MORE THOUGHTS ON OWNER-HANDLING

It is once again my great pleasure to use this forum to advise and, hopefully, educate with respect to showing our Corgis. The first and probably most important single piece of advice I might pass on is: DO NOT waste your time and money showing an animal that is not truly show quality. It does the individual dog and the breed as a whole an in-justice and will only serve to deplete your finances and make points for other dogs. If you receive negative opinions from several judges and from several knowledgeable and reputable breeders, then it is time to cut your losses and stop! If you purchased a puppy which was represented as show quality from a breeder, go back to the breeder; and if your purchase agreement so stated, this breeder will replace your original purchase with another show prospect as soon as possible. No conscientious breeder wants an inferior quality dog from his kennel being displayed. If your puppy was procured from other than a breeder, you have little choice but to relegate it to its place as a companion and enjoy it as such. If you still want to show, go to a carefully selected breeder for help in selection of a show prospect. You will not regret it, and your time and money will not be wasted on the accumulation of red, yellow and white ribbons - or no ribbons at all.

When you do have the dog you want, and he appears to be ready to win, here are some things you might consider insofar as ring procedure is concerned. Try to make it a point to observe a judge before showing under him. I like to know beforehand how he is conducting his ring and whether he will handle my dog gently. This way I can usually avoid surprises in the ring, both for myself and for my dog. At most shows you will be in the limelight for three to five minutes, and I feel it is of utmost importance that you make the most of these few minutes. If a class is of good quality uniformly, quite often performance makes the difference between the blue and red ribbons. Unfortunately, our animals do not always completely co-operate; but if we have done our homework, we are less apt to get rattled and have a better chance of bringing the situation under control. To site an example: should your panty-hose happen to come down around your ankles while moving your dog and you are prepared, it will be a simple matter to step out of them and proceed very nonchalantly around the ring! This may sound amusing, but it is the true story of what happened to a delightful and dignified lady once upon a time as she was exhibiting her Corgi. Under all circumstances, be pleasant and polite in the ring. It is a good practice to graciously return the "Thanks" most judges will offer you after examination. Be a good sport. This is a sport; and it is well to remember that, after all, beauty is only in the eye of the beholder.

When showing your Corgi, the only link between the two of you is the leash. The dog must enjoy leash work to be successful in the ring. NEVER discipline a dog in the ring or out with his leash. With our breed, a raised voice is nearly always sufficient. Two very important words at dog shows are "loose lead." These are heard often in most rings. Try to keep them in mind while gaiting your dog. He will move more naturally coming and going on a loose lead. You may think that stringing up your dog will hide faults, but in many instances it only tends to aggravate the problems that exist or to create the appearance of problems that do not normally exist. As far as side movement is concerned, I find no objection to an animal that will lead out and move under a tight lead if the owner takes care not to crowd those ahead of him. Crowding may unnerve other exhibitors, their dogs and even your own dog; and it can be quite embarrassing to run into another exhibitor who has stopped at the request of the judge!

Your Corgi must be table trained. He should be comfort-able and controllable on the table. This and all other training areas should be thoroughly developed BEFORE you start seriously showing. It is a time consuming job and re-quires dedicated homework. When practicing on the table at home, be certain that footing is secure and firm. Begin by examining bite and gradually move your hands over the body simulating a hand examination. In setting the dog for this, I like to use my hands from underneath to first straighten front legs. I hold the leash and collar in my right hand and use my left hand to reach under the chest to place the front legs properly. This seems to eliminate the possibility of jumping for the hand that holds the liver. After setting the front, I gradually adjust the rear legs into a properly angulated position. Once the dog is set on the table, you must still be alert for shifts in position, which would spoil his outline. Occasionally holding the head up by the lead causes an unnatural positioning of the front.

One nice thing about the Corgi is that if he is made well, very little actual handling is either necessary or desirable Most will stand on a loose lead and bait. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to hand stack your dog, try to apply the same methods you would use on the table, being always in control of your dog by means of his collar. Don't be afraid to talk to your dog, not loudly but reassuringly. It does help; but please, no baby-talk.

Showing well takes a bit of concentration on the parts of both the dog and the handier. The pleasure derived from a well-deserved win seems to make all the work melt into fun. Owning Corgis, enjoying them as companions and believing they are good representatives of the breed is most important to me. Taking them out, showing them and winning gives reassurance that I am on the right track in my kennel program. I think of the pleasure of having good Corgis as a luscious cake and winning with them as a bit of frosting on the cake. I do believe we all deserve a little frosting. So do your homework - and do be a good sport.