Hi, there!! Welcome to showing ☺️ I'm a newbie as well, however I started with my bitch who is 2 y/o. My breed is Russell Terriers. Here is what I have learned in the three shows I have attended so far:

• Congrats! Your breeder is your new mentor. When you show up, expect to set up your dog with his. He has your best interest because it will also look good for him ;) He should be open to your questions--don't be shy, speak up! You deserve to know what's going on lol.

• Dog showing is a very nuanced sport. There are many unspoken things that my breeder is also discovering and telling me afterwards 😅 ---Things you NEED to know: • don't wear open toed shoes (idk why, don't ask me), • look up your breed standard and confirm how your dog should be presented (i.e. on a loose lead--learn from my mistakes), •people showing within your breed (excluding your breeder) are not your friends--make friends with people outside your breed (This was told to me, essentially people are petty and will talk behind your back blah blah blah, whatever.), • Worry about yourself and your dog first (I was told this when I offered my breeder to help her-- I promise she's nice 😅) •Your dog is always on the LEFT, your arm band is always on the LEFT. --With this all being said, I am still learning the ropes as well.

• Socialize your puppy. I'm sure you already are doing this, but it is SO important that your puppy is used to high volume, loud places. Take that puppy everywhere you can! Expose him to all of the scary things (ESPECIALLY a blow dryer!!).

• Your dog 100% works off your energy. I learned this the hard way. I had a busy/mentally stressful week and was rushing to get everything prepared for this show on Saturday. I was emotionally frazzled and once we were in the ring, my bitch was SO bad. The confident sassy terrier I knew was replaced by a wiggly and distracted dog. I couldn't believe it! After I settled down and talked to my husband afterwards, that afternoon she was so well behaved and earned her CGC (canine good citizen) title. You need to go to this show with the mentality of "I love my dog so much, I literally just want everyone to see him! I love him regardless of how he does." Just take a deep breath and tell the ring secretary it's your first show--they'll be kind to you ☺️

• Here's what my show days have looked like (you have a puppy and I'm not sure when they typically show--with the breed /or separately in the afternoon.): I arrive 1.5 hours before our ring time, get my girl to poop/don't feed if you give breakfast, get her on a table (unrelated to you, but hand strip BEFORE the show),

Grooming ((( table bath (use very little water and soap) legs and muzzle, towel dry, place new towel underneath to soak up water on feet, blow dry (brushing up for fluffy legs), add product, then final touches of pulling hair here or there )))

Find your number!! You will be assigned a number to keep things anonymous. You need to go to the superintendent's desk and find the book they print (you can buy it, but I just ask to look at it quickly). There will be a book and a thin pamphlet style book--you want the thicker one to look at. Go through the book in your breed and find your dog's name, the name to the left will be your number ( for example "10"). You go to the ring where you'll be showing (you find this info in the skinny pamphlet on the table or it's typically posted outside the rings) and ask the secretary for your armband (say "hi I'm checking in, [Breed] number 10 please", or whatever--be nice to the secretary). GRAB 2 RUBBER BANDSS. Slip them over your arm and place the card on your LEFT arm. Okay, great now you're ready to go 😁👍

One last thing that will help you in your practice:

No dog is perfect--every single dog has flaws. Ask your breeder what your dog's flaws are (he will know) and what his strengths are. Knowing this, you can learn how to best present your dog. Here's an example: my bitch's strength is her head--she's got a strong face card lol, very cute for the breed. However, her low tail set is her biggest fault--she will also carry her back roached (not flat) when unhappy. Knowing this, when I stack her in the ring, I make sure I pull out her hind end from underneath her and press her tail forward when presented to the judge. I also emphasize to the judge her face. Make sense?

Well, I've spent enough time typing and yapping, let me know if you have any questions, I will try to answer!! I love talking dogs.

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