Dog showmanship is a set of skills and etiquette used by handlers of dogs in a dog competition. Dog showmanship is not a competition in itself but a qualification of the handler to present a dog to its best advantage. Skills are technical as well as artistic. A handler must groom and display the dog for a judge in specific ways but a true showman can accentuate the best features of the dog and even mask any faults. Many professional handlers train and condition the dogs they accept into their program as they see fit. This means that dogs owned by others are away from home with their handlers for months at a time. Professional showman may handle dogs as a sole source of income.
Most often referring to handling for dog conformation competition, showmanship can also refer to hunting dog competition, racing dogs, and tracking dogs. It also refers to the sportsmanship of competitors; able to lose with grace, win with humility and unflappable in the face of unforeseen circumstances.
A related competition is Junior Showmanship during which young dog handlers are judged on their showmanship skills regardless of the quality of the dog they use for the competition. They are scored on the grooming and handling of the dog as well as how the dog responds to them during the judging.
Read more about Dog Showmanship: Equipment
Famous quotes containing the words dog and/or showmanship:
“There are a sort of men whose visages
Do cream and mantle like a standing pond,
And do a willful stillness entertain,
With purpose to be dressed in an opinion
Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit,
As who should say, “I am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my lips let no dog bark!””
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
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—New Yorker (April 23, 1990)