Raising a Champion: A Beginner's Guide to Showing Dogs

I am admittedly a novice to the world of showing dogs, and with a new puppy, my concern was for me to learn and to teach my puppy from the beginning, how to handle a show ring. This book is a great guide, and appears to be very thorough. In face, in our first weekend of showing, my puppy took Best of Breed and also Best of Group! Even so, I find myself re-reading chapters to learn where I can improve. As a guide to training the puppy it has also been an invaluable source of tips, not just with regard to what to expect, but also giving insights as to what the Judge is looking at. I'm glad I purchased this book and would recommend it for anyone who wants to train their puppy for breed competition.

I bought this when I started getting into dog shows. In all honesty... going to handling classes with a local kennel club was dirt cheap and I learned far more because I got hands on experience from a seasoned person. Once you learn the fundamentals, then it's all about practice and chemistry. Save your money on this book and put it towards group handling lessons. It'll pay off far more.

I purchased this book and two others prior to showing my 9 mo. old puppy at a four day show with a Specialty in his breed. He placed Second in puppy sweeps on one day of the show and Reserve Winners on another day. In my opinion, my mentor and this book gave me a greater understanding of what the judges look for, how the point system works, how to work with my puppy in segments, and how to handle my dog in the ring. Some breeders at the show said I did fine, my puppy did fine, and that we were a team in the ring.It was a very exciting and satisfying experience and I look forward to learning more from this book in the future. I am a beginner and there is much to learn.

I have shown shetland sheepdogs for a couple of years now and I still consider myself a beginner. I wish I had this book from the start as it would have helped me ask fewer questions. I especially liked the information on counting points. The Dog Show record form was also helpful and I created my own form based on the example that was provided. If you know someone starting off in conformation, get this book for them and they will love you.

Purchased this book to familiarize myself with all the advance preparation need, both for my dog and I, before we attend our first show. I found the book, informative, well-illustrated, and easy to understand. It was a great way to get started and gave me enough knowledge to be able to ask questions and seek further information.

This book had so many good reviews I decided to purchase it and I'm glad I did. I only wish I had purchased it when my dog was a puppy because I wouldn't have made so many mistakes. Like other reviewers, it goes into depth of things beginners should know. After you learn this, it is important to train your dog multiple times (5-10 minutes) several times a day and then gain more hands on experience in the ring.

This book starts at A and goes to Z. I was very grateful when I stepped into the ring the last time and the Judge asked for a "Triangle"...the illustration from this book came to memory and we did just fine though I'd never seen the pattern in practice or at a show! I highly recommend this book and I will no doubt refer to it many times over the coming years. I plan to utilize it as I raise my next litter and look forward to seeing the results when used on a pup from the very beginning!

I ordered this book "used" but was surprised at how unused that it looked. Was very pleased with the condition. The best part is that this book hit the nail right on the head about what I was unable to find in other books. It went into detail about what you would do if it were your first time to show. It covered where to go to get your armband, how many minutes that it takes a judge to view each dog. Basically, how a show works. A great book for a first timer exhibitor or anybody that just wants to refresh their memory.