Showing age reduced

[Michael Romanos]

The New Zealand Kennel Club has shifted its rules on the minimum age for showing dogs in conformation.
From January 1, 2007 it will be at three months instead of four months.
It use to be this way when I first got involved with dog shows.
It means that a pup needs to be more quickly trained up if the owner wants to kick start their show career off early and take advantage of entering in baby puppy classes at the shows. The baby puppy class finishes when they reach six months and then they move on to puppy classes.
I expect a reason for the shift in rules is to take advantage of new vaccination programmes for dogs in their puppyhood.

[Dillydoodle]

This seem a little sad to me, let a puppy be a puppy rather than putting all that pressure on them to be beautiful and perfect and stack correctly etc...they are first and foremost a baby. This bugs me as much as the parents who push their little girls into these beauty pagents at 3 yrs of age or younger...like Jon Benet . Gross
Emilie

[corgimom]

3 Months! - I have a hard time envisioning that. I just got Cody at 11 weeks; and I just wanted him to enjoy being a puppy for a bit. Just seems way too young for me also.

[Michael Romanos]

I got Taylor when he was 3 months and one week old - and he certainly wasn't ready for a show until at least three weeks later. A baby puppy would not behave in the ring as would an older dog, and in NZ, a dog entered in the baby puppy class cannot win a Challenge Certificate or go best in group or best in show. But some puppies mature beyond their age and learn the basic ropes of ring craft so quickly. My three immediate past Pems all were entered at some shows above baby puppy class even though they were under six months. Training for the show ring is just basic stuff that you would have a puppy do anyway - such as being leash lead, walking to heel, standing still on the floor and on a table, looking alert ( ears up) along with sit, stay and come. For baby puppies none of these things need to be anywhere near perfect and allowances by the judges are given - though I must say that with two of my Corgis in particular, they were remarkably adept in the ring at a very early age.

[sweetlychee]

It's like entering little girls in beauty pageants. You have those 4 year olds in full fledge makeup. Let kids be kids. Let puppies be puppies. Their puppyhood is only like 4 months and then boom, they grow up so big and fast. Kids too. Before you know it, they are old enough to drive. I know my parents always reminisce me being a kid and how they miss those moments. I miss holding an 8 lb Milo. I love his little ears flopping when he ran. Now, he's too heavy!

[glencorgi]

In the US puppies as young as 3 months can compete in matches (practice dog shows - no points, just for fun and practice). With a show potential puppy, training begins from the time it gets home, but training is done as playtime and games are made. It is not unlike many of you who begin training your puppies for basic manners. Puppies get set up on tables, even fed on the tables to get them used to being up there, teach them there is nothing to fear and fun stuff happens on the table. (Also useful when taken into the vet for an exam.) Feet are played with (helps with doing toe nails), teeth are looked at (also useful during vet exams). Leash training begins, not in a forced heel - heeling is not natural gaiting for a corgi and that's what a judge needs to see, but then you leash train puppies and teach them to walk on a loose lead (hopefully ) too. Handling classes are where they get to socialize and be with other dogs, meet new people and get adored by everyone (not unlike basic obedience classes). Baiting - (watch me command in obedience classes) what corgi doesn't go for the food and helps teach a free stack.

In AKC at least, puppies cannot compete until they are at least 6 months of age and then they can earn points towards their championships. I don't really get the logic of the NZ KC's decision as the awarding of CC's is much different than the point system of AKC.

Even at 6 months, judges do allow for puppy antics in the ring and they are forgiven. So it is anthromorphosizing to equate puppies being shown to childhood beauty pagents.

My next puppy will probably be herding instinct tested at around 3 months of age. I'm also thinking of taking her to puppy headstart, as much for me as for her.

Just because it is training and working one's dog, doesn't mean it can't be fun and playful. Although I do agree I'm not sure a 3 month old puppy has any place in a show other than for the fun of practice.

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

Therefore you'd be amazed at the number of people who enter their dogs in shows at the earliest possible age. Of course when a dog turns three months there may not be a show handy for the owner/handler to attend for several weeks or so. A baby puppy still has to 'show' to an extent in the ring otherwise the puppy cannot be judged.

[Michael Romanos]

Therefore you'd be amazed at the number of people who enter their dogs in shows at the earliest possible age. Of course when a dog turns three months there may not be a show handy for the owner/handler to attend for several weeks or so. A baby puppy still has to 'show' to an extent in the ring otherwise the puppy cannot be judged. A best baby puppy in show award is keenly sought as is best puppy in show.

[Chip's Mom]

Debbie:

I didn't know that heeling wasn't a natural gait for a corgi. I always learn something from your posts. Thank you. Anyway, sometimes, Chip will lower his ears when heeling and I tell him he is a good boy all the while we are heeling in obedience class and that brings those ears back up. I can never seem to quite get the correct speed for walking with him when he is heeling. I mainly want him to heel when we are in a crowd or I feel he needs to stay right beside me. Must be the gait thing?????

[glencorgi]

Okay heeling as an obedience exercise - speed doesn't matter, your dog is supposed to stay in position right at your heel. Have you done variable walking speeds in class? Start out walking at your normal pace, Chip stays right at your heel, speed up - he speeds up to stay at your heel; slow down - he slows to stay right at your heel. His natural gait would be what you see when he's just moving at a normal pace across the backyard. When on the move, it is perfectly natural for the ears to fold back against the head - aerodynamics perhaps??? <LOL>

And no Michael, I wouldn't be surprised at the number of people who enter or would enter their dogs as the earliest age possible. I do come the dog fancy.

Debbie

[Dillydoodle]

In our competition obedience class our trainer gave us an idea on how to chose a speed to walk where our corgi looked best to use as our normal speed ( and then of course we have fast heel and slow heel ) She played a bunch of different songs with differoent beat speeds and had us all walk with our dogs in a heel and we were able to see how certain music was to fast for some or too slow for others. Dillon looked best walking to the beat of Billie Jean by Michael Jackson ( she didn't bring any more "modern" music so no comments folks LOL!!) . You can think the song that works for you when competing as a way of keeping a tempo and a speed in which you show best.
Emilie

[Michael Romanos]

If a Corgi's natural gait is faster than slower ( if you get my drift), some handlers in conformation showing will jog alongside the dog in order to keep the Corgi at its true gait ( non running gait of course) and as a means of them ( the handler) keeping abreast.