“The Plays The Thing”

 or Showing your Skye Terrier

So you have decided to show your Skye Terrier.  Sometime in the future you WILL truly wonder at your sanity at the time this decision was made, but for now let’s touch on a few items that might (or might not) make showing your Skye more fun or perhaps even more successful.

First, build a picture in you mind of the ideal Skye Terrier. How long is it? How much neck? Is the Skye looking up or down? What kind of topline does it have? What about its tail set, coat, ear-set? How does it move? Have you ever seen a Skye that came close to this picture? What did you like about that dog? And more to the point, what would you change or add? This is more important then you can imagine. If you don’t know what you are aiming for then way aim at all.

How far away from your ideal picture is your skye? Now be honest!! If you are not it can lead to a lot of expense and heartache, because no matter what anyone says there is a lot of ego and self-image tied up in our show dogs. If in your humble opinion your skye is at least as good and better then many of the ones you have watched in the ring, then you might want to give this game a whirl. Before you begin you also might want to set some goals, both financial and in terms of time. At a certain time, you will have to say that that is enough. When will that be? Have a idea before you start. You can always revise the plan but its good to have one to start with.

Got that picture still in your mind? Now, how can you get your Skye to look like that? Could you comb their coat a little differently? Could you stack or stand them so that they look more like your mental picture. A good trick is to have a place at home where you can place a grooming table in front of a mirror so that you can see the picture you are making for the Judge. You may already have an area in your home set aside for your dogs or for grooming them. If you have a little wall space, purchase an inexpensive dressing mirror or square of mirrored glass and hang it so that instead of it being vertical it is horizontal. Two mirrors are better, one at table level and one at the level where you can see your skye gaiting. The top-of-the-line version is to have a mirror table level and two placed end to end along a wall or hallway at a level so that you can see your skye moving as you pass in front of them. This level may not be at the level of the dog, but a little higher so that the angle will allow you to see them as they move. This will help you immeasurably when it comes to showing your skye and actually is very inexpensive. You can try different speeds, different baiting techniques, and different stacking methods until you feel comfortable with how you and your skye are working as a team. You will be surprised at what the Judge sees and what you thought you were showing them. Practice putting them on the table and watch to see the picture you make for the Judge as you do this. Work until you can present your skye with confidence.

Now, lets talk about in the ring. Does he move a little close in the rear?  In the front? How does their side gait look? Find a good honest friend or a knowledgeable (and most important) tactful person to help you evaluate your Skye. You don’t need to be shot down in flames, you only need an objective opinion. Hopefully your good and knowledgeable friend will help you find out some very important things about your Skye. Gait you Skye at different speeds with your friend acting as the Judge and then you acting as the Judge. You will find that there is a speed that truly shows your Skye to its best advantage. Don’t just gait them around in a circle, but work them down and back. There will be a speed at which you pal looks their (the dog, not your friend). If you gait your dog too fast they may tend to move closer in the rear or tend to throw their front. Or they may tend to break their smooth gait if they go too fast. To slow and they may tend to plod or pace. Practice this speed until it feels natural and you can do it without looking like you are trying. Now back to the subject at hand. Try different speeds and different leads to see which one comes closest to keeping your Skye looking like your ideal picture. This mental photo will became something you strive for in showing or perhaps breeding. Always keep this picture close at hand and try to be objective about your “wee dogs”.

We would all like to believe that our dog is the ideal, but if you look closely, there is a fault (usually several). Is your dog a little shorter then you would like - try combing the hair smooth over their neck and withers. Make sure that the dead coat has been worked out of this area and the adult coat lays smooth. Also, instead of keeping the part all the way to the base of his tail, stop the part about 1 to 1 ½ in. prior to that point and comb the coat back over the base of their tail. Also brush the leg coat so that it flows back from the hocks and the coat at the base of the tail so that it flows over the tail and extends the picture. If their tail set a little low this will also help that.  Work with your Skye in different situations such as handling classes and matches so that they (and you) feel more comfortable in the ring. You would like them to feel comfortable so that their tail flows off the end of their back. This adds greatly to their image of length of back.

Is she a little short on neck? Try bringing the lead up behind the ears and up under the chin right behind the jaw bones.  Put your left and in the loop of the lead just between the ears and bail them so that they are looking down. The lead should not be so tight that they can’t look down easily, but it should be high enough so that they will arch their neck as they look down at the bait. If they will not bait, then you can put your right hand in the loop between their ears and place your thumb and index finger behind and at the base of the ears. This will give a picture of an alert ear carriage even if they are not deciding to be alert at the time and add to that picture of a nice length of neck. You can also move your hand in the lead slightly forward to again add to the picture of length.

Don’t stand and bait them so they look up at you. Unless you want them to have that little dip behind the withers and look like they have less neck then we all know they do. Bait them down, and if possible get down so that the picture of you and them makes a pleasing combination. 

Now to bait a Skye you need to find something that they love and do not get any place else. If it is liver, then this is the only place where they get liver. If it is hot dogs, then again, only here. Yes, you can teach you Skye to free bait! A friend of mine starts to teach her puppies when they are only weeks old. She spends some time hand feeding them. This can work for Skye pups as well but remember that you can’t tease a Skye. If you promise, by word or action that they will get a treat, then there darn well better be a treat coming…SOON! As they learn that there will be a treat coming, you can lengthen the time in between treats. They become very attentive to the handler and as you continue to give them their treats this way you will find that you can wait longer between pieces and they will hold that alert pose longer. Find something that your Skye loves. Food? Toy? Something to help with the motivation. Make showing as much fun as you can. Be firm about what you want done but don’t stint on the praise and rewards.  Your tone of voice will be important! Practice what you will say and how you will say it. Watch your Skye and see their reaction. Try different tones and different words and even different sounds. You will soon find out what works, at least at home. In the ring you will sometimes need to work up a new repertoire and this always seems to happen at the most inopportune times. Even using a different dogs name can get an alert reaction from them. BUT REMEMBER, don’t overuse them. If you find something that works, make a mental note of it and again, try to use it only in the ring. Like with anything or anyone else something you hear constantly, you tend to ignore.

Now, remember, you are showing a Skye terrier and not a German Shepherd or a Cocker Spaniel. What says Skye to you? Train your dog to show that way. They have their own pace and their own special traits that make them special.  Strive for a long, low and level Skye with a lovely length of neck, an alert ear carriage and a tail that comes straight off the back with an easy-going gait that shows their reach and drive. This sounds like a lot but if you work on their attitude (and yours) and animation this will not be as hard as it sounds. A long time breeder used to say that you should gait your Skye terrier like you were taking a walk in the park. Keep that air of confidence in your stride and theirs and you will make an appealing picture for the Judge and show your “best friend” to their best advantage.

In everything we have touched on the one point that should be noted is that you want you and your skye to look natural. Anything that is overdone or obvious will take away from the picture you are trying so hard to paint, not add to it. As it has been said many times, “Moderation in everything”.

One final point!! If your ideal skye is the couch potato living in your home then this is a “Game” that you may not want to play. There will be many people out there who do not agree with your and you will enjoy your “wee dog” much more without this kind of feedback. However, even if you decide not to show your Prima Donna, the training we have talked about will stand you in good stead as you walk down the street and people pause to admire your beautiful and well trained Skye Terrier.

Now for the big finale!! After it is all over and their time in the spotlight is past, remember that they are very special members of your “family” and spend time just loving them.

And now just a tickler about an upcoming column. We will be working on coat care and techniques. Did you know that you can buy glycerin at the drug store and dilute it 20 to 25 parts water to 1 part glycerin and spray the coat lightly to product a lovely healthy shine on the coat? If you know other techniques that work for you please write and let me know.