.com Forum · Alpha Dog Forum

I have a question. I have read all the help sections and see that it says that you should not show a dog before condition is 20, that a dog can be deemed unfit if all three (condition, muscle and coat) stats are below 10 or any one stat is below 5 and that certain handlers will refuse to show a dog that isn't up to their standards.

But my question is what about dogs that are ALMOST sessioned up? Like at 16-19? Does this affect how they do in the ring? Will a genetically lower dog who is fully sessioned win over a higher one who is not fully sessioned?

I have recently seen dogs being showed who were not fully sessioned and wondered if this is the norm.

Thanks in advance for answering.

-----
Last edited by Camp Run-Amok on 12/8/2014 10:17:00 AM

Some people will put in not fully sessioned dogs in order to make up majors for others.

It depends somewhat on the breed and the competition. I will put partially sessioned dogs in to help with points.

If the dog is notably better genetically and almost sessioned (18-19 in training perhaps) they can win over lesser but fully sessioned dogs but it's a matter of degree - how much better and how much not sessioned.

With my dogs training usually is the last to come (as long as Jeff doesn't forget to feed them every day) and I will start them at 19. I try for owner-judges because the best handlers are often not available.

-----
Last edited by gaylanstudio on 12/8/2014 12:47:58 PM

It depends on the breed competition as well. My Gordon Setters are entered shortly after they hit 14 days (just depends on me remembering to enter them ). My other breeds are entered at 19, but my Mals will sometimes be entered at 18-19 training ... It's like 35 days for them to switch to 20.

okay that makes sense. Especially about the putting unsessioned dogs in to make majors.

Yeah that 20 in training takes forever!

I'll start to show them if their stats are all 20 and training is like 19..depending on the quality of the dog I often will finish the dog before its training reaches 20. I wouldn't show under 19 though.

I also will start pups before training is fully-sessioned. They don't usually get many points but I like to start feeling out the judges early for the ones I think might be really good.