by Tayla Wright 

For this month’s article I was a little stumped as to what to write about. The Victorian state final is over and people will be getting ready for the Royal Melbourne Show and the lucky state winner will be getting ready for the national final later this year. In the last few magazines I have been talking about tips and tricks to help handlers perfect their skills and get ready for state finals, this month I thought it would be a little refreshing to talk about something different which I hope will interest many of you.

As some of you may or may not know, in May I jetted off to Jakarta, Indonesia for a few dog shows. I didn’t handle at these shows I just went along with a few fellow Aussies who were on the judging panel to watch and experience a different type of handling to what we have here. To say the least it was very entertaining and exciting. The dog shows were held in a place called Bandung which is approximately a four hour drive from Jakarta. It was a very beautiful place and the people were so lovely and welcoming it was a pleasure to be there. The show started 9.30am with an entry of just over 400 dogs. With an entry that low you would expect the show to finish early but not here. The show didn’t end up finishing till after 10pm.

The first breed I watched was the Golden Retrievers and they were such beautiful and impressive dogs and the handling of them was exceptional. Everyone was dressed immaculately, the dogs groomed to perfection and trained so well that they never missed a beat. The next breeds I went to watch were the Dobermanns and Boxers and wow, they are very different to our dogs here. All the Dobermanns and Boxers have cropped ears and tails and the handling was something to be seen. No one in this ring wore suits the most dressed up attire I saw was a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The most common outfit was a tracksuit with the matching runners and backpack. In Indonesia with breeds such as your Dobermann, Boxer, Rottweiler and German Shepherd double handling is allowed and what everyone does. They don’t hand stack their dogs they just free stand whilst someone stands in front with a ball or something to gain their attention. The noise and commotion was unbelievable but again there were some beautiful dogs to see. My favourite was the Rottweilers where all the double handlers began playing soccer in the middle of the ring to get the dogs attention.

This trip was a real eye opener on the different ways dog shows are held and run and the way the dogs are handled. The handling in Indonesia is very different to what it is here in Australia and different again to what it is over at Crufts. They don’t have many junior handlers over there and they unfortunately don’t have a system set up like we do where they can send a finalist to Crufts to represent Indonesia.

I would encourage other juniors if the opportunity arises and you are able to go to other countries to watch a dog show then absolutely go! It is a wonderful experience and you learn so much from it and meet so many wonderful people.   

by Tayla Wright

As stated in my last article I have decided to focus a little more on out and backs and triangles. More specifically I want to focus on performing a double out and back with another handler. It is a skill that is crucial for a handler to learn but one you want to be confident with and prepared for.

The first double out and back is with the dog on the left hand side. So basically you are performing a normal out and back but with another handler next to you. Usually we say don’t get yourself between the judge and the dog and this rule still applies as you would still turn to the left, but the dog must not swap sides as it would in side by side out and back.

The second double out and back and perhaps the most commonly asked is with the dogs “side by side”. This exercise involves the dogs being in between both handlers at all times. When completing this exercise always remember that you as the handler must remain outside of the dog and the dog must remain on the inside at all times. It is important to remember that when going back to the judge you turn the dog’s head towards you not away from you.

The main aim of these exercises is to do as straight an out and back you can do but to work with another handler. You and the other handler must work together. Often a judge will select two handlers and ask for an “out and back together”. So many handlers ignore that very important word and don’t work with the other handler. Sometimes you may be asked to complete a double out and back with a handler who’s dog is smaller or larger than yours. If this is the case then the smaller dog will set the pace and that is how fast you go. Even if you are showing a large running breed such as a Australian Shepherd, you would walk them if you are working with a handler who is showing a Pug. You want to keep your dog moving in unison with the other dog whilst still making the dog look its very best.

The second point I wanted to focus a little on is the triangle. It is used all the time in conformation and in junior handlers so perfecting it will help you in both aspects of dog showing. If you can manage to learn to complete a perfect equilateral triangle in junior handlers, it will help you make your dog look its best in the conformation ring. If it is not possible to complete an equilateral triangle then try to make sure the shortest sides of the triangle are when you are showing the rear and front movement and the longest side of the triangle shows off the dogs side gate. Also make sure you do not touch the dog’s head at any time especially when turning corners as it can put the dog off and looks like you are not in control of where the dog is going.

That’s all for this month I hope these tips will help many of you. With state finals just around the corner ensuring you are confident with any exercise you may be asked is important and could make the difference. 

by Tayla Wright

Hi all! As everyone knows there are a few big junior handler shows coming up including the state finals that are just around the corner in July. I thought for this month’s article a few more tips that I have found useful over the years could also be useful to many other young handlers. I have decided to mainly focus on how to perfect out and backs and triangles this month. With big events coming up you want to be at your very best and every little detail can make the difference between first, second and third.

One of the most important tasks I see a lot of handlers not doing correctly is not placing the dog in front of the judge before they attempt a triangle or an out and back. It is so important that before completing the instructions given to you that you place the dog directly in front of the judge. After being assessed by the judge at the table and given instructions, move the dog in front of the judge. This is the point you want to start from no matter what you are asked to do. Not doing this makes the task look very rushed and unprepared and in a lot of cases the triangles and out and backs are not very straight and clean. You want to have straight and precise lines. If you line the dog up in front of the judge before completing in the task you are more likely to achieve those straight lines.

Whilst on the topic of straight lines, when performing an out and back it is important to look at which direction the judges body, in particular their feet, are pointing. Whichever way the judge is facing is the way you want to complete your out and back or triangle. For example if the judges feet are pointing towards the corner of the ring then that’s where you will go or if they are facing straight ahead you would also go to that point. Also before taking off, pick a point in the direction you will be going in and continue to look at the point. The object you look at could be a chair, a person, a table, anything in that direct line you can focus on and run/ walk towards. This will help to achieve much straighter lines and be more precise in where you are going.

I have noticed that a lot of handlers when moving the dog around the ring, forget to look either at their dog or back at the judge. This is so important! When I first began handling I was taught a very crucial and important tip that I still use even in the all breeds ring. I always remember that whenever I am moving the dog I need to look in three places:

1. Look at the dog to make sure they are moving at the correct pace/speed

2. Look at where you are going

3. Look at the judge

By following these three steps it minimises the chances of your dog breaking gate or pacing etc as you are constantly looking and ensuring they are moving to their correct speed. It also makes sure you are looking as to where you want to go, and finally by looking at the judge you are picking up whether they have moved and have now put you between the judge and dog. It also lets the judge know you are aware of everything around you. By doing something as simple as looking at the judge you are letting them know you are aware of their presence and are concentrating on making sure the dog looks its best and you know where you are going. It makes you look more confident as a handler and again will help you reduce the amount of mistakes that can occur such as getting between the dog and the judge.

I hope these few little tips have helped and will be something many other handlers find to be useful. Next month I will continue on with this theme and talk about perfecting triangles and out and backs as well as performing a double out and back.