What is Ringcraft Training for Dogs?

We, at Manners4Paws run a Ringcraft Club in Rackheath and Potter Heigham, Norfolk. But what is Ringcraft? If you have a Pedigree dog, who is Kennel Club registered you may like to start exhibiting your dog at dog shows. When watching Crufts on the TV,  it just looks like a lot of posing and running around, but a lot of training goes into it, Ringcraft Training. Not only do you have to train your dog to stand still in the correct position and be 'gone over' by a judge, and walk or trot nicely on the lead, you as a handler, have to learn how to get the best out of your dog and how to present your dog to the best of your abilities. 

Ring Craft?..... The area in which you show your dog is called the Ring. The art of showing your dog is a Craft. (Maybe?) Although always square or rectangular, the area is still called a Ring. As with a Boxing Ring. In fact if you just search for Ring Craft in Google it will probably bring up Boxing classes. So we usually spell it as one word. Ringcraft. 

How to find a Ringcraft Club near you. Not many Ringcraft Clubs have websites. If you search in Google you may find Dog Trainer who can offer a Ringcraft lesson, but they probably don't run a regular club. Always look for pictures on their site to prove that they run a club. Pictures with dogs all standing up, rather than sitting down. You may be able to find out if they themselves show their dogs, what breed they have and what level they show at. Most Ringcraft Clubs will have a Facebook page or a private group (like we do). This should have lots of pictures so you will be able to get a good idea of what they do. There is also a Facebook page called 'Ring Craft Clubs UK'. You can join the group and ask where your nearest club is, someone will help you. Its always best to be referred to a Ringcraft Club. So if you know anyone who shows their dog (maybe your dog's breeder), they may be able to recommend somewhere to go. 

When to start Ringcraft Training. Most people who show their dogs will want to start training as early as possible (after their vaccinations). This is a way to socialise puppies, get them use to the environment and what is expected of them as a show dog. At 6 months old you can enter your puppy at shows and so they have to be show ready by then. However, if you want to start showing your dog you can at any age, it is never too late. 

What makes Ringcraft different from Puppy Training? Unlike most 'Puppy Training', Ringcraft is not teaching obedience in the normal sense. There is NO puppy play time! No sit, down or come. The main commands in Ringcraft are 'Stand', 'Wait' and 'Heel / Close'. You usually take it in turns to show your dog (as if you were at a dog show). Some clubs hold special Novice Handler classes where they will spend time with you and teach you as a handler what is expected and how to show your dog. Others will let you join in with everyone else and learn as you go. 

Is dog showing for anyone? Dog showing is a great hobby of which I started at the age of 5. My family would take our dogs to a fun show (companion show) nearly every weekend. Fun shows are meant to be fun. You meet like minded people and enjoy yourself. Buy some raffle tickets, a bacon roll and enter as many classes are you like. At this level it doesn't matter if your dog has 3 legs, it can still enter classes like 'Dog with the waggiest Tail' and win. It is just fun. However, when you go up a level to an Open show or even the top level, a Championship show, your dog is judged against its Kennel Club breed standard. The slightest imperfection and it is marked as a fault by the judge. This could be something simple like; its ears are too big, its coat isn't the correct texture, its legs (or angulation) aren't the correct shape or (the common one) its teeth are not correct. Now this can still be fun, but if you don't win and wonder why, you have to look at the quality of your dog to understand if your dog is a good show dog or not. Ringcraft will teach you and your dog HOW to show, but it can't change the appearance or structure of your dog.