The long-awaited and most prestigious dog show in the UK is finally here and dog-lovers all over the country have been putting in a lot of time, effort and dedication to prepare their pup for Crufts 2023!
Lorna Winter, co-founder and head of training at Zigzag, the nation’s number one puppy training app, sharing her top 5 tips for getting your pup Crufts ready – with thousands of dogs competing for a world-class title, it’s time to listen up!
Dressing for success
Obviously, if you’re heading to Crufts, your pup needs to look the part! Grooming is an evergreen part of puppy parenting, but Crufts is the time to push the boat out with a full pooch pamper!
From puppy hair washing and brushing to nail clipping and teeth cleaning, a pampered pup will not only look and feel better, but it’s a great opportunity for you to bond with your dog!
However, as with training, there is not a one-size-fits all approach when it comes to grooming. Our curly-coated and long haired friends such as Cockapoos and Poodles need different care to rough-haired breeds like Irish Terriers and some Dachshunds, so always consult with an experienced expert to find out exactly what your pup needs!
- A classic trick: High five
Who doesn’t want a puppy that can ‘give them some skin’ when the time is right? This fun and simple trick is a great place to start if you’re looking to improve your pup’s repertoire of tricks!
Make sure you start with a clear target, holding your hand out with your palm facing up. You can use a toy or treat to lure your puppy’s nose towards the target. When they make the target, reward them each time to reinforce the behaviour.
Once your pup is consistently responding with high fives, you can add in a verbal cue, ease out the treat or toy and start holding your hand a little higher each time. An easy peasy classic trick sure to get the judges smiling!
- Say Hello: Peekaboo
This fun trick is when your dog sneaks up behind you and peeks through your legs. It can also double up as a safety position as they won’t be bothering anyone else when they’re sitting nicely in between your legs.
Teach your dog a middle position by luring them between your legs from behind, then start asking for the cue when they’re further away so it becomes more of a peekaboo!
- Make them laugh: Achoo!
This playful trick involves doing something called ‘capturing’ and you need to have your dog trained on a word marker. What this means is that your pup knows that when you say ‘yes’, they did something right and a treat is on the way!
When you catch your dog sneezing, say ‘yes’ and grab a treat for them. They might be a bit confused at first, that’s ok, you’re now going to need to wait for them to sneeze again.
There are times of day when your puppy is more likely to sneeze, it often happens when they’re very excited or when they’re a little frustrated – so watch out for this. But remember, the goal isn’t to stress the puppy out, you want them to offer this behaviour regularly for you as a trick to get a reward and make people laugh!
- Yoga dogs: Downward dog
Turn your pup into a yogi and ‘take a bow’ for being such a clever dog!
Start with your pup in a stand and then lure some food toward their nose and down to their paws, encouraging them to follow it – you’ll need to get your hand that’s luring them just right to get them to bow rather than go all the way into a down position.
Mark when their bottom is still up with a nice ‘yes’ and then reward them with a delicious treat – practice makes perfect with this one, they’ll soon be doing downward dog like a pro!
