Show gear OR I warned you guys...

[blaiseshimmer]

Hi - Still in the learning phase of potentially showing my sheltie. I will be heading to a Shetland Sheepdog dog show in a few week to take lots of notes, ask a lot of questions, perhaps even be allowed to film a handler or two prepping the dog for show...

I also am getting the 'stuff' gathered to begin training with my puppy, but have a newbie question: which collar should I use to train my puppy? I keep my dogs collarless when home, but when we head out, the two older dogs wear martingales and we used to keep our late Sheltie in a chest harness since his 'collapsed trachea' plus his thick ruff meant he could slip out of any collar in a second. We plan to keep the puppy in harnesses for the exact same reason (plus he's a wiggle worm)

I see a lot of shelties wearing chain collars in the ring and was wondering if this would be a good training (for showring only) collar for Kelby? I also see some martingales as well as resco (?) collars.

Any preferences?

 

[Ann]

I think I posted this in another thread but will repeat here since I know it's a lot to digest. Yes, you will need a "show" collar for your puppy but no, it shouldn't be a chain...yet. We start the puppies on nylon choke collars. They're lighter and easier on a puppy's neck for training. I also show them in these until they're older. You can get them here:
https://www.cherrybrook.com/cherrybr...-choke-collar/

I get the 12" for the babies. Sprite is 8 months and she still fits in this one. For an older dog, I'd get the 14".

Cherrybrook also has matching leads for these. Not expensive and also good for training.
https://www.cherrybrook.com/cherrybr...on-slide-lead/

You can find chain collars at the show vendors or also at Cherrybrook (they are also frequently at the shows). I like the snake chains rather than traditional chains because they don't grab the hair and slide smoothly.

Hope this helps!

 

[Cleo2014]

I like the snake chains rather than traditional chains because they don't grab the hair and slide smoothly.

Ann!!! You are a life saver. I am constantly trying to fix Cleo's chain because of it getting caught in the hair. I am going to be buying one of these. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[blaiseshimmer]

well, I did warn you guys I would be asking (silly) questions

Thanks Anne, I did get the links from my first essay...oops, question; I DID order a collar and leash. I guess I'm overwhelming myself (Kelby doesn't seem to care; he's got that alpha-dog personality already bossing around my husband) and forgot that lead.

(See? I NEED you guys as online mentors...)

 

[Ann]

Thanks Anne, I did get the links from my first essay...oops, question; I DID order a collar and leash. I guess I'm overwhelming myself (Kelby doesn't seem to care; he's got that alpha-dog personality already bossing around my husband) and forgot that lead.

(See? I NEED you guys as online mentors...)

No problem!! Can I tell you how many times I asked the same questions (and still do!) when I was starting out??

It always makes me laugh when people say, oh dog showing.....anyone can run a little dog around a ring..... Really?! It takes more tack for my 20-pound dog than it did for my 1,000-pound horse! And there's more to remember! If you're doing it right, it looks easy.....

 

[blaiseshimmer]

I pulled out my old tack box from my admittedly short-lived life as a cat exhibitor (a whole 3 years)...it's a GIANT toolbox, still filled with shampoos, conditioners, more brushes and combs than I have for me, cat toys and catnip (did you know you can use catnip as either a tea or seasoning? for people?)

Since I didn't have to do anything fancier than making sure my cat's ears were clean in the showhall, I didn't need the space for the extra stuff that Shelties seem to need: chalk...powder...collars and leashes...

I am so doomed. And my puppy is in for a big surprise when I can finally get my husband on a boat and I can focus just on the little guy. Kelby has already been spoiled by mu husband, and any training I try to do now (like, oh, let's say...recall) turns into a game of tag with the puppy bouncing (yes, he bounces) away from me.

Although he does come in handy when my husband needs help rounding up his three cats that he takes for a walk in the morning...that herding instinct works really well so far.