Dog Health Questions: Advice on getting into dog training/grooming/showing?

So, I've decided I eventually work with shelties in showing and agility trials. I'd like to try and get some experience now working with dogs before I'm ready to own them myself.

I'm taking veterinary technician classes right now (not really what I want to do but its great experience), but I'm interested in learning grooming and training techniques as well. And since I'm most interested in shetland sheepdogs, agility and obedience trials as well. What is the best way to go about learning these things before actually getting a dog of my own? I want to learn now so I can plenty of experience when I get my first dog*.

(* I've owned dogs in the past, but never have done any showing or any trials before)

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Recommended Answer:
Join your local All-breed kennel club and search out mentors there.

Join the closest Sheltie kennel club and search out mentors.

Be persistant- often people will approach breeders/exhibitors for information and not follow through- which leads to the breeders/exhibitors being reluctant to waste time with someone who doesn't seem commited.

Overall I've found Sheltie people to be very nice- and I learned a LOT about grooming techniques from a couple of Sheltie breeders.

Go to AKC's events sections and find shows you can attend in your area. Agility is an absolute blast! Specialty shows (conformation/agility/obedience for one breed only) are a great place to start networking to eventually find the right dog.

You may even be able to find someone to apprentice under.

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• All I can answer to is agility. You *need* to take classes. There are so many things to learn about running a dog (front cross, rear cross, to blind cross or not to blind cross, etc.). The classes teach the dog how to handle each obstacle, but they also teach you how to run a course.
  
  Good luck and have fun - Shelties are great dogs!


• Get to know a breeder in your area. Breeders are an excellent source for information regarding showing and trials.


• Since Shelties are a pretty common breed, there should be a Sheltie club in your area. I'd suggest joining it and getting to know the members and learning about the breed from them. Probably you can find a breeder to mentor you.


• My best advice to you is to frequent dogs shows in your area, and buddy up to someone who seems to know what they're doing (a good indicator is if they consistently show / place well). Perhaps ask them if you could be their assistant. Obviously you'd want to shadow a sheltie person, since that's your dog of choice, however many handlers show many breeds of dog, and by working with someone who works with many breeds, you will also gain a more diverse experience. Good luck!


• there are tons of books about agility training and conformation showing. those would be a goo dplace to start.
  You can find out if there is an agility class in your area and ask if you can come out and watch the training sesions
  also check for conformation handling or ring craft classes too.
  
  You can find shows in your area too and go watch and talk to shetly owners too.
  
  if you are in the USA a great place to look for shows and trials in
  www.infodog.com


• Actually your best bet would be to contact breed rescue and get a Sheltie and train it and title it in performance - that will get you meeting people at shows/ trials and you will be able to show them your capabilities. Most breeders prefer to have an experienced person to deal with - place prospects with, mentor and all - so it might be a really good idea and it will give a wonderful dog a second chance and help you learn a whole lot. Usually if someone comes up to me about my breed and is all wanna learn and have a show prospect or whatever, it just sounds like so much impulsivity talking but if someone has actually take and dog and done something with it, it shows that they were committed enough to do that as well as anything you do with a dog requires training so it gives you hands on experience with that. You can work with keeping it properly and well groomed, trained and well behaved and if it were me, I would jump at the chance of helping someone like that, that had that sort of commitment, in any way I could. Going to shows and trials is helpful for your learning but basically you need to be able to show you are truely committed to this endeavor instead of the usual impulsive young person that will drop it after five years....


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