Conformation

Conformation is another term for showing a dog in what is typically referred to as a “dog show.” Sometimes people will also refer to this as showing in the “breed ring.” This is the typical type of dog competition often seen on television. The most basic explanation: it involves walking into the ring with a dog, exhibiting the dog for the judge, getting judged, and walking out of the ring.

 Showing dogs can be a lot of fun, but it is a lot of work. Preparation for a dog show starts months in advance. A dog must be at the proper weight for their size and have good muscle tone before he should be show. For English Cockers, it is also important that the coat be in good condition. My dogs who are going to be shown are bathed at least every ten days and I keep their coats very clean and free of any debris. Entries for a dog show typically close three weeks before the show is scheduled. After I enter a show, I make reservations for a hotel room if necessary and start making plans to attend. Sometimes shows offer reserved grooming. This can be nice as you get a spot to set up your things and do any grooming you need to do before you go into the ring. One week before the show I bathe the dog who is going to be shown. This is a very thorough bath and I am sure you get all shampoo out of the coat. I also use a good coat conditioner and make sure that is completely rinsed out as well. I always dry the dog with a blow dryer while combing the coat in the direction I want the hair to lay. The dog needs to be dried completely, including the ear feathering. During the next week I put the dog into a show groom, which for an English Cocker includes clipping the muzzle and the upper one third of the ears, stripping any loose top coat, trimming feet and around the tail, and using thinning shears and stripping knives to neaten up the rest of the coat.

There is a video showing a complete English Cocker show groom which can be purchased at this site: http://www.kabree.com/tape.htm. This is a great video for people new to show grooming an English Cocker. The Friday before a show, I bathe the dog again and then do another compete dry. Once the dog is dry, I sprits the top coat gently with water, use a slicker brush to get the hair just where I want it, and then I towel the dog. This encourages the hair to lay nice and flat the day of the show. If it is a local show, I get the dog out and groom it for the show at home. I remove the towel and mist the dog with coat conditioner and anti-static spray. I blow dry the dog's hair into place and then do any last minute trimming of hair that may have changed during the bath. I wrap the ears with ear wrap to keep them clean and the hair laying flat and then I drive to the show.

I take the dog ringside in a crate and pick up my armband 15 minutes before I am supposed to be in the ring. I wait for the ring steward to call my number and then I enter the ring with the dog gaiting and usually set the dog up on the ground. The judge usually will look the dogs in the class over and then ask them to go around and put the first dog on the table. I gait the dog slowly around the ring and if I am first I put the dog right up on the table. I stack the dog and hold it still while the judge looks. The judge will then come over and gently go over the dog. This involves looking at the teeth and gently touching the dog in any place the judge wishes to. I hold the dog’s head while the judge is going over him to keep him still. The judge will check testicles on a male dog to make sure there are two of approximately equal size. After the judge goes over the dog, he will step back and usually ask you to do a down and back. I walk over to the judge and line myself up and walks straight down, turn, and walk straight back. Once I am about two feet from the judge, I free bait the dog so that he holds still for the judge to see his free stack. The judge will usually ask you to take him around at this point. I then gait him around the ring and line up with the other dogs.

Once all of the dogs have been gone over by the judge, each person stacks their dog on the ground. The judge will usually move the dogs into a certain order and then ask the dogs to go around. All of the dogs gait together around the ring with their owners and the judge awards placements. The winner of each class goes back in for Winners Dog competition. The judge will pick a Winners Dog and then call the second place dog from the class the WD came from back into the ring. The judge will then pick a Reserve Winners dog. The Winners Dog must then go into the ring with Winners Bitch to compete with the Specials for Best of Breed. The scenario repeats itself and the judge chooses a Best of Breed, a Best of Opposite Sex, and a Best of Winners. This all goes very fast and each judge is different. They all have different quirks and will ask handlers to do different things. For great information on showing your own dog, buy the book Show Me! A dog showing primer.  If you have any interest in showing English Cockers, feel free to e-mail me for more information.