Just Labradors banner

All Breed vs. Specialty Show - Questions

6K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  LabsLand 
#1 ·
I hope not to become annoying but I would like some opinions on differences between AllBreed shows vs. Specialties.

(I had posted this as a continuation of my postings about training for Conformation Shows but I thought it would be better to start a new post).

Thank you!!
I entered Henna to a couple of All Breed shows and I have a couple of questions about her presentation and maybe some of the experienced folks here can give me some last minute hints?

Here we go:

1. She loves to swim and I was wondering if I should stop taking her to the lake so her coat doesn't look "too" clean/dry?
When I take her to the lake I just dry her with 3 or 4 towels before getting back in the car but I don't brush her. When we get home her coat is all "wild" (I kinda like it), so I was wondering if I need to make sure her coat is all perfectly brushed down or if some wild hair in her hips, neck and tail is OK to be a bit wild.

2. I understand all-breed shows expect you to hand-stack your dog while in specialties they are more free (bait) stacked. Is that true? She looks much happier and excited as the puppy she is when we try the free stacking....

3. I am planning to use a chrome choke collar and a nylon lead. Is the metallic collar OK in this type of shows?

4. I have also seen that in all-breed shows handlers tend to pull up the lead to keep the dogs head up but sometimes it looks to me like the dog is being hung.... Dobermans and Pointers look great that way, but I am not sure about Labs being showed that way. Any advice?

5. One or two of the judges, I understand, are Lab breeders. Should I present Henna in a different way to these judges as opposed to how I am expected to show her to the other judges??

Thanks for any advice. It is clear to me that it is about learning and having fun together and watching other dogs and learning by watching and not pushing her hard so she keeps enjoying shows and classes.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Thank you Peggy!!

It will be very nice to see you again. You will have fun watching me trying to handle Henna, but as you said, I will try to do what makes us more comfortable. I will be showing her tomorrow, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. This will be a great practice for both of us. I just hope I will find the ring and that I stay inside the ring while showing her :embarrass:

I will see you and your puppy on Sunday. By then I will be "an expert" :scared:

Thanks for replying and for your advice!!

Nestor & Henna
 
#4 ·
Hi Nestor!!

I just checked in here - sorry if I'm late.

You'll see me (and my whole family!) on Saturday and Sunday. We'll be up on Saturday late morning-noonish, so if you're around the grounds, look for me. Breezy's entered on Sunday morning.

I think you should probably brush down Henna's coat while it's damp; washing her in the lake is IMO fine (and you'll recall that my dogs are bathed in LI Sound for the most part) but I don't think she should look all rumpled and bedhead for the shows.

Good luck! You'll do GREAT! I can't wait to see it!
 
#6 ·
You'll see me (and my whole family!) on Saturday and Sunday.
Hi Liz,
Thanks for your advice. I look forward to seeing you guys on the weekend.
nwlabs said:
How did you and Henna do today?
Peggy I will see you and Flirt on Sundat!!!

Well... Let's say that some of my nightmares came true :ugly:

She walked fine and stood hand stacked and free stack fine, BUT when it got to the moment to show her teeth.... :scared: she backed up and the clueless handler lost the grip and she freed herself from the chain :whistle:

Fortunately the judge was extremely friendly and nice and we trytried to keep what was left of my composture... and walked around the link ring once again....

Se got the second place and she lost to a beautiful yellow girl the same age as she who ended up as the best ***** (she competed against all the other bitches in other classes.. (is it BOW?).

I was just watching the rest of the show and suddenly they called me again.. I had never seen that before.... since Henna's class winner got the BOW, I understand Henna had another chance to compete for Reserve??

The owner of the winner was very nice during the whole thing and she even explained to me what was going on ;)

Anyway, it was fun, we got home, both very tired but I had to work the rest of the day and I am leaving right now... more details to come later tonight.

The winner is Holly Farm's Pay the Piper, owner: Deborah Brunell.

Congratulations to both of them!!

Thanks for asking !!

Edited for mispelling
 
#7 ·
I don't show, but I -think- that if the yellow won best *****, she was Winners ***** and then you were competing for Reserve Winners *****? For the Yellow to be BOW, she would have had to beat the Winners Dog as well as all the other bitches.
 
#8 ·
LuvLabsToo said:
The winner is Holly Farm's Pay the Piper, owner: Deborah Brunell.
Oh Deb is a peach! Very nice lady. That is a pretty pup she has too. What happens is when the first place dog/***** in a class competes in Winners and wins, then the 2nd place dog/***** comes in and competes for Reserve Winners. What class are you in? Flirt is entered in 6-9 mos puppy *****.

Good luck today!
 
#9 ·
ZRL said:
I don't show, but I -think- that if the yellow won best *****, she was Winners ***** and then you were competing for Reserve Winners *****? For the Yellow to be BOW, she would have had to beat the Winners Dog as well as all the other bitches.

ZRL:
Yes. You are right. Ms. Brunell's puppy was Winners ***** and not Best of Winners. :confused:
Thanks for clarifying this! ;) I will get it some day soon!
nwlabs said:
LuvLabsToo said:
The winner is Holly Farm's Pay the Piper, owner: Deborah Brunell.
Oh Deb is a peach! Very nice lady. That is a pretty pup she has too. What happens is when the first place dog/***** in a class competes in Winners and wins, then the 2nd place dog/***** comes in and competes for Reserve Winners. What class are you in? Flirt is entered in 6-9 mos puppy *****.

Good luck today!
Thanks again Peggy!
Henna is in the 6-9 months puppy bitches, so we will be in the ring on Sunday with Liz's puppy. There are 7 puppies entered for Sunday.
Another yellow puppy won today. It was Woodlands Summer Sunset (Tamara Smith, NY).
Henna did better with the teeth exam today, but once again I made mistakes. When you come back from the diagonal path, instead of stacking Henna facing the judge :D, I stacked her for the judge to see her side (again :crazy:), then after we ran the last time around the ring, I moved ahead passing where the judge were :ugly:

Oh well.... this is being a learning experience and I needed that. I have met a couple of very nice people, like the lady who asked me today before I went in the ring if she could remove the price tag hanging from the back of my pants :laugh:, or another Canadian lady who came to tell me that I looked very happy showing Henna :embarrass:; even some of the many professional handlers have been nice to me. Of course there were some, let's say not so friendly, but I guess that's part of being competitive... but overall it is being a terrific experience.

Another good thing is that Henna doesn't seem to get overwhelmed with the experience and my errors, and since I am not letting her feel my frustration since I actually feel very proud of my grown puppy, I think we will be ok.
All I know is that when I see her in the back sit of my car when we start our trip back home all I see is the most beautiful puppy, and I am the best judge, or at least the only one she really cares about :happy:

We will relax tomorrow. We went to a dog park in Southbury and she swam nonstop and played with some Jack Russels and other dogs and has been sleeping like the baby she still is.

Thanks again for all the patient support. I was reading my old postings and I was very repetitive... sorry...


<Edited for better grammar :whistle:>
 
#11 ·
Congratulations! Sounds like you're learning a lot, making some valuable friends, and having fun! Don't worry about the mistakes...we all made them starting out and some of us (ahem- ME) still make them after 2 years of "learning"! 8)

LuvLabsToo said:
Henna did better with the teeth exam today, but once again I made mistakes. When you come back from the diagonal path, instead of stacking Henna facing the judge :D, I stacked her for the judge to see her side (again :crazy:)...
Actually, unless the judge specifically states how s/he wants them presented after the "down-and-back" (diagonal), I've learned that you should really present the judge with the best part of your dog. If she has a beautiful face/head, then head-on is probably fine. However, most of the time, I see people stacking so the judge has that one last "side view" of the dog while still the only one out in the middle of the ring (rather than stacked with the other dogs in the class lineup). Usually, I think (I kindof miss a lot of what *I* am doing until people tell me, LOL) that's how I do it... just remember to stop far enough away from the judge so that s/he gets a good view. Don't stop right in front (within a couple of feet) of the judge, making them back up before getting a good view.
 
#12 ·
Congratulations Nestor!!! (((HUGS))) I am so proud of you. Don't worry about nightmare ring issues. My first show I just wanted the floor to come and swallow me up whole, I was so mortified. Hoover acted like a complete idiot and walked all over me. Just take a deep breath, suck on a mint so Henna can't smell the fear on your breath and try it again. Tomorrow will be better. Henna is a beautiful girl. I look forward to seeing you at a show soon and giving you some pointers. Keep up the good work!
 
#13 ·
How did it go today?

Don't worry about being perfect. Its not about being perfect...or I wouldn't be showing!! :laugh: :laugh: I will be showing a puppy I co-own tommorrow. She doesn't live with me so I have NO IDEA how she will behave. Hoping she behaves well as she is coming home with me for a week and a trip north to shows in Canada next weekend!!
 
#14 ·
CaliforniaLabLover said:
Congratulations! Sounds like you're learning a lot, making some valuable friends, and having fun! Don't worry about the mistakes...we all made them starting out and some of us (ahem- ME) still make them after 2 years of "learning"! 8)
Thank Julie!!! I am being very fortunate. I am not only very happy I got Henna but that she has allowed me to open up a little and get out there, make fun of myself and meet wonderful people :happy:
Actually, unless the judge specifically states how s/he wants them presented after the "down-and-back" (diagonal), I've learned that you should really present the judge with the best part of your dog. If she has a beautiful face/head, then head-on is probably fine. However, most of the time, I see people stacking so the judge has that one last "side view" of the dog while still the only one out in the middle of the ring (rather than stacked with the other dogs in the class lineup). Usually, I think (I kindof miss a lot of what *I* am doing until people tell me, LOL) that's how I do it... just remember to stop far enough away from the judge so that s/he gets a good view. Don't stop right in front (within a couple of feet) of the judge, making them back up before getting a good view.
Great tip!! Thank you!!!

I kept watching other classes and everything happens so fast that I hardly can see all the details... I will probably get a video camera for the next shows, but I am already so heavy loaded with towel, water, bowl, bait, etc... :scared:
 
#15 ·
CYNLABS said:
sounds like you had a good time and that's all you can hope for just starting out. I've got 2 months before my boy are old enough to start showing. That should be very interesting.
Too bad I am not closer... you would feel much better could you watch me handling Henna... I am sure you will be more than fine.. Good Luck!!


Edit to add:

Congratulations on how handsome your two picks are !!! Good luck with Jackson, The Man !!
 
#16 ·
krisinme said:
Congratulations Nestor!!! (((HUGS))) I am so proud of you. Don't worry about nightmare ring issues. My first show I just wanted the floor to come and swallow me up whole, I was so mortified. Hoover acted like a complete idiot and walked all over me. Just take a deep breath, suck on a mint so Henna can't smell the fear on your breath and try it again. Tomorrow will be better. Henna is a beautiful girl. I look forward to seeing you at a show soon and giving you some pointers. Keep up the good work!
Thank you, Kris!!!

I am glad "Q" did not have to see Henna in these shows... :embarrass:

I will have to have as many mentos I can carry in my pockets... :laugh:

Had you been there you'd be even prouder of Henna... she did great despite of me... and thanks to all the encouragement I am receiving from you guys I will try and just pretend it is another class, and start feeling good about it.

I don't think she is scared (I Hope), but since everything happens so fast, I am probably not seeing how she is actually doing. What I know is that she doesn't walk as energetic as she normally is.... I need to relax and be patient as you once told me. The last thing I want is to have her being afraid of the ring. I would love to get your feedback, so hopefully I will be in a show in your area soon.

I took her for a swimming session on Thursday afternoon. SHe loved it. It is a small river/creek and she would swim against the current. She slept a lot after that. I had only entered her for 4 of the 5 shows so we could have a break in between shows. She didn't eat well and still acted tired all day yesterday so I decided to miss today's show so we can be there tomorrow so I can see Peggy and Liz again and there will be in total 7 ***** puppies (6-9) so I will have more time in the ring.

Thanks for your words,

Nestor & Henna.
 
#17 ·
nwlabs said:
How did it go today?

Don't worry about being perfect. Its not about being perfect...or I wouldn't be showing!! :laugh: :laugh: I will be showing a puppy I co-own tommorrow. She doesn't live with me so I have NO IDEA how she will behave. Hoping she behaves well as she is coming home with me for a week and a trip north to shows in Canada next weekend!!
Hi Peggy!

As you probably read in my reply to Kris, I was concerned that Henna was too tired (I was probably more tired than she :tired:), so I decided it would be better to skip today's show and be able to there tomorrow so I could see you and Liz again.

I think at this point you are so confident that you will transmit it to any dog you show, so even if the puppy does not know you that well, she will know that you are in control and you will make her shine. That's what I hope for in my case with Henna. It is not like this is Potomac or Westminster, so I better relax, right?

I think Henna will be the only black puppy in her class tomorrow. We have the number 28.

See you tomorrow and thanks for your kind words.

Nestor & Henna
 
#18 ·
LuvLabsToo said:
I think at this point you are so confident that you will transmit it to any dog you show, so even if the puppy does not know you that well, she will know that you are in control and you will make her shine.
Well, this puppy knows me....she was born here and I see her every couple weeks and she knows my voice and looks for me. I love that about pups who leave here and then see me again. They know me! So neat!

Yes, Flirt is yellow....I still have not registered my black pup Nattie yet...gotta get going on that!

See you tommorrow!
 
#19 ·
It's over and it was fun!!

Henna is learning and I am trying to catch up with her :tired:

I tried something new, to make her look as excited as she normally is... one of those squeeking (sp?) toys.... bad idea ... I made it sound while she was walking.... and she got excited and galopped :no: ... but I am sure there is more to it that did not help us get any ribbon. Oh well... that's part of the process.... to keep trying and hope for the best during her growing process.

It was nice to see all those beautiful puppies about the same size as Henna's (which made me feel better, since I thought she was on the small side), and to see all those handlers and breeders displaying their great abilities.

I was not sure of all the results so I had to wait until they were published and I want to congratulate Liz for her second place in the class (6-9 mo bitches) and for the second place in the Open Black Bitches with "Nine". I believe they are mother and daughter? What a great day for you and your family. They looked very happy and proud :happy: It was very nice to see you again. Did you get any pictures?

Thank you Peggy for your encouraging words 8)

Thanks you all for your kind words and always generous words of advice :)



Nestor & Henna
 
#20 ·
Hi Nestor!

It was good seeing you again. I looked for you when I went back into the building to shop, but must have missed you. Here are a couple pics of Flirt my friend took. She was 6 months and ONE day old in these pics and is in the middle of a growth spurt, but I like her. We are leaving for shows in Canada on Friday morning. She is out of my Rita (see siggie picture below) and sired by my Jammer.

On the move....


Oopsie...that butt is UP in the air a bit. Oh well...the front will catch up eventually <fingers crossed>.
 
#21 ·
nwlabs said:
Hi Nestor!

It was good seeing you again. I looked for you when I went back into the building to shop, but must have missed you. Here are a couple pics of Flirt my friend took. She was 6 months and ONE day old in these pics and is in the middle of a growth spurt, but I like her. We are leaving for shows in Canada on Friday morning. She is out of my Rita (see siggie picture below) and sired by my Jammer.
Oh... It would have been nice to be able to be close to you and comment on what was going on in the ring, but it is hard to keep up with you :laugh: you have people coming to greet you all the time. I was walking all over the place with Henna to train her for her obedience classes. So now she is an expert to walk trough a crowd with other dogs and just ignoring them most of the time. How cool is that? Then I sat down to watch some rally and obedience shows. It was amazing!! When I came back to the ring it was already too late and did not see you or Liz. Hopefully there will always be a next time.

Good luck in Canada. Jammer is so close to his championship!! Just 2 more points? Have fun!!

Flirt is beautiful!!! and she seems to have a sweet personality ;) Good luck with her.


Oopsie...that butt is UP in the air a bit. Oh well...the front will catch up eventually <fingers crossed>.
What a beautiful front!! (As you all know I am not even in Kindergarden in terms of Labradors, but I think this picture shows a great front?). Too bad I had no pictures of Henna. It is hard to tell how she is moving unless I see a picture. I am hoping Liz got some pictures of the group. Do you think that maybe your friend captured any picture showing Henna? That would be so cool!! Henna was one of the 2 only black girls there. Right after the yellow puppy who peed in the ring :ugly: :whatever:


Best wishes, Nestor and Henna.
 
#22 ·
LuvLabsToo said:
I want to congratulate Liz for her second place in the class (6-9 mo bitches) and for the second place in the Open Black Bitches with "Nine". I believe they are mother and daughter?
Thank you !! We are indeed thrilled. I have to look at my pictures. There might be a couple of Miss Henna in there during the lineup. If so, I'll send them to you.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top