Kiger Posted February 27, 2003 Posted February 27, 2003 I just found out that I have to show Kato myself at his first show next month and I feel nervous already. I thought his breeder was going to take him in first, but she can't. What if I've been doing it all wrong?? He does a stand/stay, will let me stack him, gets groomed on the table every night, walks on his leash nicely... BUT he's very outgoing and I'm worried he'll decide the judge is his new best friend and act like a complete doofus. Every new person he sees is an excuse to wag himself to death. And then there's that whole tripping and falling on my face thing... ACK! How do you people do it?! Oh wait, I know.... :drinking: Quote
DogPaddle Posted February 27, 2003 Posted February 27, 2003 Calm now Kiger. I'm sure you'll both do fine. Have you tried doing a mockup of a show with a stranger acting as judge? Might help but I'm sure there are more experienced people who will have great advice for you. Quote
yellowlabsrule Posted February 27, 2003 Posted February 27, 2003 Probably the first time will either be very frusterating, or wonderful. You just gotta make sure you're not nervous, or he'll be nervous. And make sure afterward, no matter what happens to :lol: don't :cry: :wink: (by the way I've never shown AKC, but I have shown in little showmanship classes.) Quote
Carolk9s Posted February 27, 2003 Posted February 27, 2003 Snip: BUT he's very outgoing and I'm worried he'll decide the judge is his new best friend and act like a complete doofus. So what! Have a ball! Better an outgoing dog that is a bit too friendly than one who wants NOTHING to do with the judge and appears pissed off that a stranger would dare try and touch them! DogPaddle had a great idea, see if you can get someone you know but is relatively unknown to the dog to act as a judge. Instruct the person well BEFORE they touch Kato. YOU practice your smile and staying calm and collected. Hey, its JUST A SHOW. There are plenty more of them. No matter the outcome, you will still be taking home the VERY BEST DOG in the place. Quote
Kiger Posted February 27, 2003 Author Posted February 27, 2003 Carolk9s napisał(a): DogPaddle had a great idea, see if you can get someone you know but is relatively unknown to the dog to act as a judge. Instruct the person well BEFORE they touch Kato. YOU practice your smile and staying calm and collected. LOL, today I had some contractors in the house fixing some things. Kato was licking the one guys face, making that waaaaaahhhaa noise, and wagging so hard I thought he'd break himself in half. I swear, strangers are just long lost friends to him. :roll: Quote
Rowie-the-Pooh Posted February 27, 2003 Posted February 27, 2003 No help at all :roll: ...except that Kato is so cute! :D And sweet! :angel:What more could a dog owner ask for? :lol: Quote
Luka-pop Posted February 28, 2003 Posted February 28, 2003 Awwwww!!!!! He's a little cutie! For my first horse show, I was soooo nervous that I would screw up and make a fool out of myself. But my trainer told me that an animal will feel what you're feeling, so if you feel nervous, they will too. Just relax and think of it as a fun, learning experience. So what if you don't pin? You'll just have the experience to do better next time. At my first horse show, I pinned a 3rd and a 6th! As soon as I got into the ring and the class started, I totally forgot about my nerves and just started concentrating on the horse and my form. It was just like riding at the barn. Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted February 28, 2003 Posted February 28, 2003 *Deep breath*! Like Luka-pop said, just pretend it's another practice day! And yeah, better to have an overly friendly dog then an aggressive one! :-? :cry: See with Hazel first public experience like that was at an Agility Demo, and I was SO nervous, and Hazel (and I) DID screw up, but all I could do was laugh, and enjoy my time there anyway! :D Quote
mouseatthebusstop Posted March 2, 2003 Posted March 2, 2003 FIRST SHOW NERVES. I GET NERVES EVERY SHOW. GET THERE EARLY SO YOU HAVE TIME TO GET THE CATOLOG CHECK WHAT RING YOUR IN. YOU ARE NOT RUSHING AROUND TRY TO KEEP AS CARM AS YOU CAN AND GOOD LUCK DON,T FORGET THE PHOTOS :D Quote
Luka-pop Posted March 2, 2003 Posted March 2, 2003 Oh yeah! That too! Make sure you have plenty of time to spare. Time to get ready, warm up, check your classes, etc. That way, if something does go wrong, you have time to make it right! :D Quote
behle Posted March 2, 2003 Posted March 2, 2003 Kiger - Kato is GORGEOUS! You worry too much. He will charm everybody he meets. Keep your sense of humor and have a ball! ( :wink: Speaking as one who has never shown any animal, but has been in front of groups of people a lot). :lol: Kato will run the show for you!!! :lol: Quote
mouseatthebusstop Posted March 5, 2003 Posted March 5, 2003 WRITE DOWN THE SHOW, DATE, JUDGE AND WHAT PLACE KATO WON :D Quote
JackieMaya Posted March 22, 2003 Posted March 22, 2003 I don't show dogs, but I've shown horses for most of my life. I always tell people who are nervous about horse showing to go in there and just plan to have fun! So what if you goof up? It's not the end of the world. Every show is a learning experience. The night before the show, visualize yourself at the dog show, showing your dog, and visualize everything going perfectly. It might sound corny, but visualization really helps! And like someone else said (I think), maybe you could do a little mock show with one or two other dogs. Go out there and have fun, and let us know how it went! Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted April 18, 2003 Posted April 18, 2003 Once you get in there, you might not be so nervous after all. Concentrate on that cute little dog of yours and showing him off and making him look great! Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.