PEKINGESE COLUMN FOR AKC GAZETTE. M I N D Y O U R M A N N E R S |
“Mind your manners”… good advice you likely received from your Mom and still good advice, as applied to the show ring. Many of you reading this may be thinking you’ve been showing dogs for a long time and don’t need “advice” on show ring manners. Well, think again…step outside your head for a minute and ask yourself if it’s just a teensy-weenie bit possible that you’re doing things by rote…just because it’s what you’ve always done. Habit sometimes can equate to carelessness; are you REALLY doing everything possible to present your dog AND YOURSELF to the very best advantage? If you admit to yourself that you may NOT be doing so, you could be cheating yourself out of some substantial wins. So, where do we go from here? How do you prepare for a show? (And what, you may ask, does this have to do with show ring manners? Read on!) First, mentally prepare your show outfit ahead of time, so you won’t have to throw something together at the last minute. Think of an artist’s palette; you and your dog are the colors to be applied to this palette. Your wonderful dog is, of course, spankin’ clean and beautifully trained, so we won’t belabor this point here. On to you: Remember, first impressions count for a lot! Yes, the judge will be judging your dog, not you, but your appearance is a part of the whole picture seen as you enter the ring. Sloppiness in dress or flashiness could be construed as insulting to the judge…hence a part of ring “manners”. It isn’t necessary to spend buckets of money on a fancy show wardrobe, but it IS important to present yourself in a well-put-together outfit which is appropriate for the occasion, flattering to you and “framing” your dog. Mentally prepare your show outfit ahead of time, so you won’t fall into the trap of throwing something together at the last minute. Solid colors which complement the color of your dog are preferable to distracting splashy prints or other too-busy color combinations. The following should be a given, but is stated here just in case…PLEASE, no spike heels, jangling jewelry, heavy perfume, overdone makeup or hair style. Be sure your shoes are clean, shined and not run over at the heels. Now that you have planned how you’ll look in the show ring, fast-forward to the day of your big show. You have arrived at the show site in plenty of time to get set up, groom your dog and scope out your ring location. When possible, watch your judge ahead of time to see his or her ring procedures. It is “good manners” to adhere carefully to individual judges’ preferences, and observing these preferences ahead of time will make your time in the ring more comfortable for you and your dog and will be appreciated by your judge. Pick up your arm band as soon as the ring steward makes them available; rushing up at the last minute is not a display of “good manners” to the steward. If you are seated at ringside (ANY TIME), keep your conversations with others muted…good manners dictate that you do not distract from the show. If you must comment on other people’s dogs or anything else concerning the goings-on in the ring, go away from the ring. This is only good manners, and to do otherwise is frowned upon by AKC. DON’T BE LATE TO THE RING. Know when your class is coming up and be at ringside when your class is called. By this time you should know whether the judge wants the class to enter the ring in catalog order or any order. Courtesy to your fellow exhibitors is a VERY big part of ring “manners”. Leave plenty of room between you and the dog ahead of you. NEVER “run up” on another dog. Be aware of the pace of other dogs, so if the dog ahead of you stops abruptly, you will not be on top of it. Conversely, if your dog stops the lineup, you can allow the person behind you to go around you. Do not crowd other dogs and never try to upstage other exhibits; such behavior will not help your dog to win and most assuredly will reflect badly upon you. It should go without saying that courtesy to the judge is a vital component of ring “manners”. Keep one eye on your dog and the other on the judge. Follow the judge’s instructions carefully; if an instruction is not clear to you, politely ask the judge to repeat it. If you win, be gracious…it won’t always be so. If you lose, be gracious…it says a lot about you. Jacqueline Ragland |