Showing your Cavalier

So Lyra’s breeder and I have decided to try and show her It’ll be my first time handling a dog in the show ring so I will have to take handling classes and train Lyra up and such, but this is very exciting for me! No plans to breed or anything—I just want some experience showing and handling. Hopefully we’ll be able to work towards getting her Ch title.

Overall, Lyra is well built—good structure and everything, the only problem is her slight underbite. She’s 7 months old now so her bite could still correct itself, but if by March 2012 (which is the next major show) it hasn’t, I might reassess my decision to show her… I may just have her spayed instead. Lol, I’m not looking forward to all the grooming and cleaning to be done with not being able to trim her fur at all. I’m also really not looking forward to having to deal with an intact bitch!

Anyhow, I know some of you here have tons of experience showing your Cavaliers.. any pointers or advice? I’m really new to this so I’ll just have to learn along the way. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that her underbite will at least become an even bite by then (it is really a very minor underbite—her teeth are touching). I’ve been trying to teach Lyra how to free stack but lol, it is rather hard. Professional handlers make it look so easy!

We are not really looking to win lots of shows and become grand champions or anything, but it would be a great opportunity (IMO) to expose her to the show world. Mostly I would like to learn how to handle well—getting her titled is just the icing on the cake.

I've said before that having the country where members of the forum live on their heading would make life easier for others! Are you in the US or the UK? Because there are differences in the way Cavaliers are shown in these two countries. ByFloSin and others can help with UK, but others in the US will have to help if you live there.

All the best anyway! Showing is fun as long as you don't take it too seriously...

Kate, Oliver and Aled

Lol, sorry, I try to avoid putting my location on there because random people I may not know might figure out who I am because of where I'm from! I'm actually located in Malaysia, but the MKA (Malaysian Kennel Association) standards are the same as FCI standards. The shows however, are the same (or most similar to, I guess) as Kennel Club (UK) shows, as in the points system, etc. etc.

Certain things are pretty different around here, though, and it has taken me a while to adjust, lol. I used to live in Canada and over there showing/breeding contracts, etc. are pretty much exactly the same as they are in the US. Over there, it would be next to impossible to get a show quality puppy at all without any experience. Here though, people are more relaxed about things like these (good in some ways, bad in many others i.e. BYBs are abundant), so I actually had the chance to decide to show Lyra. It helps that I keep in contact with her breeder and we live in pretty much the same geographical location.

I won't be taking this very seriously, I don't think! I don't really have any long term plans like breeding or starting a kennel of my own--I really just want to learn how to show and get some experience. It just seemed like kind of a waste to not do anything with her, since she has an awesome pedigree and is a pretty well-built Cavalier (quite the change from my Papillon, who is too tall for the breed standard and has a sadly abysmal amount of fringing on his ears, so he was sold on a pet/no breeding contract). Also, Lyra was meant to be exported to be shown and titled but that fell through, so she came to me instead.

Anyhow, sorry for the novel. Thanks for the head's up... and any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated! Any tips on grooming? Shampoo? What kind of brushes to use? Any amazing supplements to grow coat?

Thought I'd top up with a picture... Here is a stacked photo of Lyra at 9 months old. Her rear legs need to be a bit further back, but otherwise this is the best stack picture I have!

I don't have any tips, but I just wanted to say that Lyra is SOOOOOOOOOO beautiful. Good Luck with the show and definitely keep us updated!!!! We will be rooting for her! :rah:

Also, just out of curiosity, how much does Lyra weigh? I love her structure.

Thank you so much!! we will definitely be needing all the luck you can muster... she needs to grow more coat asap if we're going to win with her underbite

I haven't gotten Lyra weighed in a month or so... that was the last time we went to the vet's. She was about 10.5lbs then, so I think she should be around 11.5lbs now? She's still in that gangly teenage stage, so I think she will put on a couple more pounds in the next year and maybe mature at around 14-15lbs.

Here is a new, better stacked shot of her:



As you can see, still not much coat! I'm scouring the internet now to find better shampoos/conditioners to help with that, lol.. I'm already giving her salmon oil everyday.