Tips On Training Your Dog for Showmanship Competitions

If you have a canine that you would like to begin showing at showmanship competitions, you will have to start training your dog quite early. Many competitors have been doing this for years and will be accustomed to the atmosphere. Moreover, they have gone through extensive training which allows them to do the things that are required of them during these competitions. Unlike a competition where your dog is simply obeying you doing tricks such as rolling on the floor, this is at a whole different level. Showmanship requires a level of control that is hard to imagine for a dog. However, it can be accomplished if you are diligent. Here are a few tips on training your dog for showmanship competitions.

How To Start Training Your Dog For Competitions

The first thing that you will want to do is find what is called a mentor. These are typically individuals that have placed in these major competitions. Of course, this will cost money to be involved with this caliber of an individual. This is particularly true if they have been placing their dogs for years. It’s also hard to come by, these mentorships because these individuals are in high demand. That’s why they charge such astronomical figures. However, if you want to jumpstart your dog’s career, and truly find out if they have what it takes to be in the showmanship competitions, you need to find a mentor that can answer all of these questions for you.

Start Working With Your Dog From Day One

The day you decide to do this, this is the day you need to start working with handling your dog. Of course, getting a mentor can be very helpful, but you also need to get your dog used to you asking them to do things. Essentially, they need to follow your commands. From the television, as you are watching people showing their dogs that prestigious places such as Westminster, you may think that it’s very simple to do. However, the dogs that are doing well have been trained for hours every day, sometimes for years, and that is why the handling process looks so easy.

Get Used To Grooming Your Dog

One thing you will notice about these dogs that are at these competitions is that they are well-groomed. They have absolutely beautiful coats, and the way their hair is styled is immaculate. In order to get them to this point, you must first change their diet. This will allow their coat to shine. Second, you need to find someone that can work with your dog when it comes to cutting their hair. In fact, you need someone that has done show dogs before and is aware of your type of dog and their fur. For example, you do not want to choose someone who just trims a dog’s hair. You have seen dogs that competitions where they literally look like toy animals. That is because they have been groomed and manicured by a professional that knows what to do. This is the type of dog grooming professional that you will want to find.

How Long Will It Take To Train Your Dog?

Did you know that you could train your dog in as little as one month? Of course, this does not mean that they would win a major competition, but to get the basics down, it doesn’t take that long at all. If you can find a personal trainer, one that has done this before, it may even take a shorter amount of time. It depends on the breed of your dog, how old they are, and how willing they are to listen to commands. For example, if you have never commanded your dog to do anything, there is a high probability that they are not going to be motivated to listen to anything you have to say. However, by using a third party, a separate trainer, this could all change. If you are set on showing them at a major showmanship competition, and time is short, find a trainer that can work with you to get them ready.

If you are prepared to start training your dog for a showmanship competition, you now know what to expect. It’s not going to take long at all to get them ready. As long as you can work with a mentor and a personal trainer, you have a good possibility of placing well in one of these competitions. This is something that many people enjoy, interacting with other dog owners, and traveling to these different locations. It can be an expensive lifestyle, but if it’s one you can afford to do on a regular basis, it may become a very rewarding experience. Start looking today for a mentor, or a trainer, that can help catapult you and your dog to the circuit of showmanship competitions