The Winning Edge

George Alston

Description

George Alston has been one of the country's preeminent professional handlers for over thirty years. Now, the secrets of his success are shared with every dog fancier.

The Winning Edge is the very first book to apply sports psychology to dog showing. Here, serious exhibitors, including the seasoned veteran, will have the opportunity to develop and polish the skills necessary to take a place in the winners' circle. With award-winning author Connie Vanacore, George Alston shows us all how to gain consistent success in the only sport in which amateurs compete directly with the professionals. Chapters focus on the advantages of being an amateur and underscore the necessity for the mental preparation and psychology that are essential to every exhibitor's success.

The authors cover every ingredient in the recipe for show ring success, with chapters on the perfect handler, the making of a show dog, psychocybernetics, where and how to focus when in the ring and learning from the competition.

The Winning Edge, an essential for every dog exhibitor's bookshelf, now makes George Alston's professional know-how available to everyone with the desire to win.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction
Foreword.

Introduction.

1. The Perfect Handler.

2. The Right Stuff--The Making of a Show Dog.

3. Back to Basics.

4. Obedience and Conformation.

5. Training for the Show Ring.

6. The Psychology of the Show Ring.

7. Preparation for the Ring.

8. Grooming for the Show Ring.

9. When You Are in the Ring.

10. Etiquette and Sportsmanship.

11. Planning a Campaign.

12. Helpful Hints.

Sujets

• Breeds
• Pets
• Dogs

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 21 avril 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470336458
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Winning Edge
The author and a friend enjoying each other s company.
Sharon Wohlmuth
The Winning Edge
Show Ring Secrets
GEORGE G. ALSTON
with
CONNIE VANACORE
Howell Book House

Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Copyright 1992 by George G. Alston and Connie Vanacore
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone]. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, [phone], fax [phone], E-Mail: [e-mail] .
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Alston, George G.
The winning edge: show ring secrets/George G. Alston with Connie Vanacore.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-87605-834-3
1. Dogs-Showing. 2. Dog shows I. Vanacore, Connie.
II. Title.
SF425.A47 1992
636.7 088 8-dc20 91-31433

CIP
Manufactured in the United States of America.
25 24 23 22 21 20
To my teachers, those who knowingly taught me and those who unknowingly taught me.
Thank you.
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1 The Perfect Handler
2 The Right Stuff-The Making of a Show Dog
3 Back to Basics
4 Obedience and Conformation
5 Training for the Show Ring
6 The Psychology of the Show Ring
7 Preparation for the Ring
8 Grooming for the Show Ring
9 When You Are in the Ring
10 Etiquette and Sportsmanship
11 Planning a Campaign
12 Helpful Hints
Foreword
In looking back over more than half a century in dogs, a lot of names are part of the past. Some flash back because of something said or done to remind you. A few always remain because of indelible memories, but these are very few in the legions that have marched across the dog show stage. And those few have had some quality, some unique essence, that lifted them above the rest.
George Alston is one of these. He has been a great handler. Greatness in the handling profession means that you have a fine kennel, know how to select top dogs for the ring, know how to present them and know how to win or lose gracefully.
But for me, those of indelible memory have had something more. I think of Percy Roberts, the boy who came to America and whose phenomenal memory made him one of the most successful dog importers of all time. I think of Harry Sangster, whose life was cut short just before he could start his judging career.
George Alston belongs with these because of his own special qualities. He had the courage to bench himself when he realized he needed a rest. Now he has the courage to start a new life as a writer, teacher and lecturer. Very few would dare to change their lives so radically at any age. But George has these other special qualities. He is a brilliant speaker, one who adds humor to great knowledge. He is a teacher who can call upon his vast knowledge to be effective.
Maxwell Riddle
Introduction
This book is written for the amateur exhibitor who already knows the basics of showing a dog. It is directed toward those amateurs who are truly interested in the sport of dogs, and who plan to hone their skills to win more consistently in the show ring.
The information given in this book is the result of my experience as a professional handler, spanning a career of forty years. It is an outgrowth of lectures that I have given to thousands of amateurs who wish to learn the finer points of showing a dog.
Showing dogs is the only sport that, by the payment of an entry fee and with no training whatsoever, you can compete directly with a professional. There is no other organized sport in which you can do that.
You, as an amateur, are competing against someone who makes a livelihood from showing dogs. You are competing with a professional who has dedicated his or her life to this sport, who has spent many years in apprenticeship learning the trade. Yet, you, as an amateur, will compete in the same arena for the same awards.
In order to do this successfully, you have to have the same enthusiasm for it. You have to have the same dedication. How many people during the last year, seven days a week, 365 days a year, did something to improve their abilities showing dogs? The professionals do this for a living. How are you going to beat them? Or even catch up, if they keep working to improve their skills and you don t? These are the cold, hard facts.
WHAT THE JUDGE SEES IS WHAT YOU GET
A judge can only judge what is presented in the ring. The American Kennel Club allows a judge approximately a minute and a half per dog. The judge cannot wait to assume. He or she must judge what is seen. If you do not present what the judge wants to see, you are going to lose. So you must learn to present your dog as efficiently as possible in the least amount of time. It takes work, practice and dedication.
Professionals weren t born with a lead in their hands. It is an unnatural thing to run around in a circle inside of baby gates in the rain and the snow and the mud while dressed in a jacket and tie. You drive all night and you sleep in the car and you eat fast food for the pleasure of showing a dog, so you might as well give yourself an advantage and do it right.
When the judge comes to the end of the class and tries to make a decision, if the professional handler has the dog set up right and the owner handler the dog set up wrong, who wins? The professional will, nine times out of ten. Yet the owner will stand there and complain that the professional always wins.
Amateurs have a great advantage, if they will use it to their own benefit. They usually have only one dog to show, so they have the time to train that dog, condition it, learn about its strong and weak points and practice showing under all kinds of circumstances. Therefore, when they go into the ring, there should be no surprises.
The professional must handle a great many dogs in the course of the day, some of whom the handler may not know very well, yet that handler is expected to make each one look like a million dollars.
Who has the advantage under those conditions?
The purpose of this book is to help the amateur with one show dog to gain the winning edge in the show ring.
1
The Perfect Handler
There are all kinds of handlers in this world. There are good ones, bad ones, responsible ones and ring jockeys, who don t care a damn about the dogs they handle. Then there is the perfect handler.
INVISIBILITY
The perfect handler is invisible. But how can that be? Well, you should be able to watch a Best in Show lineup, walk away from the ring and say to your friends, That was an absolutely gorgeous dog that went Best in Show. Who handled it?
Sometimes you will overhear the ringside talk and catch someone saying, Boy, that s a good handler. Look at him work! If you are aware that a handler is working, that person is not doing his or her best, or to put it a little more kindly, those handlers are not as good as they could be.
The handler should fade into the background, putting the dog forward with a minimum of hand motions. The judge should think that this dog is doing it all alone, and if you have worked with your dog, and know the right moves to make to enable the dog to show off, you will be invisible.

This young man is dressed in jacket and tie despite the heat.

Exhibitors clothing should contrast with their dogs, but in a subtle manner.
A good handler does not continually fuss with the dog, move around the dog, adjust its position, stroke, push, pull or poke at it or draw the judge s eye away from the dog itself at any time.
A good handler does not constantly smile, grin or talk to the judge to get attention. Judges hate exhibitors who fawn over them in the ring, pleading and begging with their eyes for the win. Pay attention to your dog and allow the judge to demonstrate being capable of finding the best one in the ring without your prodding.
Being invisible involves dressing for the occasion, too. Ladies should not try to attract the judge in the ring by wearing low-cut blouses with nothing underneath. It may make for good ringside gossip, but it detracts from the dog. Do not wear col