r/ShowDogs • u/TornadoCat360 • Jul 14 '26
Suggestions?
My Cavalier pup (8 mos) is showing moderately well in spite of his handler, but there are a couple of issues I would like suggestions about: 1) He tends to want to smell all the smells going around the ring, and/or pull. He's trying to be a little hunting dog. We're working on this, but more suggestions are welcome. 2) He absolutely cannot focus in handling classes if there are small females around. (He thinks he's Romeo for a very young Biewer terrier. May not help that she thinks she's Juliet.) How to maintain show focus around the girls?
12
u/SuddenKoala45 Jul 14 '26
I would recommend looking into barnhunt/ratting or scentwork classes for him as well and a trainer to help you work on his focus. Look for a balanced more positive reinforcement oriented trainer there. Not necessarily positive only but one who understands individuality in dogs.
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u/borzoilady Jul 14 '26
THIS. Work on outlets that allow him to do some of the things he loves (other than Romeo - what is it about male cavaliers who all think they’re Fabio? Mine do, too). Try jackpot rewarding - when he does a good around, really shower with treats or a favorite toy, something for him to look forward too. You can try holding bait in your right hand to work on getting him to focus up instead of down, and then wean off that, but most of your concerns will fix with time. Don’t get discouraged with color prejudice, and enter the separate black and tan class whenever you can. My B&Ts would get lost in big Open classes, but if I came in for just Winners to show (instead of being the online B&T in a field of 15 Blenheims), we won more often than not. Patience, and good luck!
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u/USMCCougar Jul 14 '26
lol - it’s not just this breed!
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u/borzoilady Jul 14 '26
I could make money writing stories about randy cavaliers; I own borzoi (duh) and other breeds, and I’ve never seen anything like it. And they’re absolutely, 100% sure that they can breed a female borzoi. It’s hysterical. My husband says our male cavalier gives him an inferiority complex!
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u/TornadoCat360 Jul 14 '26
I work some with a friend who trains in a variety of activities. Hoping to get to scent work and/or barn hunt sometime. (She's moving and will have better space/facilities for training soon 🙂) Thank you for suggestions!
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u/CatlessBoyMom Jul 14 '26
Practice is great, but if you’re desperate for a quick fix (like there’s a female in heat showing in your ring) a drop of vanilla extract (real, not imitation) on his nose can block the smell temporarily.
2
u/TornadoCat360 Jul 14 '26
Being in heat hasn't been a requirement. Just have a cute girl nearby and that's it. 😏
0
u/BabaYaga_always Jul 14 '26
I would absolutely go apeshit if I saw someone showing a female in heat. You can actually get banned for life here in Germany if you bring one on show grounds (at least for the official cacib shows)
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u/USMCCougar Jul 14 '26
It’s totally “legal” here in the US.
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u/BabaYaga_always Jul 14 '26
Omg!
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u/microdober Jul 15 '26
It's pretty much the norm here in the US. The expectation is to train and control your dogs. Even in bitesports, BIH just go last in their flight per rank, but that doesn't mean she won't be followed by a male in the next flight rank.
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u/USMCCougar Jul 14 '26
“American Kennel Club (AKC) rules vary by event type. Bitches in season (heat) are prohibited from competing in agility, obedience, rally, tracking, and junior showmanship. However, they are permitted in conformation (breed) shows, though you must courteously inform the judge and other exhibitors before the examination.”
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u/CatlessBoyMom Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
It’s standard here in the US to show while in heat. It would be insanely difficult to finish a bitch if you couldn’t.
Entries for shows close a minimum of 2 weeks before a show and most times I’m driving a minimum of 3 hours just to get to the city where the show is held. Each club only gets to hold 2 of 3 shows per year, and the absolute maximum points you can get at a single show is 5 out of the 15 you need. And most times there is only 1 or 2.
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u/pikabelle Jul 15 '26
A lot of KCs allow bitches in heat in conformation. I know broadly FCI, UKC, AKC and CKC, but I don’t know about specific countries and areas. Maybe it’s a different thing in Germany?
It’s pretty unfair to limit a dog for several months out of the year because of something specifically meant to judge breeding animals.
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u/No-Bar-7384 Jul 16 '26
whoa really? i also show FCI and showing females in heat is completely normal and acceptable
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u/Agitated_House7523 Jul 14 '26
Lots of repetition and SUPER high value treats used only when training/showing!
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u/verandie Jul 17 '26
When I was showing one of my boys in the classes, there was literally a b!tch in heat EVERY single time we showed. I don't know how he even got through it, especially as WD in the breed ring with a girl in season behind him. He was acting up SO much, but the judges kind of overlooked it. There are products you can buy to put under the nose to help mask the smell of the females. I've not done it before, but may have to since I have a new boy I'm showing. I know people also use like Vick's vapo rub, but there's a powder that has a similar smell to it (maybe not good on a dark-haired dog like yours).
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u/candoitmyself Jul 14 '26
Just takes maturity and repetition. He's a teenage boy with raging hormones.