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Shadow Mtn Saint Bernards
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Shadow Mtns Dogs
The Past Puppies we have bred and dogs we have had. Saint Bernard Breed information
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On Junior’s for the Junior’s by a Junior By
Dani Bodeving The
Butterflies are building up in your stomach. You forehead has sweat beads
glistening to on it. After months of practice it all comes down to this…. No, this is not the state basketball play-offs’, it isn’t a soccer match against your rivals. In fact it isn’t any sport that you would consider. It’s your first junior showmanship competition. Junior
showmanship is like basketball and soccer in one way… it is a team sport. Not
necessarily the type of team you would normally think of, it’s a team of two.
This team is you and your loyal canine companion. Just like any team you and you
Juniors dog need to know each others every move, you need to be able to read
each others thoughts. If one of you is having an
off day then chances are the other one will feel it. If your dog is having a bad
day you’ll get frustrated with your dog and if it is your bad day the dog will
feel it down his lead. This is why practice makes perfect. Just like any other
sport practice is the key to success. If you really want to win you need to
spend time each day not only practicing but also conditioning and establishing a
rapport between you and your dog. The best Juniors are those
that have a well conditioned dog that looks adoringly at them. When practicing
you need to play around and try new things. The best place to do this is in
front of a mirror, there you are able to see your team from the judges point of
view. Remember you are trying to accentuate all the good points of your dog
while trying to be as invisible from the judge as possible. You must go in to the show
ring thinking this is the best dog out there. All though different judges look
for different things there are some aspects that seem to be a must under any
judge. They are grooming of the dog and handler, professionalism, eye contact,
listening to directions, knowledge of proper ring procedure, control of your
dog, showing of the dog to correct breed protocol, and of course handling
skills. Your dog should be groomed
according to the breeds standard
(but wipe off the drool)!. You as the handler should also be properly groomed,
girls need to wear dresses and boys need to wear suits. Remember you need to
present yourself and your dog in the most professional manner and don’t be
caught in the Juniors ring without your slobber rag. Another important aspect to
showing in the Juniors ring is eye contact. You need to look at your judge but
as one of my past judges said you need to concentrate on your dog and know where
your judge is not just stare at your judge. A great little trick I have found is
to look up at your judge on the corners when you take your dog around. Before
you go into the ring you need to have a general idea of what proper ring
procedure is and how to follow it you need to know what to do when and you need
to know the patterns. The best place to learn this is by watching other rings
before you go in. There is also various
literatures you can consult if you have any further questions. One of the most
important things in Juniors is listening and following directions exactly. I
remember once I had won my novice class and in the Best Junior ring the judge
asked me to move my dog ½ way down and back. When she said this my dogs leash
came undone and I quickly clipped it back on, because of this I missed
everything she said and moved my dog all the way down and all the way back. In instance’s like that it
is okay to ask the judge to please repeat her directions. These are my Juniors
tips. Please do not think they are the only thing out there because there is by
far much more to learn about Juniors. I think the best way that you are going to
learn about Juniors is through experience so I leave you with the most important
advice I can give: Practice makes perfect and Live and Learn.
I’d love to correspond
with other juniors showing Saints! Please
contact me at dani@saintbernard.com
. Maybe we can make a
“juniors major” at the National! |