Show Handlers: What type of lead do you prefer?

Do you prefer nylon collar/lead, or a chain with a nylon/leather/etc lead?

I personally use a hex/snake chain. I prefer silver on white or light colored dogs and gold on dark colored dogs. I wouldn’t use them on a dog that pulled out though as they could hurt the neck. For a dog like that, I think braided nylon or leather would be safer. I’ve not had that problem with my own dogs but have with dogs I’ve shown for others. My dogs are all trained to gait at heel position and it’s my job to go fast enough to make them look good. Their job is to keep up with me and not pull or lag. I find they look better that way than half strangled at the end of a lead. The judge can’t see proper movement if the dog is choking itself off the ground. There’s a link below so anyone that doesn’t know what hex/snake chains are can see them. They do come in different sizes.

http://www.jbpet.com/Fine-Hexagon-Choke,1247.html

I do prefer black leashes that are thin, short, and light. They fit into the hand easily and give good control of the dog without drawing attention away from him/her. Handmade soft leather ones are my preference but I know a lot of people that prefer nylon since it is easier to wash and care for. To each his own.

I see no reason you can’t use both. Her response will depend on YOUR effort to teach her to show properly, not what she’s wearing. Use those collars specifically for show training and the dog will figure out pretty quickly that when that particular collar goes on then it’s time to strut her stuff. My dogs go nuts when they see their show collars/leads come out because they know it’s time to go to a show but when it gets put on they settle into their “show manners” – no sniffing or looking around at shows. They know the difference in their regular collars and will go ahead and sniff or look around while wearing those. I use both at show grounds – the regular collar and leash for walking around and the show collar and leash when we’re getting ready to head into the ring.

Oh, NEVER correct on during show training. You want the dog to enjoy it so they’ll be perky and happy. No judge wants to see a miserable dog. If the dog needs corrected, instead of scolding, say something like “ah, ah” to get its attention and give your command to return to show behavior (I use “show pretty” for gaiting and “stack/stay” for standing for the exam; they’re allowed to relax the rest of the time and know to stand quietly by my side). If the dog doesn’t understand, show it what you want and give lots of praise and rewards for correct behavior. If the problem is bouncing during gaiting, slow down and work up to the right pace. If the problem is squirming during the exam or fussing while showing the bite, work on it at home and have friends do short mock exams. You can even wait outside stores (petsmart, walmart, and malls are great places) and allow interested people to run their hands down her without fussing over her. If you need her to be alert, you can make an odd noise followed quickly by a command for this behavior (I use “ears up”) and a reward. Making it fun may take more time to train for the ring but it’s worth it to have a dog that LIKES showing. Mine all think it is great and can’t wait to get out there. One is a real ham and prances if people applaud her. LOL

Make a Leather Dog Collar

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