
Showing Your Skye
Terrier
Michael J. Pesare

You have been fortunate to win
the trust of a Skye Terrier breeder and have waited seven months
for your puppy to be born and mature. You now are the owner of a
promising young show-quality male Skye. For years, the
conformation ring has intrigued you and you have finally decided
to give it a try. Your sales contract states that the dog will
be finished to his championship. Take a deep breath….now the fun
really begins!
The goal of this article is not
to present you with a complete overview of conformation
handling. There are a number of excellent books on this subject,
most notably The Winning Edge: Show Ring Secrets by George G.
Alston. Another good resource for training young Skyes is
Chapter 15 of the 1990 Skye Terrier Club of America Handbook.
The chapter, entitled “How To Train Your Skye Terrier For The
Show Ring”, authored by Judy Davis provided an excellent
overview of training your youngster for the ring. Using that
chapter as a starting point, I would like to share tips and
advice from the point of view of someone who has started at the
very beginning and, through hard work, has been able to succeed
in the conformation ring.
Before entering your youngster in
a point show, I urge you seek out conformation handling classes
in your area. There are two types of classes – one simply
provides an opportunity for the handler to put his dog through
its paces where there is little or no instruction for the
handler. The second type of class provides instruction for the
handler and ring experience for the dog. Of course, in the
beginning, the second type of class is highly desirable if you
can find one in your area.
If you are unable to find
handling classes, there are other training opportunities that
you can seek out to prepare your Skye for the show ring. Regular
walks are a fine way to develop a rapport with your dog and to
teach him to walk properly on a lead. Basic obedience classes
are also an appropriate foundation. The goal in the beginning is
to build rapport with your Skye and to teach him to walk
comfortably and confidently on a lead. It is particularly
important with Skye Terriers that you earn their respect at the
beginning. This foundation of respect will be the basis of all
further training.
Once you have attended handling
classes and are beginning to make progress with your Skye, look
for matches in your area. The Infodog Web site (www.infodog.com)
maintains a list of match shows in the United States. Matches
are run like point shows, but dogs are not eligible for points.
While matches simulate what you will encounter in the ring, they
are generally less formal and provide opportunities to determine
where you are in your training.
As you continue with handling
classes and/or training at home, one training tool that I highly
recommend is the use of mirrors in training. If your handling
instructor offers this, as mine did, you are very lucky. If not,
you can set up a mirror on the ground and one at the level of
the grooming/examination table at home. Mirrors allow you to see
your Skye the way the judge sees him. Stack your dog in front of
the mirror – what do you see? Is the dog’s topline level? Do you
see the dog’s gracefully arched neck? Does the dog look alert?
In training, the goal is to make
the experience fun for your Skye. Talk to your Skye and praise
him when he performs well. Your voice can be a powerful
motivator with your Skye so don’t hesitate to use it in the
ring, particularly on the move. Depending on your Skye, there
can be three motivators – food, toys, or your voice. You may use
one or all of these depending on your dog and the day. Be
prepared to use any one of these motivators in training and in
the ring.
Once you have attended a few
matches, it is time to set your sights on a point show. Now is
the time to really focus on coat conditioning and on building
muscle tone. In our coated breed, grooming and build up muscle
tone – Before entering the ring – make sure your Skye is bathed
and well groomed. Always bring a very clean and well groom dog
into the ring. Coat conditioning – in the beginning just train
your dog to be groomed, but as he gets older the importance of
coat increase – volume and condition.
The big day has arrived and you
are filled with stress. The most important advice I can give is
to relax and take a deep breath. All of the stress that you are
feeling will be felt by your Skye which will not help either of
you in the ring. First, keep in mind that you and your Skye have
experienced quite a bit in handling class. The show ring should
not be that unfamiliar. Do not worry about getting the
championship points in your first shows. The main goal is to
have successes with your Skye. If your Skye gaits well, looks
competitive in the lineup, and generally enjoys the experience,
you have achieved success. The championship points will
eventually come. Everyone likes to win. But if you come out of
the ring feeling that you and your Skye showed to your best
advantage, you should find satisfaction in that. Your own
presentation and the performance of your own dog are the things
that you can control. The other factors are beyond your control
so don’t worry about them.
Upon entering the ring, the ring
steward will either ask you to put your dog immediately on the
table if you are the only Skye in your class or you will line up
with your competition in the class. Here is where you must make
a good first impression.
When stacking your Skye, I cannot
over emphasize the importance of your dog’s topline in the
overall picture you present to the judge. The Skye Terrier is
one breed where the dog’s profile embodies breed type – long,
low and level. Your Skye’s profile can often make the difference
in competition and you can do quite a bit to make sure that your
dog’s topline is level. Even the Skye with the very best topline,
if not stacked properly, can look bad. Lift dog up under chest
and then gently let the dog come down on his front legs. This
does two things – it helps to position the front and it assures
that the dog directly over his front legs and not standing hobby
horse. Now position the rear legs out behind the dog far enough
so that the dog’s hocks are perpendicular to the table or
ground. Watch that your Skye does not rock backwards as this
tends to ruin a good topline.
When gaiting your Skye, there are
different patterns requested by judges. By far, the most common
is the triangle pattern. It won’t hurt to know the “L” and “T”
patterns as well. But, make sure you learn to perfect the
triangle. By this I mean that you should go straight away from
the judge, across the width of the ring, and then back to the
judge on the diagonal. If your dog is a good mover, use that
segment across the ring to your advantage by moving your dog
smoothly at an even pace.
When you are asked to move your
dog down and back, when you get to the end of the ring, make
sure you look up at the judge, make eye contact, and make sure
that you are coming back to the judge in a perfect straight
line. In an indoor ring, use the edge of the mat as a guide and
keep your Skye lined up with the edge of the mat. Also, the
handler does not need to remain on the mat, but your Skye
should.
Judges generally will move the
dogs together one last time before making his selections. At
this time, an even pace should be maintained - do not gait your
dog too fast. You and your Skye should be fluid. If you move
with a fluid but deliberate stride, this will help your Skye to
be fluid and focused on moving forward. Your Skye should be
taught to walk with his head up off the ground – not nose in the
air, but not nose to the ground. The dog is going to need his
head to move out, but he should be able to walk with his head up
enough to see some length of neck. I am putting quite a bit of
emphasis here for a reason. While judges carefully evaluate each
exhibit prior to the final go round, it is true that the final
picture you present to the judge is often the decision maker.
As the intensity builds, so too
must your focus on your own dog. When you are in the ring, your
primary focus is how your dog looks and how he is positioned
against the other Skyes in the ring. There can be many
distractions in the ring – but you must remain focused and in
tune with your Skye so that you can react to his actions
quickly.
As you become more experienced as
a handler, you will develop a repertoire of skills that you
should be able to quickly call upon in the heat of competition.
If you can quickly react to what is happening with your dog or
in the ring, you significantly increase your competitiveness.
If it is not your day, please
make it a point to congratulate the winners. Shake their hands
and remember that you will be judged as a competitor on how you
act in the face of defeat and in victory. If you do get the
points or more, be a gracious winner.
Looking ahead to future shows,
photos and video can serve as an excellent way to identify areas
for improvement. If you can get a family member or friend to
take photos of you in the ring, particularly in the lineup, on
the table and on the move, you will have valuable information.
Your breeder should be an
excellent source of ongoing advice. Many breeders will help you
by recommending shows to attend and judges that might like your
Skye. They will point out the judges who are more willing to
work with beginners. They might ask you to join them at certain
shows where they can assist you in person before the judging and
provide advice after the judging. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot
of questions.
If you are fortunate to live in
an area with a regional Skye club or at least a group of
dedicated fanciers, seek them out. The support system that such
groups provide can be valuable and increase your enjoyment of
the sport. If you don’t have a group in your area, look into
getting involved in your local all-breed club. Whatever the
breed, the art of handling is much the same from breed to breed.
After years of competing in the
ring, I can tell you that there is no finer accomplishment than
training your own Skye for the show ring and then attaining his
championship yourself.
Return
to Article Index
|