Junior Showmanship

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Junior showmanship is a non regular class at sanctioned dog shows for kids aged 10-18 years old. Kids compete against other handlers in their age group. It is soley for a learning experience, but can have a competitive edge to it as you get into the higher classes. Any dog AKC registered will be eligible to compete in Junior showmanship provided that the Junior handling either owns the dog or the dog is owned by a member of the juniors' familiy. It should not matter the quality of the dog nor the breed being handled. A neutered dog or spayed bitch CAN compete in Junior Shomanship (along with agility and obedience) since it is the HANDLER being judged. The only requirement pertaining to the dog's quality is that the dog CAN be shown in either conformation or obedience. Maverick & COurtney taking Best Junior Handler at the GASC on Feb 4, 2001!
Conformation Quality
Conformation quality means that the dog is also being shown in the regular (conformation) classes. The owner/handler of this dog believes that the dog is an excellent example of it's breed and it is being shown for championship points toward it's Championship title. A conformation dog will be intact (not neutered or spayed). The conformationdog has the advantage over the obedience dog only because it is of exceptional quatlity. Sometimes in the Juniors ring, you will see a dogs name with the prefix CH in front of it. This means the dog has already attained his or her Championship status and will be known as a "Champion of record" by the AKC the rest of his or her life. The CH. dog is usually a very well put together and well conditioned dog. Courtney & Maverick taking Best Junior Handler!
Obedience Quality
Obedience quality is not the highest scoring dog in obedience. Obedience quality means that the dog is capable of legally going into the obedience ring and have no disqualifying faults. Faults have nothing to dog with obedience either, it is mainly whether or not the dog is sound and healthy.** That the dog has no disabilities or has never been physically changed by any means.** The dog being shown is not blind, deaf, or lame.** Being changed by phsical means is that the handler did not make any changes to the dog's appearence to make him look better. This does not mean you cannot groom the dog or put conditioning in it's fur or do anything correct for it's breed (i.e. clipping a Poodle for the show ring), but it does mean having the dog under go surgery for cosmetic reasons. **Everything here also applies to the conformation rings.
The Other option
On most premium lists [information sent out to any interested party stating the time, date, location, prizes, fees, judges and entry forms for a given show] there is a fee stated Junior Showmanship ONLY: [example] $12.00. This means that the dog is only being handled in the Junior showmanship ring for that given day/show. It will not be handled in the conformation or obedience rings. If your dog is obedience quality, stated above, it does not mean you have to actually show the dog in obedience! You show in whatever you want to show in! :)
Considerations in the breed of choice to show
What breed you choose to show in Junior Showmanship depends on your family and how you live. First, let's talk about your life. Do you have the land to house a big dog or are you an apartment dweller that would be better off with a small dog? Could your family deal with an active dog, or do you want a more subdued dog? Could you commit a lot of time for grooming or are you set and ready for a "wash and wear" dog? Do you have money to handle the cost of the dog, the upkeep, show fees, travel fees, and the supplies needed for the dog? How about you. What breed really sparks you interest? Do you enjoy a stubborn dog that might take longer or a more trainable breed that heeds you every command? Are you strong enough to gait a big Mastiff around the ring without being pulled? Are you capable of running around the ring with a big dog or would you prefer a small dog that would only need to trot around the ring? Can you stand the rigorous backaches of handling a small dog on the ground and lifting it on and off the table? ARE YOU CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING THE DOG AT ALL TIMES? Do you love the breed you are interested in? Courtney & Maverick stacked Learning the basic Knowledge
First thing you should know is the classes:
Novice Junior: 10-14 years old who haven't won 3 first places against competition
Novice Senior: 14-18 years old who haven't won 3 first places against competition.
Open Junior: 10- 14 years old who have won 3 first places in Novice classes.
Open Senior: 14-18 years old who have won 3 first places in Novice classes.
Best Junior Handler: Every first place winner at the show competes against other first place winners for top prize: Best Junior Handler. Go to Info. on AKC/ASCA JR. Showmanship
Grooming your dog for the show
Grooming a dog for a show is an important part of showing in Juniors. Although the grooming of the dog is not considered in judging, the effort to groom and groom well, can be helpful.
NEVER, NEVER BRING AN UNGROOMED, FLEA-INFESTED, SMELLY ANIMAL IN THE RING.
This is an insult to the judge showing you don't really care about showing. 99.9% of the time you will end up dead last and could be the talk of the show in a very bad sense.
Perfect Grooming
#1: Brush the dog's coat: Before bathing, it can be helpful to brush the dog's coat throughly to get any loose hair out and off the coat. This also brings out the coats natural luster.
#2: Bathe the dog Always before a show, bathe the dog! Make sure all short hair breeds look nice and shiny. All long haired breeds should not only be nice and shiny, but also fluffed and free of mats. When bathing the dog, be sure to rinse out all of the shampoo. Leaving residue can make the dog's coat look unhealthy. Throughly dry the dog.
#3: Brush dog again After dog is dry, brush through the coat to get any missed mats out and to give the coat a polished look. It also collects hair that has been loosened by the bathing. ***Groomer's tip: At the show when you are tidying the dog, brush the show side (the left side of the dog) last, since that is the first thing the judge sees!
#4: Routine Work After brushing and bathing, do all the routine work. This means cleaning ears, checking eyes for goop, brushing teeth, and nail clipping. Never go beyond the quick in the nail. The quick is a sensitive nerve in the nail that, if cut, is very painful to the dog, and will bleed. If this is cut, it could make the dog shy to get the nails cut. If the quick is mistakenly cut, ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED and quickly stop the bleeding. If you act like nothing happened, why should the dog worry? Next time around though, be careful not to make the same mistake twice.
Grooming can sometimes be a challenge, but with correct knowledge it is fun and helpful! Maverick & I getting 2nd Place at the Flat Coat National Specialty!
Getting yourself and your dog ready
First steps first: Intro to leads. There are many leads available for show dogs. There is a lead called a slip lead which is mainly used for small dogs. It consists of nylon with a stopper. The loop is put around the dogs neck and the stopper placed at the dog's neck.
Another lead is the choker & lead. It consists of a regular choker made of nylon or jeweled metal, and a bolt snap nylon lead. This is a thin nylon lead, not an obedience training lead. These work well for the exuberent dog or big dog.
You will need a Junior Handler Number. This is an identification number the AKC gives you to track your career during juniors. You can go to the Akc website for more info.
Training sessions should start with the dog getting used to the lead. Let the dog trail the lead around the house for awhile making sure the lead doesn't get caught on anything. Once the dog is comfortable with the lead & collar, start to stack the dog. Stacking is placing the dog's feet in the correct position for it's breed. Study the conformation classes for your breed at dog shows to learn what is right for your breed or consult breed books for pictures of stacked dogs.
Start by just handling your dogs feet daily. Then, pick up the left foot and place it facing forward on the ground. Do the same for the right foot. If the dog stays for 5 seconds with both front feet in the same place, release and praise. Work up until the dog will stay for about a minute. After he keeps his front feet in position start with the rear feet. Again, start at 5 seconds and work up to a minute.
Have friends and family check your dog's bite. Lift his lips to show off his teeth. Practice doing this yourself too, you might be asked to do so in the ring. Have your family run over your dog as a judge would so he gets used to being touched. Make sure he is steady with everything before he ever goes in the ring.
Gaiting is moving the dog at it's correct speed in a patucular pattern. The patterns are down and back, the "L", the triangle, and "the T".
An important concept in gaiting is a courtesy turn. This is a graceful semicircle right in front of the judge and in juniors, it is almost expected of you. Be Prepared! In practice do this before every gaiting pattern!
The down and back is done by going in a straight line down to the corner of the ring and coming straight back to the judge. When hitting the turn, turn right and bring the dog back. Normally this pattern is done on a diagnol, whether it is a mat at an indoor show or on the diagonal on the grass at an outdoor show.
The L pattern is one of the hardest to perfect. The L consists of a tricky move called "lead switching", which is switching hands so the dog is on the outside in the veiw of the judge. You go forward to the end of the ring, do a left turn to the adjacent side of the ring, do an about turn and a lead switch coming back to the right corner of the ring, the you do another lead switch and come straight back to the judge.
The triangle is probably the most common pattern and possibly the easiest. You go forward to the far end of the ring, do a left turn to the left side of the ring. At the left corner, do a courtesy turn and go back on the diagonal back to the judge.
The T is probably the hardest to learn and explain! You start in the middle of the ring and go straight away from the judge. You make a left turn a few inches BEFORE the ring gate, go to the left as far as you can go, execute a lead switch, go to the opposite corner to the right, execute another lead switch, go to the MIDDLE of the ring, turn and return to the judge. A junior and his/her dog executing an excellent T is a sight to behold!!
Putting it all together: What will happen at a real show
Now come to your practice site and we are going to put it all together. To start, a class always starts by going around in a big circle as a group. Then be prepared to stack your dog. The individual examination will begin. When your turn comes, stack your dog. When the judge reaches the body, *go to the head of your dog and either hold it or bait it into a nice head position.* After the examination, gait your dog in the required pattern, then go around the ring in a full circle to your spot at the end of the line. As the last dog finishes his examination and gaiting patten, have your dog stacked and looking his best. The judge might make his choices now or will have the dogs be gaited around and point 1, 2, 3 & 4. Hopefully, you'll be one of the lucky 4!
JUST A NOTE ON COMPETIVNESS/FUN: Please note that this is my OPINION. You may agree and you maynot agree. It is my belief that if Juniors is not FUN for you anymore, than why waste the money? After entering OS i had to reevalute what i was showing for, after some loses. WAS I IN THERE TO WIN OR HAVE FUN? With some help from a friend, (THANK YOU LINDSAY!) I realized the urge to win was gaining on me & i'd better slow down and have a deep thought about why i ever stepped into the ring in the first place. From now on, I go to JS fro the FUN of showing. My dog loves the ring. If my dog loves it, I love it. I am there to have FUN. If, ever again, juniors begins to not be fun, i know it is time to quit and settle on campianing in other areas of the sport. All in all, go there and have fun with your dog. Isn't that why you decided to show in the first place?
Helpful Tips
Smile. You should be happy you are there!
No matter what happens, take wins and losses in stride.
Look at the judge, but don't stare.
Have fun. Don't be out there just to win all the time.
Congratulate your dog, without him, you wouldn't be there.
Congratulate the winner no matter how you feel.
Congratulate the losers, no matter how you feel.
Be polite, business like, and attentive other dogs, other juniors, and the judge!
Show confidence.
Dress nicely, jeans and sneakers are out of place in J.S.
Don't let yourself get between the your dog and the judge!!

American Kennel Club's Website: Loads of info!!

Australian Sheperd Club of America VS American Kennel CLub Junior Showmanship Programs Info!

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