[/caption]To the casual observer it does not appear that a Shows Dog training needs to know a lot in order to Shows. The dog often gaits naturally but sometimes the dog wants to pace instead.
A shows dog who paces does not present a smooth flowing picture to the judge and furthermore it is often more difficult to discern whether he is moving straight in the front. A judge does not want the dog to run around for no reason. While the dog moves, the judge wants to view his movement from the front, from the rear and from the side. The dog must also be taught to break into a trot rather than pacing. The handler should speed up the pace and see to it that the dog is gradually breaking into an easy trot. If the dog begins to pace or it is a more natural movement for him than the trot, the handler usually will execute a turn that will bring the dog into a correct position to break into a trot.
The shows dog must also be taught not to look anywhere except straight ahead while he is heeling, as this will throw off the movement of the front. So the handler needs to be quite aware of the motions of the dogs head and reward the dog when he is looking straight to the front. Furthermore, he needs to practice a lot with the dog heeling, alternately speeding up and slowing down and maintaining an easy trot rather than a walk while the dog is in the heel position. This can be accomplished with clicker training, or voice control by praising the dog at the exact moment that he is performing correctly.
A knowledgeable handler also needs to learn to walk well himself, with a longer stride when he wants the dog to speed up and a slower stride (but not shorter steps) when he wants the dog to trot with a slower action. If the handler breaks into shorter steps himself, he will throw the dog into a shorter and choppier movement. So it is important that the handler practice also, to walk and to run so as not to detract from the natural and balanced movement of the shows dog.
