Most of this series has covered the "mechanical" aspects of a dog show, like regulations and procedures. In this part, I'll try to convey from my own limited experiences what it's like to handle a dog inside the ring. Any idiot (e.g. me) can take a dog into a ring and do enough so that the dog can be examined. Showing a dog to it's full advantage so that it wins is infinitely more difficult.
Before we even get there, it's very useful to learn ahead of time how the judge runs his ring. Where does he want the dogs to come in and line up? Is he taking them in catalog order or in any order? Does he have a heavy hand with the dogs? Count teeth? In what pattern and how fast does he want the dogs gaited? A little advance knowledge saves time, avoids the judge getting irritated with you, and can possibly afford a slight edge on the competition. Stay alert for when you should come into the ring. Arriving late or having the steward repeatedly bellow your armband number while you're having a conversation at ringside is not a way to endear yourself to the judge.
You have two minutes to try to convince the judge your dog is the best one there. That's neither a lot nor a little time. Make the best use of it. Your dog is extremely perceptive and will respond to your emotional state. If you're self-confident, your dog will pick up on that. If you're nervous and fussy, it will affect his performance as well.
When you come into the ring, you and your dog will line up where the judge or steward indicate. The first thing that's usually done is to stack your dog. Stacking a dog means that the dog's feet are set such that the front legs and back hocks are perpendicular to the ground and set in parallel with respect to each other. The dog's head is lifted so that he's looking straight forward with his neck set naturally, neither pulled out nor pushed back. The left side of the dog (the show side) is presented in profile to the judge.
The judge wants to see your dog, not you. Don't lean over the dog or in any way obscure the judge's sight of it. For a big dog like a Borzoi, many exhibitors crouch behind the dog, holding the head straight by stabilizing it with the fingers of the right hand between the lower jawbones. Don't put yourself in a position where another dog or some object, like a tent pole, is between your dog and the judge.
The judge will then ask the exhibitors to take their dogs around the ring together. The leash is the means of controlling the dog's direction and speed. The neck is the lever that controls those. The leash should be up at the base of the jawbone. The person in the front of the line customarily asks those behind if they're ready before setting off. You should be conscious of the speed at which the dog should be gaited, as well as the speed at which the person in front and the person behind are moving. Running up on the person in front is considered rude in the extreme. The judge will be looking at a fixed point as the dogs go past. Your dog should be moving properly when you pass that point.
Your dog is likely to be one of several in the ring. The judge will examine each one individually. While he's occupied with the others, it's good to work with your dog to keep him engaged and focused on you. My job while my lovely bride shows Lacey is to stand at ringside with a small bucket of water if Lacey wants a drink and a spritz bottle if my lovely bride wants to cool Lacey's face or comb her.
Treats are another way of making your dog happy in the ring. We use all sorts of things: freeze-dried liver, a hard liver and rice roll called Rollover, cheese, Vienna sausages and so on. Baiting to maintain a dog's attention is something that has to be done judiciously. Some people stuff their dogs with food even while the judge is examining them. In contrast, the great handler Percy Roberts used the same piece of bait for two years. A small squeaky toy in the pocket is another way of getting your dog's attention, but can be distracting to the other dogs in the ring.
When the dog in front of you is on its down-and-back, you should be stacking your dog for examination. This should be done efficiently and without a lot of fussing. When the judge is finished seeing the previous dog go around, your dog should be all ready for examination with you standing on the right side of the dog (the "off side").
Any words with the judge should be polite and very brief. Even if you're best friends, it's best not to say anything past "Good morning." And don't mention anything about your dog unless you're asked. One lady gushed to the late judge Sam Pizzino, "My dog just needs a major to finish!" Sam went down the line of the other exhibitors in the ring and asked each one if their dog needed a major to finish.
The judge may look at the dog's bite himself or may ask you to show the teeth. As he moves down the body, shift to the front end of the dog to hold his head steady.
When the judge is finished, he'll ask you to take the dog down and back so that he can see its rear and front movement. It's usual to walk the dog around you before setting out so that he's already in motion. The pace should be at a comfortable trot (front foot on one side and rear foot on the other hitting the ground simultaneously) with a loose lead. Galloping (all four feet off the ground at one point) does not give a clear picture and is to be avoided at all costs.
The line should be straight. It's amazing how many exhibitors can't go in a straight line so that their dog's movement is shown to best advantage. They go off at an angle so that they're obscuring their dog's movement or the dog looks as though he's crabbing. When you reach the opposite corner, turn the dog and come back, again in a straight line. When you're within about six feet of the judge, you should step smartly to the right, thus swinging the dog so that the judge sees it in profile on its show side. Well-trained dogs will assume a stacked position on their own, called "self-stacking.' A good judge, like Annie Clark, will go around to the off side for a look, as some dogs have markings that give the illusion of a fault.
The judge will then ask you to "go around." With an encouraging word, the dog is then taken around the ring at a good clip, but not raced. When you reach the end of the line, tell the dog that he's been good and pet him. You're a team, after all.
When the judge is watching the last dog go around, you're dog should already be stacked and in position as the judge goes down the line. He'll pull his choices (1st through 4th; Winners; or Best of Breed, Best of Winners, and Best of Opposite Sex), asking them to the front of the line. A final go-around and he makes his placements. Were you Winners or Best of Breed? Of course, that's something to be happy about; enjoy your win without screeching hysterics. A slap on the dog's side and a cheerful "Good boy!" (or girl) lets the dog know that he's gotten the win. He'll be happy too. Did you lose? Try, despite everything, to remember that it's only $20. Tell your dog he's good because he's just as disappointed as you are.
If you're getting a ribbon, go over to the placement standards for your ribbon. The steward will call for armbands, so make sure the judge can see your number for marking in his book. Even if you think the judge is a moron (and many are), accept your ribbon with a "Thank you." Telling the judge what you think of him, refusing to accept the ribbon, or throwing it into the trash on the way out of the ring is a very quick way to being disciplined or even suspended.
Showing a dog the right way is damned difficult. The best I can do is not fuss over the dog much and hope he shows himself without my screwing things up. The best handlers can make those on-the-fly adjustments that bring out the best in a dog. In any case, remember this: the dog you went into the ring with is the same dog you come out of the ring with.