I've competed in obedience for years,but have shown conformation for only 2 years. I do not handle well yet and don't know how to train/work with my dogs prior to showing so that they look their best.
How do those with more experience get pup ready for the ring? What training do with your dogs before showing. I really appreciate all pointers, even very little details. Thanks so much in advance!
Check with your local kennel club...sometimes they offer weekly conformation classes which I find are very helpful for both the puppy and the person.
An alternative would be if you have a few conformation friends that are local...get together on a Saturday and take turns playing "judge"...going over puppies and offering advice to each other. A group of us used to do this before the kennel club started offering classes. We rotated the "class" between our homes so we could get our youngsters away from home to work with them.
Also, I find it helpful to practice stacking or free baiting the dog in front of a full length mirror so you can see what the judge is seeing when the dog is standing. From there I know where I might need to make small adjustments on how I am holding the lead or baiting the dog, etc.
