conformation - Go Pitbull .com

bluefamily · 07-20-2008, 11:46 PM

when you have your dog in the ring and s/he asks you to "run down and back"
of course you want your dog between you and the judge so he can be seen clearly. However if you have your dog on your left when you run down, do you switch sides on the way back and then have your dog on the right so you maintain your dogs position between you and the judge? Or does the judge want to see both sides of the dog?

I am learning....

d0ggmann (Got the BAN STICK) · 07-21-2008, 05:18 AM

that's a good question, my guess would be if you have the dog in between you and the judge going down you would have the dog in between you and the judge going up so he could see both sides of the dog. but i am just taking a guess because we are trying to learn the show game ourselves.

american_pit13 · 07-21-2008, 05:48 AM

I don't know for sure but I have been to shows and I think you stay with your dog on the left.....Ask Patch lol

Sampsons Dad · 07-21-2008, 06:22 AM

I have championed a female Neo.
We keep the dogs always on the left.
When you run up and down it is for the judge to see the dogs movements from the front and the rear. Then you do a few laps around...still with the dog on your left.

Patch-O-Pits · 07-21-2008, 01:53 PM

On diagonals or straight down and backs this applies:
The judge is watching the movement of the dog from front and rear as well as overall structure as they are being moved.
A good judge can pick up on a lot just watching the dog move.
On the way back you stop a couple of feet before the judge and free stack the dog with it usually facing the head occasionally a side stacked depending on what you want to show off more with your dog either way you aren't in the way. In that position they are not only looking at the dog's structure but also the expression and attentiveness. The judge may chose to walk around the dog a bit. You can step further out to the side or even in front of the dog depending on where the judge is. But when you are handling you still stay on the left.

Sampsons Dad · 07-21-2008, 02:12 PM

Patch you stay on the left?
I have always kept my dogs on the left.

I know this was a bad stack but I have learned from this picture!...lol

Tired pup

Patch-O-Pits · 07-21-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Patch you stay on the left?
I have always kept my dogs on the left.

Yes, that is where you are supposed to be ...

Quote:

You can step further out to the side or even in front of the dog depending on where the judge is. But when you are handling you still stay on the left.

Wanted to add
There is an occasion where you might want to right side handle, but you still really don't have too; that is when 2 dogs are doing a down and back together. One handler may opt to right handle so the dogs are moving right next to each other like the below. But most opt to still handle left in this situation

Handler1 dog ~ dog Handler2

FOSTER · 07-22-2008, 07:23 AM

handler1 dog ~ dog handler2
could that not possibly cause trouble having the dogs that close? ive seen judges face off small terrier breeds, but they wouldnt dare do that with pits and staffies. just curious

Patch-O-Pits · 07-22-2008, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOSTER

handler1 dog ~ dog handler2
could that not possibly cause trouble having the dogs that close? ive seen judges face off small terrier breeds, but they wouldnt dare do that with pits and staffies. just curious

This should clarify it:
You are thinking of something totally different. The OP asked about a down and back; The dogs are NOT being faced off in any way in what I described. The dogs move parallel to each other and there is ample space between them.

This is the only situation where I have personally seen or done right side handling. Like I said even in that situation most handlers from what I've seen in UKC still opt to handle left.
Also wanted to add not ever judge asks for you to go down and back it with another dog as well as the time you do it individually after exam.

OldFortKennels · 07-22-2008, 02:06 PM

+1 Patch's post. I have always heard and shown on the left at all times.

bluefamily · 07-22-2008, 02:14 PM

I will have to learn to do everything on the left. So far when I practice on the left I nudge them or run in to my dogs when they are on my left.Wouldn't you know when I started showing I had a broken left hand so all protection habits die hard. Thanks everybody.

Patch-O-Pits · 07-22-2008, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluefamily

I will have to learn to do everything on the left. So far when I practice on the left I nudge them or run in to my dogs when they are on my left.Wouldn't you know when I started showing I had a broken left hand so all protection habits die hard. Thanks everybody.

It will come easy as you practice more LOL. You definitely don't want to take a dog around the ring on your right or show on your right as you then would be blocking the dog

as you eneter the ring, it should be

Judge

dog
you
ring________________

The judge will move around to the front of the dog to do the exam when he/she

Some judges like free stacking when you first come in, some will send everyone right around together and not look at them until after that first lap

If you are first in line make sure to stack up quickly after the lap as exams then begin. If not make sure you move up and are ready when it is your turn.
Each dog is examined then sent in a down and back sometimes straight sometimes a diagonal and sometimes a triangle (usually in UKC it is the diagonal at this point)
After that the dog is sent for a lap around to the end of the line.

Try and watch before you have to go in the ring to see what the individual judge expects. The procedure differs slightly between judges.

I'm talking about UKC showing here so if you are doing ADBA if is not like this.

FOSTER · 07-23-2008, 09:19 AM

the face off was on a eukanba dog show. sorry for the confusion

bluefamily · 07-23-2008, 03:55 PM

Yes Patch, this will be a UKC show. I want to do better than I did the last time as a handler. ( The judge even commented "you have no idea what you are doing do you?" LOL) My dogs won on their own merit not because of me, so I am determined now.
As far as the lead goes, The placement of the lead should be right under the jaw line to lift the head, right? To have the dog match your stride therefore maintaining the proper placement of that lead (under their jaw) that too takes practice. Otherwise the dog strides foraward and the lead slips back towards the neck as if it were a choker type chain and the head placement loses lift right? ( I am trying to analyze everything here.) Thanks everyone for the help. Most everyone around here is ADBA, which as you said is different.

FOSTER · 07-26-2008, 10:10 AM

whats the difference between the two clubs shows?