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Dog shows and families go together, and so, we should all endeavor to train our children on proper behavior. We should teach our children not to stick their fingers in crates, yell and scream, or scare the dogs being shown. We sometimes forget in all the excitement, that the bulldogs need a little peace when showing, and that they can feel threatened by loud, unruly children. Teach your children to ask permission to pet a dog and never to just run up to the dog. We cannot blame the dogs, if children stick their fingers in the crates and get bit. No one would like to be embarrassed by being asked to leave a show, for lack of attention being paid to their children’s actions, but this can happen and rightfully so. | ||
When at a dog show with your dog, use only the designated areas for your dog to relieve themselves. Then be sure to clean up after them. |
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| When at a show, please do not get involved in gossip, insults or criticisms. The only person you will be hurting is yourself, and it takes away from the true focus of the show. | |||
| Keep strollers out of the way of dogs. Big dogs are sometimes eye to eye with the occupants of the strollers. I'd be concerned that an accident could happen and the dog get blamed. | |||
| We need to remember this is a sport and sportsmanship requires courtesy in the traditional meaning of the word. We need to consider others in our actions. | |||
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In many areas, dog clubs (both all-breed and specialty clubs) offer confirmation training classes for teaching you how to show your dog. However, one word of caution with going to an all-breed club sponsored class, know how a bulldog is to be stacked and gated before you attend. All too often, they will try to get you to stack and gate your bulldog as if it were whatever breed that week's instructor may have. We had one instructor get upset with us, because we would not try to stack and gate our bulldog the same way she did her Sheba Inu. Marty |
| Training for show, generally starts at a very early age. However, with patience and consistency, older dogs also can be trained. The question put to other bulldoggers was... "How do you go about training your show prospects? What age do you start training? How do you teach your dog to Stack? Gate? Remain still for inspection?" Sheila |
 stretch the hind legs out,  like with other
breeds, you lose that wheel to the back, which is not desirable. Also, on a bulldog,
the hind legs are suppose to be longer than the front legs, so if they are stretched out,
it give the appearance that they are shorter and again, it causes the wheel of the back to
disappear. This is not acceptable. |
Age? not early enough, next pup will be trained from 8 weeks. Stack? Lots of patience, praise and by standing her in front of a full length mirror (and tickling her lady bits works wonders) Gate? I have a special lead that's only used for show's and training so she associates this lead with her "walk" and "turn" commands Remain still for inspection? ...haven't quite mastered this one yet... Tania |
Age? As soon as they've had first round of shots (8 weeks) depending on weather; season; etc. Gate? Conformation classes for socialization; flea markets; baseball games; anywhere with lots of people as fun matches are few and far away. Stack? done while out and about. Remain still for inspection? Handled by as many people as possible while out and about, visits to the vet even when not being seen Kathy |
Age? When first set of vaccinations are completed, about 8 to 10 weeks Gate? Using a full length mirror to practice in front of, so you can see what you and your dog look like, practice walking at a medium pace in a straight line at first, the in the various patterns used in show. Stack? Start on using a grooming table or other table with a no-skid mat on it, then as the pup matures, start setting them on the ground. Some judges are starting to use ramps for bulldogs, so it would be a good idea to get them used to ramps as well. Remain still for inspection? This is an area I have trouble with. My dogs just want to wiggle and play when the judge approaches. Sheila |
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Grooming a bulldog is one of the easiest things you can do. However, there are a few extras that can be done to make them "show ready". Sheila |
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Gluing Bulldog Ears:
When your pups are still very young, a good way to be sure that their ears develop into that beautiful rose shape is to glue them. It is important that gluing be done while the puppy is very young. |
Word to the wise about bathing! After You Rinse 'Em, Rinse 'Em Again Be sure to read this article, just click on the title. Also, before show or therapy visits , do not use medicated or flea shampoos. They leave a medicine smell on the dog's coat, which is not appealing. Use a shampoo with a pleasant fresh fragrance (no heavy perfumes) so they will smell healthy and clean. Most judges are put off by heavy perfumes used on dogs. |
| One very important part of grooming, as well as keeping your Bulldog healthy and comfortable, is the less than pleasing chore of expressing their Anal Glands. As displeasing as this chore may seem, it is necessary. |
| Bulldogs can shed rather badly, if not groomed regularly. There is nothing more unsightly in a show ring or with a therapy visit, than a poorly groomed dog, shedding on everything in sight. It is important to remove the dead hair, as healthy new shiny hair cannot grow where old dull dead hair is still attached. There are many tools that can be used for shedding. |
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A grooming glove is a favorite with many people | |
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A stripping blade is also very useful and can be more effective than the glove. | |
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My favorite are the stripping knives. They are easy to handle, do a great job and you can get into hard to reach areas that the larger blade cannot. I like to use a combination of stripping knife, followed with the glove. The knife will rid the coat of dead hair quickly, followed by the glove, which brings out the natural coat oils, for that beautiful healthy shine! | |
| Nails also need to be very short, whether you show or not. I have seen bulldogs develop deformities to their hips, feet and back, just because nails were allowed to become too long. A good rule of thumb, "When the dog is standing, the nails should not touch the floor." There are various tools used to keep nails short. It is best to do the nails several days before a show, just in case you go into the quick. You don't want your dog to be limping in the ring. The more often you work on the nails, the quick will become shorter, thus you will over time be able to get the nails shorter too. | ||
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The most commonly used tools for nails are clippers, for which there are many different styles. Be very careful not to cut so short that you go into the the nail's quick, causing bleeding. | |
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Grinders are my favorite way to do the nails. You can easily see the quick, so not to cause bleeding and for me, it is much faster. I prefer the cordless models, with rechargeable batteries. | |
| In the UK and some other countries, bulldog whiskers are left in tact, but here in the US, for show, we clip the whiskers from the bulldog's sweet faces to enhance them. Various tools can be used for this.... | ||
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Regular clipper are often used to remove whiskers. They come in two sizes that I know of. The smaller one is a bit easier to use. Both both can leave a little stubble behind. These clippers can also be used to trim the hairs from inside the ears, so to enhance that beautiful rosed ear. |
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Still, my favorite is the blunt nosed scissors. With these, you can get much closer, leaving no stubble, making the sweet mug more kissable. | |
| When it comes to a formal "Show Groom", there are other little hints that can be helpful. Not all coats grow perfectly, some will show some minor feathering around the tail, back of the legs and/or their underside. If this feathering is trimmed wrong, it will look worse than if you had left it alone. But when done right, it can enhance the "tuck-up", tail, and back of the legs. That's where the right tools are so important. | ||
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Thinning shears are used to trim the feathering and when done right, it will look as if the coat grew that perfectly from the beginning. Thinning Shears- 44-46 teeth this is very important. Must be this size or you will leave marks in the coat. | |
 Wrinkles
must remain clean, whether you show or not. Following are some ideas other
bulldoggers use to keep bully faces and wrinkle clean. Tear stains will also be
covered here, as they too can become a problem if care is not taken. The question
put to other bulldoggers was... "What do you use to clean tear stains and wrinkles?" |
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| ...use plain water or apple cider vinegar. Then apply boric acid powder to keep the wrinkles white. Give one Omega 3 fatty acid tablet (sort of a generic equivalent to Derm Caps) daily to reduce tearing and help prevent stains... Stefanie | ||
| ...Hibitane antibacterial cleanser (from drug store) and peroxide if there is staining and we are going to a show... Kathy | ||
| ...use Topline 2000 Kleenface and then coat with Morhulin Baby Cream for tear stains. Topline again to clean wrinkles then put Johnston's Baby Talc in nose wrinkles... Denise | ||
| ...use non-alcohol diaper wipes to clean wrinkles... Mary Ellen | ||
| ...warm water, soft cloth, then add corn starch.
Heavy red folds treat with Otomax, = the ear ointment... Carolyn |
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| ...Optrex eye wash - contains Boric Acid and Witch Hazel... Tania | ||
| ...Penatine cream weekly or Panalog daily if really bad... Trish | ||
| ...Diamond Eye to remove stains and Balmex every day to prevent stains... Rita | ||
| ...Tear Stains: Equal parts boric powder, baby powder, mix together with milk of magnesia to smooth paste. You can make up a jar full. Apply to affected area with a soft toothbrush, allow to dry then brush off. If badly stained use a few drops of 10% peroxide in paste. Carla | ||
| ...Make a paste with corn starch and peroxide which I apply to my bully's tear stains. Let it stay overnight, and remove it with warm water or peroxide in the morning. After a couple of days of this, his eye looked great! Now it's easy to keep it that way. Heather | ||
| ...using Gold Bond Medicated baby powder (not the adult version) in the ears of dogs helps prevent yeast infections and other problems. It keeps the ears dry and itch free. Sheila | ||
| Do you have other tips you are willing to share for "Show Grooming?" Let us know... | ||
| This is a question often asked by those new to showing and for the most part, it will depend on your confidence level as a handler (if you handle your own Bulldog, which we encourage), as well as the age of the Bulldog you are going to show. It also depends on whether you are showing in a 'Bulldog Specialty', 'Group' or an 'All-Breed' dog show. 'Specialty' shows are limited to dogs of one breed and 'Group' shows are limited to a particular AKC group (Bulldogs are of the Non-Sporting group). All-breed shows, as the name indicates, are for all AKC breeds. For this section, we will be talking about classes with the AKC approved All-Breed confirmation dog shows. Conformation dog show competition is an elimination event. Dogs compete against each other in specific classes until they are defeated. | |
| To be eligible to enter, an AKC-registered dog must be at least six months old on the day of the show and be of a breed for which classes are offered in the premium list (the list of breeds being shown, classes offered and names of assigned judges obtained from the show secretary of the club sponsoring the show or the show superintendent). Dogs that are spayed or neutered are ineligible, as are dogs with disqualifying faults as described in their breed standard. | |
| There is no intersex competition in these classes; dogs compete against other dogs, and bitches against other bitches. Only one male (dog) and one female (bitch) of each breed can win points at a show | |
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Dog show classes that can earn points towards a Championship |
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| Puppy (frequently subdivided into 6 to 9 months and 9 to 12 months) | Bred by Exhibitor (The dog must be owned or co-owned by any one of the breeders of record or a spouse and must be shown by one of the breeders or a member of their immediate families) |
| 12 to 18 Months (Sometimes referred to as a Junior class rather than Puppy class) | American Bred (The dog must be whelped in the USA) |
| Novice (dogs that have no points toward their championship and have not won three first prizes in the Novice class or a first prize in any but the Puppy classes) | Open (This class is often where most winners are picked from) |
| After the judge has completed the first place winners from each class are brought back to compete against one another. This is called Winners class. The dog selected best is the Winners Dog. He is the male who receives the points at the show. Next, the dog that placed second to the Winners Dog in his original class is brought into the ring to compete with the other class winners for Reserve Winners Dog. The Reserve Winners Dog will receive the points if for any reason the Winners Dog is disallowed by the AKC. The same process is repeated in bitches, resulting in a Winners Bitch (the only bitch of the breed to receive points at the show) and a Reserve Winners Bitch. Next, the Best of Breed class is judged. All dogs and bitches that are already champions enter in the ring for this class, joined by the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch, the judge selects one dog as Best of Breed. Then, between the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch, the judge selects a Best of Winners. If either the Winners Dog or the Winners Bitch is selected Best of Breed, it automatically becomes Best of Winners. (The Best of Winners gets the higher number of points, too. If the points at the show for the defeated Winner were higher than those of the Best of Winners, the Best now gets the same higher total.) The judges finishes the breed judging by selecting a Best of Opposite Sex to the Best of Breed. See the AKC "Elimination Competition" and "Dogs in Competition" pages for more info. | |
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Dog shows are great events to raise families around. You don't find the same problems, often seen in other youth activities, no gangs, no guns or weapons, no drugs or drinking. For the most part, the peer pressure in the dog show world is positive. The young people involved are too busy with their training, grooming and showing to worry about negative activities that can lead them astray. The things they can learn also help in their futures with leadership and people skills. Many people today have made life long friends from their days in Junior Handling and good, life long friends are the most precious blessing any of us can have. Also, with the various scholarship programs offered to Junior Handlers from the American Kennel Club, various Show superintendents, kennels clubs, both breed and all-breed, many youth have the opportunities to pay for advanced education. Many animal professionals, from groomers to veterinarians can thank these scholarship programs for their schooling. Without them, they may not have been able to afford the high cost of their education. One best thing about showing your dogs, at any age, is that it is just plan, "FUN!" |
Each
year, more and more people are learning about the great 
fun of showing
their Bulldogs. We challenge you and your families to become part of
the Dog Showing Sport! |
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| JACK BRADSHAW DOG SHOWS Jack Bradshaw P.O. Box 227303 Los Angeles, CA 90022 PH: 213-727-0136 FX: 213-727-2949 |
BROWN DOG SHOW ORGANIZATION, INC. Norman E. Brown P.O. Box 2566 Spokane, WA 99220 PH: 509-924-1089 FX: 509-924-1421 |
| ROY JONES DOG SHOWS, INC. Kenneth A. Sleeper P.O. Box 828 Auburn, IN 46706-0828 PH: 219-925-0525 FX: 219-925-1146 |
MB-F INC. Thomas J. Crowe P.O. Box 22107 Greensboro, NC 27420 PH: 910-379-9352 FX: 910-272-0864 |
| McNULTY DOG SHOWS Eileen McNulty 1745 Route 78 P.O. Box 175 Java Center, NY 14082 PH: 716-457-3371 FX: 716-457-9533 |
ACE MATHEWS DOG SHOWS Ace H. Mathews P.O. Box 86130 Portland, OR 97286-0130 PH: 503-233-4241 FX: 503-233-2306 |
| NEWPORT DOG SHOWS William G. Antypas P.O. Box 7131 Pasadena, CA 91109 PH: 818-796-3869 FX: 818-577-2444 |
ONOFRIO DOG SHOWS,
L.L.C. Jack Onofrio P.O. Box 25764 Oklahoma City, OK 73125 PH: 405-427-8181 FX: 405-427-524 |
| PETERS DOG SHOWS, LTD. Bob Peters P.O. Box 579 Wake Forest, NC 27588 PH: 919-556-9516 FX: 919-554-0519 |
R & R DOG SHOWS John R. Johnson 11012 Canyon Road, East #8-387 Puyallup, WA 98373 PH: 253-531-3616 FX: 253-531-3667 |
| JIM RAU DOG SHOWS, LTD. J. Rau, Ltd. P.O. Box 6898 Reading, PA 19610 PH: 610-376-1880 FX: 610-376-4939 |
KEVIN ROGERS DOG SHOWS Kevin B. Rogers P.O. Box 230 Hattiesburg, MS 39403 PH: 601-583-1110 FX: 601-582-9909 |
| NANCY WILSON 8307 E. Camelback Road Scottsdale, AZ 85251 PH: 602-949-5389 |
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| Helen M. Houser P.O. Box 420 Quakertown, PA 18951 PH: 215-538-2032 FX: 215-376-4939 |
Elaine Saldivar 43431/2 Burns Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90029 PH: 213-663-5868 FX: 213-644-1471 |
| Jane C. Garvin 1922 SW Mawrcrest Court Gresham, Oregon 97080-5722 PH: 503-665-5899 |
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| Like Father... | ... Like son |
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| International All Breed Canine Association of America Alle Rasse Gruppe 4742 Liberty Road. South Suite 159 Salem, Oregon 97302 Phone: ( 503 ) 316-9160 Fax: ( 503 ) 316-9862 |
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With the Internationals Shows you will get a written critique on the dog you have entered. Also in "Group" the judging is done by a panel of judges, not a single judge as with AKC shows. |
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| Like Father... | ... Like son |
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| Int'l Ch. Holmes' Lumb'rjak Joe O'Doubl' D | |
| Western Dog Shows, LTD. P.O. Box 3070 MPP Kamloops, BC, CANADA V2C 6B7 Phone - 250-573-3944 Fax - 250-573-3574 |
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Showing
dogs across the USA is the #1 participation
sport for good reason, it's a family affair. It's one of few sports where our
youth can participate and compete right along side their adult family members, friends and
professional handlers. 
