What things do you do to plan and attend a dog show?  Most people I know look at the calendar and the premium lists and select shows that will work well for them and offer a reasonable likelihood for success (however we define that).  We do entries, make hotel reservations and mail parking requests.  We plan our departure, pack the vehicle and groom the dogs.   If we need help, we look for a handling class, buy a book or enlist another person to help us.  The list of things we do goes on and on.  Children in our sport require tremendous amounts of assistance and support because there is much they cannot and should not do by themselves.  Parenting and/or coaching a young person in dogs is similar to raising a puppy; our job is to ensure that they learn appropriate skills and have a good time doing it.

As parents, training and competing with dogs is one of a million activities available for our children.  If a child shows a genuine interest in dog-related activities, it can be a rewarding and bonding experience for the whole family.  The most obvious things that children learn are the dog-related skills.  Some of these must be taught by the parent by virtue of their day to day presence with the child and the dog.  Children as young as seven years old can handle basic dog care with some supervision.  Dogs need to be fed on a regular schedule.  Water bowls need to be washed and filled.  Daily backyard clean up is important.  While very young children may not be able to master show grooming in some breeds, a good brushing, checking ears, skin and between the toes is an important part of health care for every dog.  As their skill level progresses and their physical coordination increases, additional responsibility should be assigned.  Children who work with and show dogs they are not living with should have opportunities to visit the handler or breeders home and assist with the hard work, including bathing, cleaning crates etc. on a non-show weekend or during the summer.  Hard work does not apply just to the show ring, but also the details of good husbandry and preparation.

Children also need to master the technical parts of exhibiting the dogs.  Just like teaching the kid to drive, in some families Mom and/or Dad may double as the coach.  In other families, it may work better to have someone else do the coaching.  If the coach is not someone you have known well for a long time, screening is in order.  Be sure that the coach has a signed authorization for medical treatment and a copy of the child’s insurance card if they will be traveling together.  There may be more than one person who steps up to help teach and guide the child in different situations or doggie activities.  That is great, but all coaches should stay in close contact with the parents and be sure that everyone is on the same page about the child’s responsibilities and progress.

Youngsters who are beginning to show have a lot of things to learn and remember.  I think it is really important not to overload them.  I try to give the younger kids three goals for each show.  The first two remain the same.  “Do your best” and “Make sure the dog has a good time” are always most important.  After that I pick one skill for the child to focus on.  For a very beginner (or some teenagers!), it might be “Congratulate the winners and be gracious and humble”.  A simple skill might be “showing the bite” or “paying attention to the judge”.  Complexity of the third goal increases with the child’s skill level.

“There is more than one way to skin a cat.”  At least, that is what my mother taught us when we were growing up.  It is important to give the youngsters choices and allow them to work out what is best for them and their particular dog.  Trying different leads or different ways of presenting the dog is never bad.  It may not be the way you have always done it or the way that is typical within a breed, but experimentation is an important part of how the youngsters learn.  Sometimes, things don’t work out as well as the youngster thought they might.  That’s okay.  That is part of the process.  When the child tries something new that does not work and eventually comes around full circle to what you suggested to begin with, don’t gloat!  Just smile and remember all the times you did the same thing to your parents and teachers.

Appropriate attire is an angst-producing issue with all the junior girls I know; particularly when they are at that age where they want to be grown up and we want them to stay innocent little girls for just a bit longer.  Be as flexible as you can with wardrobe and hair style choices.  Expressing their own sense of style in the clothes they choose is important.  Remember that the social norms of attire are much stronger at the dog show than school or a variety of other places and most youngsters will not stray too far outside the norm for long.

The most important skills that the youngsters learn at the dog show are not really dog-related.  They are life-long skills. Life is made up of success and disappointments.  Teaching our youngsters to handle both of these with grace and insight is one of the best gifts we can give them.  Encourage them to think positively and recognize the lessons in their losses. Remember, that we teach by example and our children are always watching.  Be disciplined about being an excellent sport.  I promise that if the kids hear you trash-talking a judge or another exhibitor, they will mimic that behavior.  You may be able to rationalize a little bit of mousse to fill in the missing hair on your dog’s topline, but trying to explain the fine lines of artificial alteration to a child is not likely to turn out well for you or them.

One place where there is no room for compromise is in the treatment of the dogs.  Dogs do not choose to be show dogs.  They are sentient beings who depend on us and their child for love, affection and care.   We understand that children can be very disappointed by various situations, but utmost care needs to be taken so that children learn to express their disappointment appropriately and NEVER vent on the dog.  It’s a dog, not a volleyball!

There are so many important attitudes and perspectives than youngsters can learn from the events at the dog show.  As a parent or a coach, be mindful about watching for those teaching moments and nurturing the future of our sport and our world in a positive fashion.  You will not be perfect, but you will find that taking the time to care about and guide the next generation has its own rewards.