Shih Tzu Dog Shows

Author: Connie Limon
Shih Tzu dog shows and Shih Tzu dog breeding attracts the interest of people from all walks of life ranging from royalty to the lady next door. Ordinary family folk attend dog shows and compete successfully with top-quality dogs they have bred themselves. A good dog show judge will disregard all but the dogs themselves when making a final decision. Who you are or where you come from does not matter in good show dog judging. The Shih Tzu dogs have to prove themselves, not the people. The dog game is simply a love of dogs.

Most of the people you will meet at a Shih Tzu dog show share an appreciation for their dogs. As with any hobby or profession, however, there are many different opinions as to what a dog show truly is. You might hear things like: “it’s a cult.” You will definitely hear about the politics and the enormous amounts of money people spend on the dogs and how much the dogs hate it.

Where the dog game takes each participant depends wholly upon the individual interests in the sport. There is a place for everything in the dog game – breeding, exhibiting, judging, training and teaching. The dog game is forever changing. To begin the Shih Tzu dog game journey, you will need a purebred Shih Tzu dog of course.

Where did it all begin? Dog showing actually began in England year of 1859. The first recorded formally organized dog show was held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. The Newcastle show was limited to Setters and Pointers.

Dog shows were originally organized as a place for breeders to gather to have their breeding stock evaluated by someone knowledgeable in their respective breed. The decisions were based upon the theory that superior dogs were the most likely to contribute their good qualities to their offspring. A written description of an ideal specimen of a breed was established. These descriptions are known as “breed standards.” Of all Shih Tzu dogs appearing before a knowledgeable judge or person, the dog that possessed most of the characteristics described in the standard won first place. The Shih Tzu dog closest in quality to the first-place dog was placed second, and so on. This same process continues today at dog shows.

If you live in the United States you will most likely be showing your Shih Tzu dogs under the American Kennel Club. The organization maintains offices in both New York City and Raleigh, North Carolina. The AKC is the largest purebred dog registry in the United States, but other domestic registries also exist.

The American Kennel Club is devoted to the advancement of purebred dogs and maintains a registry of recognized breeds. They adopt and enforce rules for dog events, dog shows, and obedience trials, field trails, hunting tests, lure coursing, herding, earth dog trials, agility and the Canine Good Citizen program.

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About The Author

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

Show Dog Judging The Head, Body And Hindquarters

Author: Connie Limon
The Head:

The show dog judge will ask you to place your Shih Tzu show dog on the table. The Shih Tzu show dog judge will then get the first close look at your Shih Tzu’s expression. He will be looking for proper shape and dark eyes. He will check the length of your Shih Tzu’s nose. He will look for the “correct” slightly-undershot bite. The Shih Tzu show dog judge will evaluate the shape of the top of your Shih Tzu’s head. He will check to see that the hair pulled up in the topknot does not alter the set and placement of the ears (all these things must be exact to the AKC standard for a Shih Tzu show dog to pass). One thing in particular the Shih Tzu show dog judge will not want to see in your Shih Tzu is any sign of fear, or if your Shih Tzu turns its head away. The expressions of fear or turning the head away would indicate “shyness.” “Shyness” would be considered a fault of the AKC show Dog Shih Tzu standard.

The Shih Tzu show dog judge will look at the ear leather. He may raise the ears to check the length and thickness of the neck and to see if the neck is well placed on the shoulders. These are areas also that must be in compliance with the AKC standards of a Shih Tzu show dog. The Shih Tzu show dog judge may trace the angulation of the shoulders with his hands and the placement of the front legs beneath the body is checked. A Shih Tzu show dog judge may lift the dog up gently and let it down to see how well the Shih Tzu lands on its feet. He may check the thickness of the pads of the feet as well.

The Body:

The Shih Tzu show dog judge will check to see if the Shih Tzu is in good weight, not to thin or too fat. The weight is measured on a scale of 9 to 16 pounds as being appropriate for the Shih Tzu show dog. Under or over this weight would be a fault.

The Hindquarters:

The Shih Tzu show dog judge will check your Shih Tzu’s tail to see if it is set properly according to the AKC standard for tail set. The tail must be carried over the body to the correct degree. Angulation of hind legs is checked and a check for the strength of the hindquarters is also made at this time. An indication of weakness when the hocks are lightly “twanged” or evidence of cow hocks would be noted as a fault in your Shih Tzu. The hocks should be strong when moved gently back and forth. If your Shih Tzu is a male, this is the point in which the judge will count testicles. There must be two testicles present or the male Shih Tzu will be disqualified.

There are strict standards of correct conformation of the head, body and hindquarters, as well as other aspects of the Shih Tzu that must be met during the Shih Tzu show dog judge’s evaluation. Further information regarding these requirements can be obtained from the American Kennel Club either by writing to them directly or from the AKC official website.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.


About The Author

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

Tips For The Novice Shih Tzu Show Dog Handler

Author: Connie Limon
If you will not be hiring a professional Shih Tzu handler for the show ring, there are a few things you should know about how to protect yourself and your Shih Tzu so that neither of you are too discouraged right at the start.

Try to remember a judge’s first and lasting impression of your Shih Tzu’s temperament will be made the moment it walks into the ring. Do not carry your Shih Tzu into the ring to avoid getting its hair messed up. Let the judge see the Shih Tzu’s gait as it walks into the ring. Do not drag the Shih Tzu behind you. It invariably will be a stressful 48 hour period for your Shih Tzu before the show. This time period will either be too hot, too cold or too rainy. A few hours before the show will involve your Shih Tzu having to stand rigidly on a crate, having its face and body sprayed with grooming substance that does not smell or taste very good. Your Shih Tzu may have to endure a session of sneezing while you brush their hair out to perfection. Then remember all the hours your Shih Tzu was in the bathtub and the grooming session the day before the show. What about the ride to the show? Was it over bumpy, uncomfortable roads? The 48 hours just before the show can be a drooling, torturous time for your precious Shih Tzu, soon to become a Show Dog Shih Tzu. Experienced judges know just what a Shih Tzu has to endure the 48 hours before show time. If your Shih Tzu can still strut into the ring after all this, the judge will have to know your Shih Tzu has an excellent disposition. This will be the judge’s first impression. It will also be a very lasting impression.

Do not try to be first to enter the ring if you are a novice. It will be much more educational for you to get behind a more experienced exhibitor or professional handler where you can observe and learn ring behavior and procedures. When you do enter the ring with your Shih Tzu, do so quickly and calmly. Have your Shih Tzu on a loose lead. Watch for the first opportunity to show your arm band to the judge for check in purposes. Then get in the line-up already forming in the ring. This is usually at the opposite side of the judge’s table. This move will give the judge a good opportunity to the second look at your Shih Tzu. Now, set your Shih Tzu up in a show pose.

As the judge goes up and down the line of Shih Tzu, maintain your Shih Tzu in a show stance. Do not brush the Shih Tzu’s hair at this time. Do not be adjusting the Shih Tzu’s feet, or tilting the head, or positioning the Shih Tzu’s tail. By the time the judge reaches your Shih Tzu, the Shih Tzu should be standing as still as a statue with your hands off of it. If you show a lot of fussing over the Shih Tzu at this time it only calls attention to the fact that you are probably an amateur at this and you will be seen as nervously mishandling the Shih Tzu. A free, natural stance will be more appealing to the judge.

People play games in anything that is competitive to try and discourage a newcomer especially if the newcomer really has a good dog. This poses a threat to others who are competing with you and people do play games to try and make you or your Shih Tzu look bad.

These same kind of games are played in other arenas of the purebred dog sport such as what we have today on the internet with so many Shih Tzu dog websites springing up. People get jealous and feel threatened by what they see their competitors doing that may take away “something” from them. So they try and set up little games to make their competitors look bad or seem unworthy in the hopes that “the consumer” will pass up their competitors when it comes time to purchase Shih Tzu puppies.

I suppose if it works in the world of politics to bad-mouth your competitor and opponents, it should work in all other situations is the thinking of individuals who stoop to this type of a tactic. And you definitely will meet up with this type in the show ring as well.

Simply label these behaviors for what they truly are, which is “unprofessional.” Don’t be “unprofessional.” Hold your head up high and always work as a true professional in anything you attempt to do in life. Do not join in with any kind of childish game playing. How you play your game is what will be remembered most.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.


About The Author

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com.