Giving Your Show Dog Some Pep In Their Step
By Chelsea Murray CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, CTDI
We all want our dogs to be competitive in the ring. And nothing says, “Pick me, I am a winner!” like a confident and flashy dog in the ring. But what if your dog doesn’t love being in the ring? Changes in body language like a lowered head, dropped tail, and even lack of interest in baiting can all make your life harder as a handler and can negatively impact your dog’s placement. But identifying what your dog may be communicating and learning a few new skills can help you give your dog a little pep in their step to up their competitive edge!
Identifying and Ruling Out Stress
The first important thing we need to do is to identify any potential stress signals our dogs may be displaying. While dogs who are “flashy” and show well are often confident- dogs who may appear dull can be dealing with stress! Small body language signals like whale eye, lip licking, lifting one foot, inability to eat, and “seeming distracted” can all indicate that your dog may be stressed out.
It is important to observe your dog carefully at home, out at the park, in training class, on the grooming table, and at home to begin to identify what pieces of the environment or routine may be causing stress. Knowing what is triggering the stress can help you work to change your dog’s associations from negative to positive with some desensitization and counterconditioning. By taking a short break from the ring to focus on your dog’s emotional state you will be allowing your dog a great opportunity to grow up physically and come back happier with a better chance at those points.
To learn more about how emotions impact show dogs- check out this video: How Emotions Affect Show Dogs Live Talk with Vicki Ronchette
Learn about Rook’s Shy to Showy Transformation! Fearful and Scared Dachshund Learns to be a Happy Show Dog
Assuming your dog is not dealing with stress and isn’t triggered by grooming, people, noises, dogs, or the busy environment then we may decide that they simply don’t find the conformation game as fun as we would like them to. So now we begin the fun journey of adding pep to their step with fun motivators, creative training plans, and more!
Finding the Right Motivator
While we often use food in training it is important to note that not all food rewards are created equally and each dog has their own preferences. While some dogs may work for kibble in distracting environments, others may not work for it at all. Finding out what works for your dog and figuring out their value hierarchy is essential. Then we can carefully choose which food rewards we use in each environment- saving the best for the show ring!
We also want to look at non-food reinforcers to see what our dogs may enjoy. A squeaky flat rat and a small rabbit fur tug toy are just a few options. Think about how your dog enjoys playing and use that style of play as a reward both warming up ringside and in the ring, of course being mindful to not interfere with others. A dog who likes to catch and parade like a Golden Retriever may enjoy catching and holding a flat rat. And a sighthound who lives to chase may enjoy a small tug on a flirt pole for at-home toy building and then chase or grab it in the ring.
Finding out what your dog enjoys to eat and do can be easily used to your advantage to both lure or entice behaviors and to reward desired behaviors.
Trick Training
Many conformation routine skills can be boring. Standing still, trotting, being composed- “yuck!” says our adolescent dog. But, what isn’t boring is trick training. Learning how to blow a kiss or do a dance are things that brighten up both you and your dog. After a little bit of practice you can observe your dog and their tricks. Do they love to howl with you? Or maybe they can’t wait to twist and twirl! Doing their favorite trick will animate their body and lift their mood. 
With these new fun tricks in their toolbox, you can then ask for these behaviors ringside before you go in and even in the lineup when the judge advises that you can all “relax”. You can help not only keep your dog focused on you but also keep them happy and animated- which can help improve their free stacks and their gaiting.
Planning Training at Home
When dog’s don’t love the show ring it is important that we train strategically. Drilling dogs with too many run throughs won’t make them better at it and could make them dislike it even more. Our goal is short, sweet, and fun! Planning training sessions that are 3-5 minutes in length will give you plenty of time to focus on a single skill. Instead of working on repetition of run throughs- pull out single skills and allow breaks between mini sessions. 3-5 minutes of the stacking box and duration followed by tug with a toy, 3-5 minutes of a chin rest for the bite exam followed by a chance to sniff out front on a leash, and 3-5 minutes of free stacks with platforms followed by scatter feeding in the grass are just a few examples. Short sessions help prevent burnout from your dog while still providing enough time for you to be productive and make progress. And short breaks with a fun activity after a session or between a few mini sessions can help boost your dog’s emotional state and help them learn that more fun follows show training.
Focusing on Fine Tuning
Dogs who lack some luster in the ring from boredom may have some unique challenges that they need to work through. Since ears and tail position are often associated with emotional state- dogs who are bored or disinterested may not be showing off themselves the best they can. Fortunately you can put these things on cue!
By using shaping, you can teach your dog to lift their ears for expression, move their head position to show off arch of neck, and even lift and wag their tail. Being able to cue these behaviors will help reduce how much you do by physically touching your dog, which can also creep some dogs out, while still helping your dog look their best.Its a great low stress option to allow your dog to be a part of the peppy solution.
Teaching Ears on Cue: Training Ears for Show Dog
The good news is that dogs who may not start off flashy can learn to be more confident and playful in the ring, which can give you a competitive boost. This process may take some time and some special training, so it is important to take a break from the ring when you need and give your dog some time! If you find yourself needing to add some pep in your dog’s step- consider the customized approach that the Show Dog Prep School Mentorship Program can provide. Alongside several owner-handlers and professional trainers you can bounce ideas off them to help you identify some areas where your dog can improve and learn how to improve them!
Learn more about the program here: https://showdogprepschool.com/mentor-program/
