I started my own kind of way of teaching it but I was wondering if there was a better way or maybe some advice could be given to improve on my way,I'm kind of at a loss for this.

I start conformation handling classes today (Weather permitting since we're getting like 5 inches of rain). Bella knows basic commands; sit, down, sit pretty (not basic but it was cute!), high-five, here and come. I started teaching her stay tonight from the sit position and she did wonderfully once she figured out what I wanted and I started working on a stand command because I never thought I would be taking this classes so she was taught to sit by watching me. My mentor told me it would be hard but not impossible to teach her stand-stay but it would take a good handler to break her of watching me and sitting and I'm just learning the basics!!

Now, she does pretty well with stand it's a pretty easy command. And she does well with sit and very well with the sit-stay. I'm having problems with keeping her in stand-stay. Because she'll have to stand to be judged and handled and I can't have her sitting when she thinks her stand is done.

I started by putting her in stand and then telling her stay and if she'd hold it for two or three seconds I would praise and treat her my problem lies with putting her in stand, having her hold it for longer than that as I walk away she likes to follow me. So then I have to have her stand and try it again.

Any help or suggestions would be wonderful!! Thank you in advance!

You just need to work on stays better. And remember that length of the stay and the distance you can step away from her are two different concepts to her, so they have to be taught separately at first. To get them to stand better for a judge, you can put your hand under their belly, right in front of their hind leg at first. But it does take a lot of practice. How long have you been practicing stand stay? I admit I hardly ever practice at home with Elara and mainly do my training one a week at conformation class. So it took Elara a while to learn her stand stay, but she's getting good at it now!

Oh and seems like your instructor has the mind set that you can't teach a conformation dog sit or down cause you'll ruin it. That's so wrong. All you have to do is come up with a different hand signal and word for stand. I use my hand open and move it to the side and say stand. For sit I move it up and for down I move it down and guess what, Elara understands they are different commands! I really hate it when people think you can't teach your dog to sit if you are doing conformation with it.

I agree with Sara, the stay is your problem not the stand.

Thanks Sara! I started working on stand (not routinely) last week. Stay I just started on last night from a sit.

I'm sorry I didn't mean to make it sound like that was the mind set at all! I was told that it could be more difficult to get her to a stand-stay because she learned to sit by watching me (Ie coming over to me and sitting or following me into the kitchen and sitting). Not that it was impossible or that she would be ruined by it!

Oh ok. And don't expect to get results that quick! I'm sure if you just keep training like you are, she'll get it. I started when Elara was just a 3 month old squirmy puppy, but she got the hang of it around 5 months and now at 10 months she does stand stays pretty well. And this is with limited training, cause I'm a bad mommy!

How old is Bella now? Which kennel club are you wanting to show in (AKC, UKC, IABCA)? Why did you decide to start conformation?

I'm not expecting her to get it within a week or anything trust me! I just want to make sure I'm starting off on the right foot so that when she does get it I don't get told "You're doing it all wrong!!!!" and then have to break that and reteach her something else or different!

Bella's older - she'll be 7 months on the 17th. She's not from show lines - we rescued her from being put to sleep as a puppy because her breeder couldn't sell her ( BYB). She's AKC registered so if/when I get there it'll be under them.

I'm really just getting into the classes. I start taking her today (weather permitting) to get Bella used to everything (She's pretty shy around new people) and then I start a new set of courses from the beginning on the 20th. A breeder that I have been speaking with who shows her Huskies has taken me under wing as it were and has offered to help me and teaching me alongside of what I learn at the classes with her veteran dogs. She's also referenced me to a handler that does classes and has been involved in the breed for some 50 years.

As for starting conformation; I've seen the big shows since I was little but no one in my family was ever into them. I've -always- been fascinated by the beauty of these dogs and I've always wanted to learn more about the shows and what goes on. I'm a dog person. I love Siberians and since I've matured and grown up and gotten my Siberian it's really opened my eyes (especially from what was going to happen to her). I want to learn all that there is about the breed and handling. I want to be as involved with the breed as possible and the best way to learn and be involved is to get to know people who are also involved and learn from them.

I know it's going to be a lot of work but I'm willing to put in 300% to make this dream a reality!

I hope my jumbled mess makes some sense. X_X

how do you even train them to stand i can't do it with zoey, i mean she's alright with it, but not anywhere near where i'd like her to be..see..




help??

Sara will most likely be able to help you more than I can but I'll give it a shot!

I had to start training a stand from a sit position because Bella learned to sit while watching me. So she'd follow me and sit. So what I did was I held a treat above her and a little out in front of nose and when she would reach up for it I'd move it until she got up and I'd tell her "stand".

Right now what I'm doing is I'm working on my body position/language and the command "stand" to just mean a stand -stay instead of giving two commands and doing what Sara had said about placing a hand right in front of her hind leg under her belly.

Lots and lots of practice for me!

With your sit command, are you just having her look at you and then sit without a hand signal? If so, I can see why your instructor was concerned. You'll want to train her to look for a hand signal or verbal cue to sit instead of just sittig whenever you look at her so she knows when you want her to sit and when you want her to stand or down.

You can show in any of those kennel clubs as long as she is AKC registered. You might want to start off in UKC or IABCA. They tend to be less cut throat if you know what I mean. I've never been to a UKC show, but I've heard they are more laid back and good for beginners. I showed Elara in an International All Breed Canine Association show (IABCA) a few months ago. It was fun even though we were the only husky there. And each judge gives you a written critque of your dog which I really liked. We got national and international puppy title in one weekend! And she placed 3rd in group puppy. It's a bit different than AKC, but it's good practice. Also AKC matches are really fun too and good practice.

As for standing still, I'm so glad Elara is calmer than Siku, cause when I try the same thing on Siku, she will not stay still!

Elara at the IABCA shows.

Thought you might like these links:
http://www.shca.org/pdfs-docs/1999_IS.pdf
http://www.shcaillustrated.com/
http://www.siberiansusa.com/Siberians_USA/CONTENTS.html

That's really good that you have a mentor already. Also see if there's a local kennel club nearby. I'm a member of one near me and it's great for when you do go to shows, cause you have a group of people you know there to help you. Makes it a lot more fun when there are other people there that you know.

She was trained with a verbal queue but I made the mistake of letting her sit when she knows we're beginning a training session (I didn't know better). So now she's formed the habit of just sitting when i stop or when it looks like we're beginning a training session. I'll start associating a hand signal with sit now and a different body position/hand signal. It's not too much to do the vocal command with the signal is it?

I know what you mean . I'll talk to her about the other two and see if I can find any IABCA shows that I could attend next year after all of the classes/training is at a good point where I feel that both of us are ready to enter one.

I found a mentor before I decided to take these classes and talked with her about them and handling prior to registering. She said it was a great idea to take the classes through a kennel club that is closer to me (than she is). Since she's about an hour and a half drive as is the handler she referred me to.

Thank you for the links as well! I will look at them all tonight

Your girl is -very- beautiful! She looks like a natural!

Thanks for all of the help I'm sure I'll have more questions and need more help on the matter. Seems as though for today class will be cancelled. Lee is giving us another downpour.

The illustrated Siberian Standard was so helpful! I've read through the standard many a time but didn't understand a lot of it! Thank you for that! on to the next link!

I was also wondering, Sara, what kind of lead do you use and at what length for Elara? I'm going to order one but I'm not sure of what length and kind.

I use a couple of different ones, not really sure which one I like best yet. They were all hand me downs from when my mom showed English Setters and English Cockers. I usually use a thin black or off white lead with a chain collar. I like the shorter leads better than the long ones, cause there's less to bunch up in your hand and to get in the way. I sometimes use a nylon collar or a nylon martingale. The best place to look for one is at an AKC show. They usually have a few vendors that sell them and they have just about any collar and lead you're looking for. It's also a good place to get grooming supplies too.

Don't worry about being perfect before going to a match. They are there for practice and I went to one when Elara was about 3 months old (haddn't been training that long at all) and it was a very good experience. Really gives you an idea of what's going to happen in the ring and hopefully the judge will be nice like the one I had and gave a lot of tips. I know of a girl who has a GSD who's about the same age as Elara and has been training about the same amount of time too. I don't know if she's just afraid or thinks her dog is not ready yet, but she has yet to enter a match or a show! I'm wondering if she's ever going to get into the ring! lol.

And go to any shows nearby just to talk to the other sibe people. At least the ones at the show I went to were all very nice (excluding a select few who didn't look like the type you could just go up to and chat with). Find them in the grooming area, cause they will usually be too busy when they are about to go into the ring.

I'll have to see if there are any all breed shows around here that aren't four plus hours away like I had seen before when I was looking but they're all out in Harrisburg or Western PA - which aren't at all close to me. so I'm trying to find places online where I can order from.

I was going to order just a nylon slip lead but all of their lengths are four feet - six feet. Is the four foot average? That seems like a lot to bunch up X_X.
I had heard of the chain collar would something like this work;
?

Maybe something like this http://www.cherrybrook.com/index.cfm/a/catalog.prodshow/vid/387081/catid/132/vname/XFine_CHROME_Snake_Chains at 18 inches with something like http://www.cherrybrook.com/index.cfm/a/catalog.prodshow/vid/344465/catid/132/vname/PARACHUTE_Nylon_Snap_Leads maybe 36 inches?

Those all would probably be fine. I think my leads are 4ft, but I wouldn't mind if they were shorter. But do notice the two snake chains to the left. See how there is a small ring after the big ring that you attach the lead to? Do not get one like that. Those smaller rings are prone to breaking. You want one that just attaches to the big ring without a small ring inbetween.

Here's an okay pic of one of the leads I use, though the collar was way too big for her, notice how much of the metal chain you can see.


And you can see the dog next to her has the same kind of lead, just with a matching nylon collar instead of a chain.


But it really depends on what you like and what feels good in your hand. Some people love the fancy leather ones, a lot of people have nylon ones decorated with beads, but most have simple leads like the one I use.

Those pics were from an AKC match. So fun to go to! We were the only sibe there, but we won the working group for puppies!

Oh and please keep in mind, I've really just started conformation, only been entered in 4 IABCA shows (all in the same weekend) and 4 AKC shows (all in the same weekend), so if something sounds contradicting to what your mentor says to you, I'm probably the wrong one! Still learning myself. Which reminds me, I need to call a nearby husky breeder/show person soon. We have a show coming up at the end of this month!

I really like the look of chain/lead especially on Elara. Bella is just a black and white and even though the collar/lead has no bearing in the ring, I just think it would look really nice on her as opposed to a plain black nylon with matching collar. I've been looking around at different places trying to find hexagonal chain collars but they all seem to have that smaller ring after the big ring. It's making me sad!

Maybe I should go with a smaller size chain then. Maybe a 16"? She has a leather collar that a neighbor bought for her that is 18" (the white collar in my avatar kinda hard to see) and is very loose around her neck and it is on the smallest hole possible right now. But I also don't want to be buying another one when she's fully grown.

I looked for IABCA shows and it seems they only have one up here in PA and that's in Pittsburgh sometime next year. And UKC only had one and that was in New Jersey next month for obedience.
So looks like my options are bit limited. lol

However for now! I'm going to really try and find a collar/lead that I can get within the next week to prepare for the start of the classes and continue doing training sessions!

And keep with my fear that Bella will never develop her adult, fluffy coat. lol Elara makes me so jealous!

http://pro-mohs.com/products.aspx?cid=11
Maybe that one?

I'd be perfectly content with a nylon lead but this is from the same site
http://pro-mohs.com/products.aspx?cid=7

Those both look good. I'd ask your mentor how they figure out which length of collar to get, cause I'm really not sure what's the best way. You use it as a slip collar. It needs to be able to fit over their head, but not so long that you have all that extra.

Do you know what Bella's parents looked like? Siku has a similar coat to Bella. Just not as fluffy as Elara's, but I always thought I could pass her off as a husky who'd just blown coat in the ring (though I never intended to show her. she has a couple structural problems like her tail is a bit too curled, hocks a bit too long, a little bit of a roach back, a little too long of body, and not enough coat). But I do like the shorter coat for her, cause she doesn't get hot as quickly and that helps in agility.

I know you're supposed to measure their neck and add I think two inches? I'll send her out an email later just to make sure.

I have no idea what her parents looked like. I was looking to get another dog (my parents couldn't take me being so depressed for so long after I had lost my Pyrenees last July) and found her. I had been looking at Malamute and Husky breeders for a pet puppy from show lines but one day I was just browsing the internet for Huskies and found her. She was basically an impulse buy (for a lack of better words). Her breeder gave her to us because he was going to put her to sleep since he couldn't sell her as a healthy puppy.

I never dreamed that I could show her. Initially, when I had contacted my mentor, it was simply just to build a relationship with a breeder so that in a couple/few years when Bella's older/matured I already had a breeder that I knew that tested her dogs and I'd be getting a healthy puppy from. When I had spoke to her I had just mentioned in passing that one day I would eventually like to get into conformation handling and it all snowballed from there lol.

She said that even though Bella's not from a show breeder she's probably still from decent stock and there's no other disqualification from the ring other than their height. She said I could show her to get experience in even though she might not win.

I guess it might have something to do with her age, but Bella doesn't have that "well-furred" look. Her coat lies very flat still. See there's things will Bella like her ears and tail that I look at sometimes and I go "That's not the standard". Like just the other night we were laying in bed and her ears were wide-set but I know when she's not relaxed her ears are fine. And her tail I know is curled too much and she sometimes holds it just a little off to the side, but other times she holds it perfectly over her back. I also think she looks far too long, personally. And she doesn't seem to be filling out at all. She -still- looks like she is all legs. And she has a bit of a roach back as well.

I have some pictures taken from a walk we went on over the weekend, they aren't good but maybe you can see.


Carried off to the side


Then just her standing looking at kids (it's far away )

She looks a lot like Siku. The only word of caution I would have is that the people with AKC may be harsh to you. I showed some pictures of Siku to a couple of husky people at a show and they literally made fun of her in front of me. Not a fun experience. That's why I suggested UKC and IABCA. They seem more laided back and add up the good qualities instead of nit picking the bad qualities a dog may have. I was thinking of showing Siku in UKC before she got pyometra and had to be spayed. I think she might have done alright there, but I wouldn't have wasted my money on entering her in an AKC show.

While you're waiting for Bella to be fully trained and if you think you know how to show pretty well, see if your mentor needs an extra set of hands at a show. He/she may let you show one of their dogs. You never know! The first AKC show I went to, I met a local breeder and she had too many dogs win, so she asked if I could show one of her bitches for her. I was shocked since she knew it was my first AKC show and she hardly knew me. But it was fun and kind of weird showing a dog I hardly knew. Oh and you'll notice a lot of the old timers will get after you if you call your dog a dog or a female. They will always correct you that you're supposed to say bitch. lol.

You know about infodog.com right? Here's an AB show in Gilbert. That's not too far away from you right?
http://www.raudogshows.com/pdfs/upcoming-shows/PoconoPL2011.pdf

http://www.infodog.com/panels/pa.htm

When you click on the name of the club putting on the show it will bring you to a page like this:
http://www.infodog.com/clubs/2011262103.HTM

See on the left hand side there are some links to click on?
The judge ones just say who's going to judge. The premium list tells about the show and is advertising the show and what all is going to be there. After the show closes to any more entries there will be a link to see how many dogs were entered (may take a while for them to post the list). I forget what the name of the list is called, but it will show up on the left side with the other links. It's a good way to tell how many other huskies will be there, but doesn't give specific names just amount of dogs, bitches, and champions.

That's not far at all! I do know about infodog. I'm just terrible at knowing cities near me I guess. You're a godsend !!! Thank you so much for all of the help!

I'm going to definitely try and get up for at least one of those days. Gilbert and another on Saturday in Macungie aren't far at all 35-45 minutes! I'm ecstatic!

That's terrible how those people treated you! . I had heard that some of them can be downright nasty! My mentor had said the first time I talked to her that after I finish my classes (if I really enjoy them) and I've had a couple years of experience to stay in contact with her and when the time comes she'd pair me with one of her dogs that she thinks I could handle and let me finish them. She also said that if I'm willing to travel that she would let me learn with one of her veteran dogs.

It's nothing set in stone yet and my first trip down there probably won't be for another couple of months minimum. By then I'll have had at least a few classes under my belt.

I just hope next weeks class doesn't get rained out again or Bella will be a nervous wreck when we start ours in an indoor facility.

Emby's coat was a lot like Bella, and Siku's coat when he was a puppy. Now that he's a few weeks away from 2, it's filled out way more. example!

6 months:

23 months:

Embry and Bella could be siblings :o! He certainly is handsome! He filled out nicely. I guess Bella still might. I'm just really worried she won't. lol.

lol they do look really similar, it's what i thought when i saw your pics of bella lol. i definitely think she will fill in, especially when she blows her coat for the first time