Seen on dog show broadcast - treats kept in handler's mouth?

I met some handlers at open/championship shows that would pop cooked sausage, sardine cake, hot dog or cheese momentarily in their mouths while they stacked the dog for the judge.

For my breed, the Doberman, the fine collar is fairly loose round the shoulders while the judge goes over the Dobe, with one finger keeping the tail up {if the Dobe will not oblige} & the other hand holding the bait to keep the dog alert, with the lead curled in the palm of the hand.

I searched diligently for smart suit/waistcoat suit with small breast pockets to pop handy size treats in, as I am *not* partial to liver, cheese or sausage.

Blunt Object, do your dogs actually manage to eat any of the liver if you love it so much? ; )

I think it has a lot to do with lack of education. Most people only hear that the owner ships them off to be with the handler, so the figure if the dog doesn't actually belong to the handler then how can the handler possibly love that dog. I think some of it has to do with the way handlers act at shows. I have met a lot of great handlers when I go to our local dog show but I have met some who are down right nasty to people and that really makes an impact on peoples opinions of handlers as a whole. People also don't think about the fact that some handlers spend just about every weekend on the road with these dogs. If the handler didn't love and enjoy the dogs there is no way they would be that dogs handler.

Dog Show Handlers

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Some handlers do store treats in their mouth. When you have one hand on the dog's collar and are using the other hand to stack the dog it can be useful to have a dog who knows the treat is in your mouth and its faster to pull a treat from your mouth than your pocket after the dog is stacked.

I know of a handler with very long fingernails who has little bits of liverbait in her fingernails. (ewwww). She plays with her fingernails in the ring while looking as if she's doing nothing and the dog's attention is riveted. The picture this presents to the judge is a dog who is beautifully stacked and alert - showing itself - while the handler is talking to other exhibitors or daydreaming (when nothing could be further from the truth).

I'm not talented enough to hold bait in my mouth... I'd choke. Not to mention the fact that liver is ewwwwww.

Attention training. Put a treat in your mouth and the dog is going to look at your mouth and not worry about what's going on around them. That way the judge can check out the dog easily.

This method of training works well. Just be sure you use a treat you like. I had some guy come to a class with raw liver. Ewww! Trainer said "put the treat in your mouth" and the poor guy looked shocked.

Personally, I use cheese or turkey dogs for bait. Once the dog focuses on me, I spit a piece of treat out at them. If I keep treats in my hands, the dogs focus on my hand instead of what I'm saying. My biggest problem is if I skip dinner before training class I end up eating most of the cheese myself.

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://tr.im/HHIpy

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

It's easier to carry the treat in your mouth, that's all. A lot of people use chicken or beef, so don't worry that they've got soggy dog biscuits in their mouths ;)

Pocketing the food doesn't work, bc then the dog focuses on your pocket and not your face. It keeps them engaged to know that the treats come from the face, not the hip.

They're doing this to free up their hands -- they know they're only going to need both hands for a moment (i.e. in order to steady the dog while the judge examines it), so they pop the treat in their mouth or hold it between their teeth.

It's faster and less distracting than trying to stuff it back in your pocket (if you have them) and then dig it out again.

I do, however, know obedience handlers who store treats in their mouths and spit them to the dog. Keeps the dog's attention on their face. :)

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It's a very basic kind of class. They will help you with your dog, and show you how to work with your dog at home.

They'll also answer any questions you have about your dog's particular problems and how to handle them. The most important thing in dog training is to be consistent and work with your dog at home on the lessons. The PetSmart class teaches sit, down, come, and the very basics every dog needs to know. They will also help socialize your dog. You are unhappy with an untrained dog, and believe it or not, the dog is actually unhappy to. You need to take your dog now, as the older he gets, the harder it will be to correct your dog's bad habits. Plus the classes are fun for you and your dog. My dog went from that first PetSmart class on to advanced obedience classes. You might also contact your local humane society. The one in my area offers obedience classes with a very good trainer at a reduced price.