when I was a junior handler but that was so long ago and a diffent breed. Now if I can just get her to hold still in her free stack I think we will have it made. She hates for me to try and move her feet to where I think they should be. LOL She always turns her head around to see what I am doing. But she does have a gorgeous free stack and she is only 5 months old so I still have alot more time. All of your experiences in this field is really helpful to those of us that are just starting out. Thank you.

Tuna cans... woman after my own heart. LOL I just learned a bunch on this thread. Even though I have never shown, I can see how some of these techniques would come in handy with pups during regular obedience training, too. Nifty!

quote:

Originally posted by Jodi:
Thanks for starting this post. I am trying to train my first real show puppy and was not sure where to start. I remember showing when I was a junior handler but that was so long ago and a diffent breed. Now if I can just get her to hold still in her free stack I think we will have it made. She hates for me to try and move her feet to where I think they should be. LOL She always turns her head around to see what I am doing. But she does have a gorgeous free stack and she is only 5 months old so I still have alot more time. All of your experiences in this field is really helpful to those of us that are just starting out. Thank you.

Welcome to the forum, Jodi. After growing up there, I was absent from the canine ring for over a decade. You sure DO get rusty.

What are you working with? I have American Staffordshire Terriers.

When I got my girl, I started immediately. She was exactly 3 months old. It seemed impossible at first, but anyone can stack her now, well SHE will stack for anyone. Any other dog I get, I will be working on it from day one. I used a table ONCE for my puppy, she outgrew it the next day. From then on, I got on my knees, and later that used a HUGE tree stump. Not too high, and just perfectly sized to stack a full grown Dane. As far as treats, I have too much difficultly using them, so I use praise, and that works well for me, and any dog I've taught anything to. That might not work with ALL breeds, but it does work with every Dane I've met, as they aim entirely to please people.