Training : Training for Shows: Appropriate Ring Etiquette

1. Pay Attention: Always pay good attention to what the ring stewards are telling you. Watch to see what the judge does with the dog that is in the ring before you, and when you are in the ring, listen carefully to what the judge asks you to do. Ask and clarify if you don't understand something.
   
   
2. Be There On Time: Find out as soon as you arrive which ring you will be showing your dog in. Obtain a catalog as soon as you can, and see which breeds are ahead of you in your ring. Then watch to see which breeds are in the ring at any given time. As soon as the breed ahead of you is in the ring, go get your dog, and be ready ringside.
   
   
3. Leave Enough Space: Always leave plenty of room between yourself and the dog/handler in front of you. Dog shows can be crowded places, and many dogs can be on edge. Do not allow your dog to "run up" on the dog ahead of you. Much ugliness will follow, both from the dog and the handler in front of you!!
   
   
4. Bitches in Heat: You are allowed to show bitches in heat at conformation shows, but there are several unwritten rules that you must follow, the most important of which is that you must make yourselves as unobtrusive as possible.
• Giving her Chlorophyll tablets at the start of her heat cycle will help to mask the smell which makes her attractive to males.
• Keep Velcro panties on her at all times except for when you are showing her in the ring.
• Use a plastic Vari-Kennel crate with your bitch in heat. Do not use a metal wire crate or a soft crate for obvious reasons!
• Set up your crate well away from the other dogs, especially any males.
• Keep her in her crate until it is time for her to be in the ring, and after she is judged, return her to her crate right away.
• Make every effort to keep your bitch from urinating in areas commonly shared by other dogs.
• Carry a bottle of water with Vanilla extract mixed in. After your female pees, saturate the spot with the water/vanilla solution to dissipate the smell. Also, be careful not to step where your female has peed because you will track that smell all over the show grounds.
• Carry Berry-Flavored Chapstick with you. If you are traveling with an intact male, dab his nose with the chapstick. It will reduce the intensity of your female's odor.
• Have Baby Wipes on hand to keep your bitch clean for examination by the judge and wipe her often so that she does not drip in the ring.
• Let your fellow exhibitors in the ring know that your bitch is in heat, so they will know to give their dogs extra room.