I might show my german shepherd female, any tips?
My german shepherd is 1 yr old. And I would like to show her in AKC in the summer. Any suggestions as to what to bring, how to prepare, training for it. I already know about the herding, toy ect. groups in the show and stuff. she is akc registered. I want to do conformation. Could I do conformation and agility? I don’t think I will do both. Any suggestions/tips for a first time exhibitor???
She was actually the dog that the breeder had picked as her personal dog to show. But we ended up contacting her and asking her about litters. And we ended up with her. Her breeder said she is show quality. And would do terrific in the ring. I have went to shows and asked questions. Her dad has a Sch. III, kkv-1, vd, and her grandparents did to.
Conformation is the one sport where your dog has it or doesn’t. Even many puppies born of champion parents by the best breeder can’t do well in conformation. A lot of times it’s just small faults, such as eye color or body shape or ear placement.
If your breeder didn’t mention that your dog might have show potential, you probably want to stay away from conformation. However, if you really want to try it out, enter a show and go for it. But realize you probably won’t go anywhere. German Shepherds generally have big entries, so you can’t even go anywhere from no competition. (I won best of breed with no competition once… but the dog was already a champion in a couple countries, so…)
If you want to try out conformation, try to watch a show on tv. You need to train your dog to stack (stand pretty for the judge). German Shepherds have a certain way of standing, so try to train your dog to do that.
Definitely be sure to socialize your dog a lot. Be sure she’s comfortable around other dogs. Don’t let her run up and stick her face in other dogs. That’s considered bad manners, especially at a dog show.
When you’re at the show, you can try talking to some of the other Shepherd exhibitors or the judge, when they’re done for the day. Ask them of their opinion on your dog, if it’s worthwhile to continue showing her in conformation. Again, don’t be disappointed if they say it isn’t. The German Shepherd is a tough breed to show in conformation (lots of competition) and many good dogs don’t make it.
Really, though, I’d recommend a performance sport instead. Agility you already mentioned. I think you’d really enjoy. Only be sure to discuss with your vet/breeder/agility trainer about how soon she should start jumping. Big dogs should not be trained to jump until they’re fully grown, otherwise they may be more likely to have joint problems later.
You could also try other sports such as obedience, rally and herding.
Training-The German Shepherd