Dog Show Collapsed

[Jay]

hi!
Recently, I had participated in a Dog Show here in Delhi, India.

I had participated with my dog in the show.

Everything went well till the judge asked me to to ???STAG?? him. But I was unaware of this position.

Can anyone help me what is 'stag'?

And then when the judge tried observing my dog's front teeth & touching his body to check him. He actually started shaking here & their.

This was very uncomfortable for me.

What is it ?
Is my dog shy?
What shold I do?

rgds,

[KOPsRobyn]

Hi Jay,

Dog shows are often quite daunting experiences for dogs that haven't attended many, so it possible that your dog was simply not used to that sort of environment. You will find that as you take him to more and more shows, he will become confident and less worried about being there. To help him become more accustomed to shows, you should aim to take him to as many as possible, even if you are just watching from the sidelines. This will be really beneficiary because you won't be under the pressure of competition, and so will be completely at ease, which he will pick up on and reciprocate.

On top of that, it would be good to get him used to having strangers patting and examining him. You can do this by getting some friends that he hasn't had much contact with in the past to replicate what a judge in a show would do. If he does start shaking, it is important that you don't pat or reassure him, because by doing this you will reinforce the anxiety and make him think that there is something to fear. Instead you must ignore him when he is showing this behavior, making sure that you reward him lavishly when he is being brave.

It will take him to become confident, but if you are patient and progress slowly, you will soon see the fruits of your hard work.

I hope this helps and all the best with the training!

[kjd]

Jay,

The judge asked you to "stack" him. This is a position particular to each breed. The dog stands in a position that shows off his adherance to the breed standard. See if you can find a club for your breed. The members could teach you how to stack him and they would help you practice. As Robyn said, the more he does it and the more different people he has touching him, the better he will do.

Good luck,
kjd