As you can tell from my blog, thus far I've been a "performance person." I have pretty much every imaginable bit of stuff one needs to do dog agility, obedience & rally. Teeters, tunnels, utility articles, etc.
What I don't have is "conformation stuff." Since Rip is supposed to be a conformation dog, I guess I should get some of that.
So my questions for all of you conformation folks:
What dog stuff can't you live without?
What websites do you shop at?
What other stuff do I need to show in conformation, too?
To give you an idea where I'm at, I don't even have a grooming table....
Thanks in advance for your help. And if The Husband is reading this, I promise to sell some stuff on eBay to get the money to pay for it all :)
A table and a dryer were my first purchases, both off eBay. Table was (and still is) a good purchase, but don't buy a cheap dryer. I was shunned at shows for having such a squealy dryer.
ReplyDelete. . . or just get a handler who will train, wash, dry, and show your dog. Okay, sometimes I bathe and show my own dog -- but the other stuff is more fun.
ReplyDeleteI would go to a dog show and buy a chain collar and show lead...
ReplyDeleteTable and arm are good to have, and a dryer, like Janet said. I had a Metro Air Force for years and it was fine.. I have a Double K dryer now and like it quite a bit.
Product for the coat I have found is regional... some people use stuff and some people dont. Talk to the local dog show folk and ask some questions - or better yet, hang out with them as they are getting ready for a show - you can watch the whole thing :)
Good luck with little Rip - he's a doll! :)
Things we use the most: grooming table (from Craigslist), grooming arm, leather lead and show collar (all from show vendor), and a good dryer. We did without the dryer for a while and now I don't know how we did it.
ReplyDeleteMove back to the PNW and bum off other people ;)
ReplyDeleteTable w/grooming arm, dryer, greyhound comb, nice pin brush and boar bristle brush (beauty supply store for a nice but inexpensive one), a small electric trimmer for shaving out pads, show choke and lead - I wouldn't invest in a nice leather one until Rip is older; no sense in having him chew a $60+ lead when he can chew an $8-10 one :). A gear bag to carry all this crap - I use one designed for scrapbooking because it's got lots of small pockets and the like that hold brushes, combs, towels, etc. Clothes in colors that complement your dog w/pockets for bait.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a Yahoo list where people trade dog show equipment - that might be a good place to look for some of this too.
Once you get a table and dryer, you'll wonder how you did without. Even for dogs who are "just" performance dogs.
ReplyDeleteEspecially the table.
How about this? You're in my neck of the woods and I would love to let you run through my grooming/show stuff and give you an idea of what is the short list as well as the long list for conformation showing? I've got a good handle on the best buys-show vendors and online around here and love to pass those on to you.
ReplyDeleteAs well, I could certainly use the services of The Child to socialize the Dirty Dozen puppies down here!
Drop me a line if you are interested! fogebotom@yahoo.com
Lani, I am not as close as Cindy, but also show down your way occasionally, and would love to share space and equipment as you get going. I rarely use my table at home, but I use my dryer all the time. I would start with the dryer, and show lead and collar so you have them to practice. I hope you love showing and get hooked!
ReplyDeleteDitto what everyone has said so far. I would add Dremel tool for nails, if you don't do that already. I resisted for a long time, but now that I grind nails instead of clipping, I can get them so much shorter and prettier.
ReplyDelete