Episode 58: Show Grooming a Japanese Chin | Ring Prep | How to Keep your Dog Safe | Part 2

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In this 2 part episode, Tyson, Scott, and Dale share expert tips on preparing Japanese Chin for dog shows, covering grooming, health, and ring etiquette. Learn how to optimize your dog's condition, grooming routines, and ring presence to maximize success.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:11

All valid points. Uh what about like, you know, when you're when you look at grooming supplies for dogs, one of the things that you always come across is grooming chalk. Does that have a place in Japanese chin at all?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

I think it depends on the person. If you need it, I think that's something I don't use chalk. I never have, but I have seen people use it. I I'm I'm not probably the right one to answer that question. I don't even know how to, but it's just yeah, not for me, but it's certainly it's a commonly used product. I'll just defer to Dale on this one.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Um so so chalk, you know, since we want a silky texture, the chalk is obviously not to make our texture more like so in breeds like Brussels Griffons or West Highland White Terriers, something where they're gonna chalk up that to build up the hair to give more texture, we're not going for that texture. So the chalk would only be to cover stain. So if you're trying to make something appear to be white that's not white. So ideally, I think that chalk and powder is like a shortcut around conditioning short, you know, problems in conditioning. So if you're trying to chalk up the legs to get to get them white from urine stains, okay, it might make them white, er, but it's also gonna make the hair not as good a texture. And I think that that is it's just it's just trying to fix something, right? So, you know, I mean, you can do it whenever you do something like that. It can't come off on the judge. If it comes off on the judge, you got a pretty good shot, they're gonna boot you out of the ring. So, but you know, those kind of things, if you're trying to chalk up eye stain or urine stains or whatever you're trying to do to try to get them white, ideally stop the cause of the problem, you know, condition that that hair will naturally go white if you once the cause of the stain is is no longer, you know, and that's like even sometimes people will bleach dogs to get stain or something out, you know, and which is kind of like if you have a dog you're gonna show one weekend and you run it just like and you're gonna take it out and you're not gonna show it again, and they're gonna just go ahead and bleach it to strip the stain out, you know, fine. It'll look good for that weekend, but the hair's gonna break and all fall off, you know. So it's it's a one, it's a one trick. It's a one one-time trick. So, you know, bleaching, chalking, things like that are there to try to remedy deficiencies in conditioning, you know, it's it's it's a quick fix for a problem, but it's not a long-term answer. And I think that that's when you've and the ball has been dropped and getting this animal ready for show.

SPEAKER_02 2:51

Yeah, good, valid. So I think we've kind of we've hammered home all the grooming aspects of things of getting ready. Is there anything, anything, Scott, that we didn't cover that you want to talk about as far as grooming to prepare for the show?

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Yeah, to elaborate, Dale touched on it, and I think it's it's a cool point. And you know, we talk about sharing little tips and secrets. Dale talked about shaping the foot. So some chin will have a cat foot, a round foot instead of a hair foot. And not very attractive. It's usually a heavier boned chin, and you want to give that appearance of, you know, the oriental appearance and the more delicate nature of what you would think of a Japanese chin. So something you can do is get the thinning chairs. And remember, all thinning shears are different. There's high quality, there's low quality. Some have big indentations between the teeth that meet each other to thin. Some are very small. So talk to a good scissors person. But what you can do is get the thinning chairs along the sides of the paws and thin out a little bit to reduce that bulk, make it look less round and cat-like, and start working towards the tip of the foot, increasingly sort of decreasing the amount of puffy coat there. And you can shape that foot to look more like a hair foot, make it look smaller, and then keep that little tip that looks that points forward, much prettier foot to present to the judge at the end of a down and back than a big old fat, clubby foot, just load it with puffy hair. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Reminds me of Dale's cat, big old paws. Yeah. Cat paws. Yeah. Cat feet. So what about like uh for a chin, you know, we're picking, you know, like picking out a lead. What type of lead works the best for chin?

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Yeah, for for me, just time-proven over the years, I'd love to have a comfort collar. It's where it's got that little pad of leather or cloth that keeps you, keeps from having a sharp, hard piece of the lead, just push pulling against the trachea. And remember, if you use one of the comfort collars, pull out the hair and cover it. If it's whether it's white, black, any color, so it's not distracting. I like the comfort lead and I like to be able to pull down the little swivel to tighten the lead as much or as little as I want to. What doesn't work, I don't like the bejeweled leads, lots of beads. One, anytime you loosen your attention on that lead, the chin can feel that wave. Two, those beads and the braided leather and the thick leather very easily catch on the neck hair, pull it up. So then when you're looking at the dog in profile, instead of seeing that beautiful arch of neck blending smoothly into the shoulders, you see the lead pulling up tufts of hair on the back of its neck. Super unattractive. So I like to go for a very simple lead with a comfort collar.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Same style with you, Dale.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

I only use Resco. It's the only kind of lead I've ever used. I like a Resco. It's it it feels good in my hand. I I have upon occasion on the on there, if I thought a dog had a little softer trache or something like that, I would rather than have a pad underneath their neck. I'd rather work them a little bit more on the lead where I could just like let them be a little looser, a little freer. Because I I kind of feel like if they feel that's on there, they're just gonna and they're gonna hang their head into it and they're gonna, you know, so I mean, kind of I like them to be up where they're walking with, you know, a little bit more on themselves, putting themselves in a natural shape. I have taken uh tape and gone around that to just like fatten it up just a little bit. But um pretty much I I I just I just use Resco's. I mean I think that people like you know, people love those fancy leads, and I think if you enjoy it, I think mozzle, do it, you know. Uh it's not for me, but if you enjoy, partake. Um but just a a regular lead that is kind of something that is easy for you to have in your hand and to ball up and and work where you can and it won't pull all the dog's hair up around its head like you know, like all of a sudden you've you know, like changing the shape of the neck and all that, or every time you let it go, it's gonna fall down here. You know, something that you feel like you can get set and it'll stay. The rest goes have a little kind of a grippiness to them that that that kind of let's like get cut and you know, cut brush it into the hair and it's gonna kind of stay there. You know, that's me. And I'm not picky about that. I so uh for me full going all out is maybe I'll use a white one or a brown one on a red and white. But I might show up and use a black one. That's totally possible. But you know, the and my friends will make fun of me, but I'll do it anyway.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

But you know, that's I mean you used to use kite strings, so they're you know, it's an improvement for sure.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

There you go. It could be it could be just it could be you know failing wire and twine, you know, it's all fine. But but you know I wouldn't be surprised to see Dale take a shoelace out of his shoe, you know. Yeah. Whatever you're gonna use, practice with it. Practice and like do the whole thing. Put them on the table and see if you can get all the beads and the jewels over your back. You know, have it where you know you can show your dog with it, not have to like have this big ornamental rope that you're that you're dealing with. And it doesn't need to be as long as if you were gonna show a German shepherd, you know.

SPEAKER_02 7:59

Yeah, no, a hundred percent. So what about like going in the ring preparation and and things like like that? So, like how you know, how are we preparing our dog? Is there anything we're doing special with a chin that we're preparing them to go in the ring? Anything once we're inside, say we're in the breed ring, how do you protect your dog in the ring, Scott?

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Yeah, good question. So this is a little bit of what to do and what not to do, at least from my perspective. Getting your dog ready. Can't believe how many people pull their dog out of the trolley, you know, 45 minutes, an hour ahead of time, and the dog is just getting sinking, sinking, getting more bored, using up more of its good energy, just waiting. I don't like to pull out my special until the bitches are in. And even closer to winners bitch than at the beginning. I want them to be excited, I want them to be fresh. I want just enough time to set that lead, have him ready, and walk in the ring. And he's, you know, beyond excited to go. As far as protecting them, I'm so glad you asked that because I cannot tell you how many people. It goes back to being aware they pull, they put their chin on the lead, they go get their armband while the chin is standing on the ground. Meanwhile, some carry blues walk by or you know, some aggressive dog, they're not they're not watching their dog, or they're walking throughout a crowded venue and not paying attention to what trolley's rolling by, what dog's coming by. They could snap at the dog. Another thing I've seen people do, it blows my mind, is they're walking with their chin, talking to a friend, looking ahead. The chin has started to pee or it's quit walking, and they continue to walk, not even knowing it, and they're dragging the dog, which is gonna terribly upset the chin. Makes me crazy. Dale taught me this 20-something years ago. I never to this day, I don't care if it's my most experienced special or a puppy, I never walk my dog through the gates to get into the ring. I carry them, I set him down on the mat as soon as I get in the ring. You're you know, shouldn't be carrying your dog in the ring, and I make sure he feels secure and safe. Their peripheral vision can see those mats, see the steward. I don't want anything to go wrong to upset my dog. As far as protecting it, in the breed ring, your chin should be familiar with other chin and be okay. But I don't want somebody running up on my chin, scaring him, making him feel rushed, just making him look over his shoulder, which can spoil the outline. So I'm aware of that in the breed ring, but especially in the group ring, some of the things I do is just logically, I'm not way at the front of the line because I'm not gonna be the fastest dog and I'm not gonna piss off the pug and the cavalier and get in front of them and hold them up. And all it's gonna do too is just demonstrate, make my dog look slower and more cumbersome. So why would I want to be there? I'm about midway back and I don't get right next to a black and white papillon that looks like a chin. I want the judge to know where I am. I want them to see it. I want them to stand out. I'm super protective in the group ring because there are dogs that have terrier, you know, Manchester Terrier or Terrier behind them. Chihuahuas can, they're little, but they're super saucy. I don't want a dog to start barking, being aggressive towards my special, and especially the first few times I'm showing them, get them scared to be in the group ring. It's a very different experience as it is. And I'm super protective of my space. I when I see a big old pug or crest it come rushing around the corner and I'm at the end of the line, I'll scoot my dog close to me. I'll tell them, and I've apologize later if I'm a little too strident about it. But I'll say, hey, hey, please back up, watch out. I don't want something like that. Those are the ways I'm protective. I don't want anything like that to scare my dog, especially if you're lucky enough to get in the best in show ring. And now you're not just with toys, but you're with a retriever, a Doberman, whatever. Don't put your dog in the position of getting freaked out. You lose their tail and you lose your, you know, you could ruin them forever. You could also ruin your chance for that day. So be very aware of your chem's surroundings and be careful with them. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02 12:03

And a lot of times we we we show like right after the chihuahuas or right before the chihuahuas, and there's always chihuahuas around. And those little things are hippie and snappy, and I mean they got attitude. You gotta be careful around those chihuahuas, they'll take you out. Now they'll take your finger off. What about you, Dale? I know you carry in the ring as well. That's one of the things I've learned from you.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

I think that I think the the the a lot of our dogs that are young dogs, we have to really be, it's kind of like traveling with kids. So you're gonna go ahead, you're gonna have ever all their favorite things with them because you want to because that you want them to be with you. It's like me, we're here, it's just us, you know, you're not gonna get scared, you know, because people seem to sometimes not be present for their dogs. They're distracted, they're paying attention to other things, just pay attention. You're you're you're really just your dog's little shrink. And you keep them in a in a good space, make sure they're happy. I always have like a toy, and then I have an extra toy, you know, because if the toy number one toy isn't gonna work, then how about this toy, you know? And you know, I I make it about them. I I don't have a problem with when you're having especially a young dog or an inexperienced dog or a dog that might be, you know, maybe it's a bitch in heat, maybe it's you know, whatever. If they start to flicker their ears and start to be like, what's going on here? Someone's going ahead and they go, whoever is parked over such and such, right where you're you know, if you need to, take a minute, pick your dog up, just pick him up, pick him up, tell him it's okay, kind of like, hey, we're here, nothing's happening, you know, set them down, fuzz them on the back, scratch them right over their tail, you know, get get, you know, and it's just you two, you know, and that's the thing that I think makes people that's where owner handlers, breeder owner handlers have an advantage. You should be a source of comfort and security to your dog. And you could be able to keep them from be aware of their personal space. When I go in the group, there's certain breeds, although I love them, I don't want to be next to them because it's like it's it's amazing the way the little min pins will stand six feet away from their handlers and do all that and race around. It makes my chin crazy. So I'll try to usually go next to somebody that's gonna be show their dog more in keeping with how I'm gonna show my dog. So we're not gonna have like jumping around and freebaiting and throwing five pounds of liver. That's not my dog's not liking that. That's not uh, you know, that's not how we're gonna do it. So I try to find somebody, you know, and I try to find someone that I think is in control of their dog and aware of their space where they're not gonna come in because the someone will destroy your dog for you better than your friends. Your friends are the worst because they're gonna come over and have to tell you something right then and there, and they're not paying attention. They're gonna, you know, and sometimes you need to you take your brush out of your pocket and set it down behind you and move uh kind of like, all right, this imagine this is a property line. You know, we're I'm here, you're saying there. Mark out your little claim, and it's just about you and the dog in that bubble. And you know, and if you do that and you kind of keep them from being scared by other things outside of that, it's you're gonna you're gonna see the benefits of that because your dog's gonna show better. And like what Scott was saying, you don't chin don't look any different if they were on the table, if they're in condition and groomed up and ready for the show, five minutes max to get their to get their little lead on and to get them on anything. The things you need to do, you need to have your lead set out, you need to have your armband set out, you need to talk to Joanne and tell her this one went second, it might have to come back in. Here's its lead, those little prep things there so that you can like well the little machine and kind of have a plan, like know the class order. Maybe maybe take a picture of the catalog with your phone so you go, okay, you know, have a have the armbands with the names on the back so you know which order they're gonna go in. So you can pull the dog out, they're gonna be excited, they're gonna be up, you're gonna carry them and set them down, fuzz them up, and you're gonna get a lively little animated type of thing. Not a dog that's been sitting on top of a ringside table for an hour and a half and being, you know, get a squishy ball if you need to do something nervously. Don't sit there and just like, you know, hold your dog and brush its little head till it wants to die. You know, it's going you're going to take all of the joy out of the show for that. And it's you're not going to get a good experience.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

I think one of the things too, when we're talking about, you know, when we're talking about going into the group ring, we're talking about the dogs that we're next to. I think one of the things, you know, that I used to just always like, yeah, I don't want to be first, I don't want to be close to the front, is like, I'm just gonna go in front of the peekanies, you know. This is like I was always second to last, you know, going in the peekanies, and then you do, you know, you do your go-around and then you know, everybody starts stacking their dogs and lining up for the judge. And then it's like, well, when you're second to last and you're stacking your dog, you know, your your chin. I mean, by the time the judge gets to you, the chin's already gone, toast. So it's like I think awareness of where the judge is at and where you're at is super important too. And I know, I mean, that's directly from Dale. You know, he watched me show once and he's like, you can't go second to last. And if you are, you gotta make sure you know where the judge is at because you're stacking your dog when everybody else is stacking your dog, and by the time the judge gets there, it's like your dog's toast, they're gone. They can't, they're lazy, they can't stay in their stack and present that long. You know, so I think ring awareness in general of being where the judge is at and what you're doing uh with your dog, maybe don't stack them right away and just let them chill and tell the judge is three dogs away from you, and then set them up and boom, you know, there you go. But uh that kind of kind of goes into the last question I really want to talk about, which is how do you keep your your chin, you know? We're we're a lazy lap dog breed. How do we keep them engaged and and excited in the ring? You know, especially a group ring, which could seem like a freaking interdity sometimes, not waiting for all these other dogs to go and everybody starts piling up in the back corner after they've shown and you're kind of just waiting to go. How do you how do you keep your chin engaged and excited to do a a table exam and a down and back?

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Yeah, um part of it's it boils down to different dogs have different temperaments. But if you have your, let's just say your typical chin that's gonna show well for you, it has moments of great energy and moments where it's feeling a little bit, you know, more relaxed or chill, or maybe the tail wants to drop, not because it's scared, but because it's tired or bored. Some of the things I'll do is one, I don't mess with it too much that day. I don't take it out too early. If I'm going to let it out to potty before the group and it's 95 degrees outside, I don't do that 10 minutes before the group and they're all hot and used up all their energy peeing. My dog can hold his pee. I feel pretty good about the poop schedule. So maybe two hours, hour and a half before the group, a real quick pee, get everything out of him. Now he's rested and he's cool in the group. I keep his energy up by keeping him hydrated. Hydration is vital for that. It also keeps their eyes sparkly, it keeps their energy up, helps with their breathing, everything. And I don't over-stimulate him in the ring. I pick and choose my times that I want him to be up. So, you know, I've seen people while the judge, and back to what you were saying, but while the judge is going over the other 20-something toys, they're trying to make their dog hold a stack. It's just there's too much to ask of him. So I will let him be lazy, enjoy the fan, lay on his cool pad. All those things also preserve energy, by the way, because the chin's not overheating. Keep them on the cool pad, keep a fan on them, and pick and choose the times that I'm going to ask anything of him because I want him to be happy. I don't want it to be done so often that it's routine to him, and I want to switch it up. Even with, you know, Dale talked earlier about food. Like, would you like that? Fricassade or fried. I keep a couple of different kinds of bait in my pocket in the group ring. And some of them I have not shown him the entire day. And all of a sudden, I'll get one of those little cheese sticks that comes individually wrapped. And the first thing is when I start peeling it apart, that gets his interest. No food. Just seeing me do something with my hands and peeling the plastic. Put that away, save it for a little longer. When I need them again, I pull it out and maybe pull off a piece of the cheese. Sometimes if I'm near a friend in the group ring and they have a dog that I'm cool with and they're cool with me, I'll offer their dog a piece of treat if they're good with it to make my dog get interested and get jealous. So there's all sorts of little tricks you can do to keep them interested. Just don't do it the whole 30 minutes you're in the ring. You got you're gonna be really looked at closely, literally 45, 60 seconds, make those seconds count. So that's my take.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

I think I think those are all super good. And you know, you just want to be kind of aware. If your dog is one that has enough body weight on them, you could show them a little bit hungry. Like maybe instead of if you're used to feeding them in the morning, maybe you'll feed them in the afternoon after you show. If they're the if it's an adult dog and it can withstand it, because obviously, you know, if you load them up on food, that's you know, you it's that balance, it's that balance where you have to kind of like know your dog and then know it's like how can I show them just a little bit hungry where they're gonna want the bait? You know, but I don't want them to go, I don't want their blood sugar to fall. I want them to be comfortable, you know. That was one thing over in um in England. that uh I just couldn't get over is the the the the paste the the tubes of the the tubes paste with the liver paste I'm like I mean like wow you know but I don't really think that the idea is to like load them full of sugar to amp them up you know which of course you can do if they're starting to fade a little bit but I I think the idea is to kind of like pick and choose pick and choose your time I love the idea of having a water bottle for them my dogs love a water bottle I have one in my tack box I like to keep it's uh they they like it when it's cold they get very excited when the water bottle's cold and that will stop them from panting and that will calm a dog that's nervous if they'll drink they're coping they're like the it it brings their anxiety down you know when you see a dog that's just sitting there and it's not hot but it's just you know it is their anxiety and so sometimes having a drink having a moment there you know I'll pick them up and just hold them under my arm. I I'll do anything with them just kind of like hang out you know like that that's that's you know let them have if that relaxes them if that's something that's that's will relax them. I have used fans and stuff I love the idea of the a lot you know one of those little super shop fans blasting in their eyes I mean and you know it's okay I I mean it's better than having to be hot kind of not try to face them into that is they're gonna start tearing if you if you do that you know the the biggest I mean you know and I know like a lot of times handlers handlers love handlers are just really out of work matadors where they want to make the show and so it's like oh now I'm gonna have them stand on this sparkly rug and have my assistant Holmes waving over them and we have to have a special table outside the ring where we're just gonna and then have you know then they'll bring their favorite little friend from over in the ring to come stand outside. Okay. I I think that's a little bit more for the people involved who are wanting their emotional needs met of being important and being noticed. I don't know if that the dogs need that that almighty much but hey you know whatever makes you happy so just kind of have you know toys treats schedule with their feeding and their where their little blood sugar should be your attention you sh if you're calm they're calm you know like nothing that bad's gonna happen it's only a dog show there's gonna be another one tomorrow you know just kind of chill and you know and have them be fun and if you're hopefully you've done your practice and stuff at home where you've kind of desensitized them to like noise and that kind of stuff there but keep them away from the other dogs because you know you don't need that. That's not where you want to go see oh my dog loves other dogs. Yeah great I'm happy bring one from home because I don't want him to jump on mine and get something in his eye or something like that. You know, is for me it's about my dog and him having that that him or her having that that experience and I just want to kind of keep all the rest of the world away from him a little bit and I think that I think that that's our breed is a little bit being a personal companion dog that that kind of that suits it well you know making sure they have a good time. Kind of like traveling with a two year old you know keep them fed keep them but not over keep their diapers changed.

SPEAKER_02 25:28

I mean it's you know toys you're good keep them happy and your trip will be better. You know you keep your little toy dog happy your show's gonna be better. This is really what it is. Figure out the ways to keep them happy. I've had and they're all so different you know it's like I've had dogs that I've had chin that are so freaking lazy it's like how do you get them even amped up to even go in the ring and walk you know and not just you know and then I've had you know I've had chin that just like are so they have so much energy and excitement to be out you know in the ring it's just like can you just calm down for a second? Like just just chill. We're not spinning right now, you know we're we're hanging out. You know so it's like you gotta really gotta know your dog and and you know what they're gonna do and that's where the practice you know going out to you know confirmation practice or even just getting out and you know if you live in the middle of taxoma and you don't have confirmation practice but you have some property where you can get your dogs out and and walk them around to see kind of how they're gonna do you know when they're out in different scenario like super beneficial right do you last question and so we can wrap this episode up thoughts on like when you're getting a new show puppy and you're you're prepping them or you're trying to just get them used to to doing show stuff how often are you practicing or going to a confirmation practice? Can you overdo it? You know or you just get them out on lead and you know trying to just get them used to walking on lead or you know what's that kind of look like for you Scott if you got a new puppy that you're trying to get into confirmation?

SPEAKER_00 27:00

Yeah every single day I'm doing something and it may not be formal training but I am getting that puppy used to looking at me when I call his name or say look at me or whatever it may be. I'm it's that it's keeping the coat up it's touching the paws it's doing the nails I have an island in my kitchen. Sometimes I'll keep a clean mat on there and throughout the day I just pick up the puppy and throw it up there and stack it. Put a lead on it put it go in my backyard at dusk when the weather's good and put a lead on sometimes it's classes it's not super often those can be classes can be actually a little bit more hectic and overwhelming for a dog than the real show is but I will go to classes um you know every to get that dog ready to show maybe I'll do three to five total over a couple months, three month period but most of it's just constantly working with with that dog at home. So every day that dog is getting a little bit of specific attention and treatment that are preparing it for what it's going to see when it goes to the show. Could be throwing it in the Sherpa just when I drive around somewhere so it gets used to being in the car, constantly stacking it, touching its mouth. I mean I'll try to get it to let me show its bite. I shouldn't ever have to do it. I want it to be prepared for anything that's that's that's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

Dale's so good he can just grab a dog and get jump in the ring and go.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

Just grab it he's the whisperer every day is every day is something every day something when you have a show dog or a dog you're gonna show every day you want to have something it doesn't have to be form. I think classes are is a good concept and I think that structure makes people actually do it. It's kind of like how Weight Watchers how they would have you come in and weigh in and see like did you count your points this week guess it doesn't look like you did too good because you're up five pounds. It's that accountability thing that forces people to do it. I don't know as if the class is sometimes I kind of think you know like yeah maybe these people need to go to class and maybe leave their dog at home but it's it's really just it's desensitization it's travel it's the bond it's like getting them ready for the things that they're gonna have to do you know and that's even like I'll get you know like what Scott was saying ideally you shouldn't ever have to have anybody to go show bite. But being that there's only a handful of thumb breeds and with the AKC scene right now we have tons of FCI judges and they want to see the bites and they want to come and they want you then they'll either want to see them or they want you to show them so if you can do a little something that with it getting them used to it that's so much better to have that kind of in the can where they're like not going to like lose their minds when this happens can you well I shouldn't have to well you're right you shouldn't but when you show from the judge from Pakistan you know they're probably gonna ask you to show the bite you know they're gonna not gonna be well versed in that so you know you want to have though have that going there. Have a piece of ring mat at home I mean just have don't have to be a big one I'm not gonna put mat but have a little piece of ring mat. I've had an X Pen on mine and I put tape all over it so they they get used to walking on it because first several times they go on the mats I go you know tape you know desensitization you're going somewhere throw them in the bag you know you're gonna go walk them around you know just that kind of stuff I take them to the garden center whatever you know just the more you do the more the more bang bang for the buck one of my friends showed her uh Brussels Griffon this weekend very first show weekend out she picked up five points she's never shown a dog in her life but she's a good pet owner takes her dog to Pet Smart she that dog goes out used to people eats on the road she takes that dog everywhere with him you know every ball game you know just makes and that's where breeder owner handlers you can tip the scales in your favor because you can really make that dog into an awesome dog and have a great rapport which really translates into a great showing and so the more of that you do it doesn't have to be like I say be formal training. I think people get more caught up on picking their clothes and their lead and their and uh and and you know wear the this and that all of that stuff that's nice that's good you know wear the purple it'll signify as best of breed but really and truly just the experience that your dog has that you have with the dog in your working relationship that's the winning ticket. That's what makes that dog fun to watch.

SPEAKER_02 31:36

Yeah I think practice I think there's a place for confirmation practice and one of the things like if you don't if you have a toy breed and you just go into confirmation practice and they don't split up to practice it maybe you're in there, you know, maybe 10 Doberman show up and you're in there with your Japanese chin probably not the best experience. You know this is like that was one of the things like thankfully being in a smaller town I was like you know I I I went to the person that runs practice here and I was like can we just do one day that's just toy breeds or you know smaller breeds under 12 inches you know something like that to where you know we can get used to being in there with not with you know these huge dogs so where dogs aren't scared all the time. But you know one of the things you know there's two things that are super important to me when you know like I'm just in dogs in general but specifically show dogs you know is like traveling because I've had sick dogs and it's awful. Like if they can't travel oh my gosh it's awful. So it's like I start at puppies now and it's just like start taking them out where when you go around just getting them used to being in the car and the movement and stuff like that. But another thing like and Dale Dale told me this without really telling me this but it is like putting your hands on your show dogs every single day. It's super easy if they sleep in a kennel at night, you know, just open the door in the morning and let them run outside if they're house dogs and go to the bathroom and eat and everything and maybe you don't touch them, you know, or anything like that. But actually picking them up and carrying them and holding them, you know, mainly putting them outside to go potty and things like that so your hands can be on them every single day to just just to feel if there's any weight gain, weight loss or just to get a feel of that dog and what changes that dog could be going through I think is super important. And I think it's it's really easy to get caught up in life and maybe not put your hands on your dog for a few days and then all of a sudden it's like holy crap what happened like you lost a half a pound and we don't have a half a pound in toy breeds to lose you know so it's kind of super important to get your hands on the dog every single day. And you know I do the same thing like you do Scott as it's like I'll throw a dog up on an island in the kitchen or on the kitchen table. Like I'm used to eating dog hair in my food you know it's it's everywhere. You know if there's a little dog hair floating around my kitchen, whatever, welcome to my home. You know so it's like putting them up on the table I think it's like I would rather spend more time getting the table ready than I would doing a down and back. Like the table's super important to me. Uh a scared dog on the table just looks bad in the ring in my opinion when they're cowering down their pancaking and the judge can't even examine them correctly then only thing they have to go off of is hoping they move it's extremely important to me that my dogs are really well versed on the table. So I do a lot of getting them up on the table and getting used to heights. But um other than that, I mean this has been a fantastic episode. Any anything you want to add to it before we wrap it up here I know we all got uh lives to get on with and we're almost at an hour and a half so any any final comments or anything you else you want to add Scott? No I think we covered it.

SPEAKER_00 34:31

Uh this is super interesting and just hearing ourselves say these things out loud are great reminders and I hope your audience you know just gets a nugget or two that they can take away and and make a better experience for them and their dog and get some more wins. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

What about you, Dale? I think that it's getting me I've I've entered my first dog show as an exhibitor now in almost like 10, 11 months. And so I'm getting excited about going to a dog show. That's like going, yeah I want to go show my dog. So I I think that that's something that you know would we plan on and stuff I think that it's all of that part of it. We want to go and win but even more importantly we want to go and feel like we brought an A game because if even if you don't win if you feel go in there and you go my dog looked good my dog showed good you know I didn't point you know I can't help about what the pointing is if you really feel like you did good and that you that you were happy with how your animal looked then it's it's a win. It's a it's a positive experience. And you know it's it's terrible when you go and you go I went third I deserve third. My own mother would have given me third you know so these are things with with held ribbons. So when you can do those things and and really bring your game up the next level I think that's as much fun as actually going to the show. And I think it's something that you know you can really watch that dog get ready and stuff. I think it's it's really great. And I I I hope I hope I hope the people that are listening uh you know get those tricks and and and do with them and enjoy them.

SPEAKER_02 36:12

Yeah hopefully this will help I imagine I mean we've talked through so many different things I've learned something so I would imagine everybody that listens to this will learn something and you know we have a Japanese Chin national coming up in August so hopefully there's something that some uh people can take away from this episode to to help them in in the national as long as they don't beat us you know then and then it's all it's all worth it you know so all right everybody thanks for uh joining this episode of the Tack Box podcast thanks Scott for being here scott's been here three times now so he gets his animated character you know he's wanted the animated character like our logo so he's he's got his animated character now he's he's a regular on the podcast we'll bring him back for more episodes we get a lot of good feedback uh from Scott so thanks Scott for taking the time to uh join Dale and I on the podcast all right everybody thanks for being a part of the Tack Box podcast we will talk to you guys all on the next episode episode 57 or episode 58 all right have a great day bye bye now