| "What Not to Wear" There is more to showing dogs than people think. Your wardrobe and style reflects upon the impression your dog makes to the judge. Now, this wouldn't seem fair but it's a way of life. Who would you take more seriously, someone in a nice suit or someone in jeans and a t-shirt?. At shows, we have seen so many poorly dressed people, we started taking photos of them. In creating this page, I decided to look on line at outfits and found these examples to give you a simple guidline of how to dress for the show ring. There are exceptions to every rule!! |
| Men - a suit, jacket/slacks combo is definitely the way to go. If it's an outdoor show in summer, a nice polo is acceptable. You don't want to wear hoodies or tank tops. Shoes, you want the to match your outfit and shoes you can possibly run in or wear all day long. No flip flops. |
| Women - again, a suit with a skirt or jacket is the best option. However a nice top with a skirt and jacket is still acceptable. Think Business professional/casual - your outfit needs to be one you can stack a dog in and run if you are showing big breeds. COLOR - we women have a lot more choices on color but when selecting an outfit - think about if it will look good with your dog. A white dog and a white outfit, not a good choice. A spotted dog with polka dots - don't go there. Patterns are good to wear but be careful and don't go overboard. Feel free to wear bright sassy colors! For Shoes - NO HEALS or OPEN BACKS! There are many great brands out there where you can buy cute comfortable shoes to show in. The final thing to cover is a GOOD BRA - you need to lock and load your "girls" because it's not a pretty picture running around a ring. |
| Ok - hopefully that didn't make you laugh too hard! 3 other things to discuss: |
| Piercings There is nothing wrong with piercings, but for the show ring, you may want to take a few out. Judges can be more conservative and you don't want to offend them. |
| Tattoos Many of us have Tattoos, but in the show ring they can be distracting. Think about your outfits if you have tattoos and covering the larger tattoos up. |
| Hair Styles Everyone loves their hair, but think about how you are going to wear it while showing your dog. Try running and bending and see if your style is not interferring with your dog. |
