Dog Show Tips - How to Prepare a Bully for the Show Ring

Making the decision to show your Bully is a decision that should not be taken lightly or made on the spur of the moment. Properly preparing your Bully for the show ring takes a considerable amount of time.

First and foremost, you need to properly socialize your Bully with other dogs and humans. The show ring is not a place for dog aggressive or people aggressive dogs. Socializing your dog is something that should be started as soon as he has had a full round of shots and is able to be taken out in public without endangering his health. Take him everywhere that dogs are allowed to get him used to being around a lot of activity.

Next, you should properly train your dog. He needs to know how to sit, stand, stay and heel. Because the show ring is such a busy place, he should be able to listen and follow commands even with a lot of distractions around.

It is a good idea to take your dog with you to at least one dog show without having an intention on trying to place in a conformation show. Most Bully shows have a fun class show. This is a good opportunity for you to familiarize yourself and your Bully with the show ring.

Make sure that your dog is clean the day of the show. Having him professionally groomed is ideal. If, for some reason, this is not possible, you need to make sure that he has a good bath. This needs to include trimming any stray hairs, cleaning his ears and eyes, and trimming his nails. You will also need to brush his teeth.

On the day of the dog show, you need to bring a bag or box with some basic show equipment. Most Bully owners use a harness or thick collar when they walk a Bully. This is fine for when you are looking at the exhibits. Make sure that you put his current rabies tag on this harness or collar. For a show, however, you need a thin leash and possibly a thin collar that do not take away from the appearance of the dog.

You should bring a clean towel or paper towels. A water bottle is needed to spritz the dog's coat so it will shine in the ring. Some owners use ice to do this. Baby wipes are a necessary accessory. You can do a final wipe of the Bully's eyes before entering the show ring or clean your hands after touching another Bully with these wipes.

Now that you have everything you need for the show, make sure that you don't forget your Bully.