.com Forum · Real Show Dogs

hey, so last year I started showing my yorkie ( hes twelve pounds, a lil bit big for his breed) in akc jr showmanship. I've only done one akc show so far(in the seniors class), but I have been in my county's 4-h dog project for 5 years. so I kinda have some experience in jr showmanship from that. I was wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions that they could give me , for furture breed showing or for jr showmanship.
any thing will be appreciated.
thanks!

There are a lot of things to consider.

What size dog can you handel?
How much grooming can you tolerate?
Those are the two biggest questions. These two can eliminate over half of your options

Find a good mentor -- this is absolutely essential. I'm a junior handler (classified as a senior handler now, but nonetheless a junior) and would not be anywhere at all had I continued with my self teaching. Just find a local kennel club or training center, that will be the perfect place to find someone who can lead you in the right direction.

I will tell you a nice trick with clothes. If you have a solid colored dog that is dark, wear two different colors that are light (vis-versa). Also if the dog is multicolored, your clothes should be solid colored and should blend in with the dog. This might not seem like a big deal, but I promise it does to some or most judges.
I have been showing in 4-H for 7 years and showing in AKC as a JR and a breeder for 5. I also judge in 4-H.
Also, check the table before you put the dog on it. Shows that you care about your dogs safety.
I don't know if you do this already, but when the judge comes to look at your dog, move in front of the dogs face. Not directly in front, but to the point where they can see whats going on and you can still keep them calm.

I'm a former AKC Junior Handler (been aged out for quite a while now) and also competed in 4-H for a long time. The big difference I found between 4-H and AKC was that 4-H judged basic handling skills while AKC was basically training you to be a professional handler. Juniors who did well in the AKC ring consistently did well in 4-H but the reverse was not always true.

Even though your dog is too big for the breed, you need to make sure you groom and handle the dog as close to the breed standard as possible. I got my novice wins with a dog who was very immature for a long time and most people would have sold her as a pet long before she finally matured around 5. Although Juniors isn't really about the dog, the closer you present the dog to the breed standard, the better chance you have of winning. This means that if your dog isn't structurally the best for its breed you're going to have to step up the grooming and adjust your overall presentation to make the dog look as close to the breed standard as possible.

As others mentioned, looking professional is also very important. Finding someone in your breed who would be willing to mentor you on grooming and presentation is a great place to start. It might also help you to contact former Junior Handlers who did very well in the show ring with your breed and speak to them about any questions you might have. Look around your breed club website and see if they have any programs for encouraging Juniors. I help my national breed club with a program that connects new Juniors with mentors, provides resources for them and even offers scholarships and grants to Juniors.

As mentioned above, your "turnout" is a HUGE factor in Jr's. In 4-H there is a level playing field as you enter the ring since all of you are dressed identically in variations of the black/white jacket/shirt/pants so you have to really work to stand out of the crowd. You will find in Jr Handling, it has almost become a fashion show with the tailored outfits complimenting the dogs in jewelled tones. The best handlers still usually win but if you don't "dress the part", you can easily be overlooked. The Jr clubs in this area occaisionally have "suit swaps" and the PHA also donates boys and girls suits at these events, so keep you eye out for opportunities like these.

I, too, am an aged-out AKC junior handler.
Goodwill was my best friend while in juniors- $6 for a suit? heck yeah.

It's also important to have a showy dog in Juniors. If your dog looks bored, you will have to work even harder to keep him up on his toes and showing the best. I used my mini longhaired dachshund - whom i ended up spaying and not finishing - in juniors as opposed to my mini wirehaired champion male, because she LOVED the ring. She knew she was the star and she acted like it. I never had an "off" day with her. Even though she wasn't the best specimen of the breed, she acted and showed as if she was the best of any breed, and that will make a big difference.

I also like to train a LOT with a juniors dog, Lacey knew how to wag her tail on command (as soon as the judge got to us when walking down the line, I would ask her for it) would pull forward on her shoulders on command (important for a table breed) and we also had a few fun games we would play while waiting in line.

There's a line between being well trained and being bored in the juniors ring - it's important to find that happy medium.

That being said I would suggest getting a larger dog for the juniors ring if everyone else in your area has larger dogs. I HATED being last in line when everyone else had faster dogs, I felt that I was often overlooked because everyone else was around the ring and stacked and we were only half way around. I switched to a GWP bitch the last half of my last year and did better with her even though she wasn't trained as well.
It can be done with the small dogs, I won many BJHs with her, it just takes more work, I feel.

I have to say, it does bug me when people say you should pick a breed you're going to win with because that's not what Juniors is about. A good Junior can win with any breed and winning isn't everything either. The more important thing is that you develop your skills as a handler and learn how to correctly present the breeds you're handling.

I don't think anyone in this post said to go find a different breed that you will win more with. I, certainly did not.
You can win with any breeds, some breeds are flashier and draw more attention than others, therefore some breeds will win more. Same as in groups. Is it fair, no. But that's how it goes anyways.
All I suggested is that if your area is dominantly large dogs in the ring, you may want to look into getting a different breed- especially if yours isn't within standard. That is not to be translated to go get a golden or setter because then you'll win for sure.
I won many BJHs with my mini dachshund. And I should have won many more- often I lost because I wasn't prepared when the judge was looking- I was still going around the ring!! And that, is due to a small breed in a dominantly large breed area.

The most important thing in juniors is for you AND your dog to have fun. It will show! Try your hardest every time you walk into the ring and that will show also. You'll notice that there are judges who judge the junior's handling and there are judges who judge how well the dog is trained.
But that life at a dog show. It is what you make it.
As long as you're happy with your dog and you are confident in your abilities, most judges will be able to pick that out.
Good luck!