Preparing your dog in the weeks before a show

The goal: arrive with a relaxed dog and a team that knows what to do.

Beginner: lay the foundations

1. Turn training into a game

In a quiet place, reward your dog for standing still for a moment. This position, the "stack", lets the judge see its outline.

Try this: start with one second standing, reward, then release. Lengthen gradually as it gets easy. A few minutes are enough: better to end on a success than with a dog that switches off. Durations are practical examples to adapt to your dog.

2. Gently get it used to being examined

The judge must be able to examine your dog. Prepare it for being touched and having its teeth shown, gently.

Try this: briefly touch a shoulder, reward, remove your hand. Then work other areas separately. For the teeth, go in small steps, never holding the mouth by force. Once it is relaxed with you, ask a calm helper. If it pulls away, go back to an easier step.

3. Learn how your breed is shown

Not all dogs are shown the same way. Before copying a pose seen online, watch your breed at a show and ask a club or your breeder.

Your mission: see how dogs are stacked and moved, then find a handling or ringcraft class.

Intermediate: succeed away from home

1. Change scenery gradually

An exercise that works in the living room can become hard somewhere new. Go back to basics in the garden, then in a quiet outdoor spot.

Try this: ask for a short stand in each new place. Then add a distraction at a distance. If your dog loses focus, move away and simplify.

2. Practise moving together

The judge also watches the dog on the move. A handling class will help you find the right style for your breed.

Try this: do a few straight runs on safe ground with a loose lead. Ask someone to watch: is the dog moving evenly? Are your turns smooth? The lead follows the movement; it must never lift the dog.

3. Make grooming familiar

The brush should not be a surprise the night before! Get your dog used to short sessions and ask for a grooming schedule suited to its coat.

Try this: start with a few strokes on an area it accepts easily, then pause. At FCI CACIB shows, substances that alter the structure, colour or shape of the coat, skin or nose are forbidden.

Advanced: refine without overloading

1. Film to fix one detail at a time

A short video shows what you miss while handling. Film a move and a stop, then pick a single point to improve: your position, your pace or the clarity of your cue.

2. Hold a small dress rehearsal

Chain what you have learned: enter your training area, move, stop and let someone examine your dog. Add a break on its mat between runs. A dog may react differently at a show, especially to crowds: prepare it without trying to recreate everything at once.

3. Plan ahead to arrive calm

Weeks before, check the entry, the class, the documents and the health conditions required. Final check: is your dog fit to take part comfortably? FCI rules exclude sick dogs.

A timeline to get organised

Four to six weeks before: discover the exercises and build pleasant habits.
Two to three weeks before: vary locations and practise with help.
The last week: maintain what is learned, finish preparations and protect rest.

This timeline is a teaching suggestion, not an official rule. Some dogs will need more time. The best preparation? One where your dog still wants to work with you.