Easiest breed to show?

I train Jr Handlers and honestly it depends on the child.  Several things to think about. Heavy coated breeds obvioulsy require enrourmous effort to groom , bathe and if need be clip.   I am not takling just poodles.... if it has long hair it needs to be scissored and shaped for almost every coated dog.  The child's build and atheletic ability need to be considered, short little legs would not move a larger dog as gracefully, a child who is more active or hyper'ish would not look good paired with a Chihuahua.

I Love to train Juniors on Whippets. They have minimal grooming , even the smallest child can keep up and move with them  they are shown on the floor so they are not tabled, no lifting means no dropping or mishandling the pup by a raw novice. The breed is normally gentle and easy, they are well thought of and easy to stack or move about.

The class youa re taking is a good start but a Junior must be better trained than most of the regular classes offer, in the junior ring they may need to do a triangle or they may get a judge that will walk all around the dog and that JR needs to know how to shift sides and stay out of the judge's view.  I Love Juniors and am looking forward to training my next one. My daughters handled Border Terriers and Irish Wolfhounds along with the RRs and they were fantastic.  We had a blast as a family!

Bonita of Bwana

I believe Jr's are judged based on the handler's showmanship, not necessarily the conformation of the dog, so maybe that helps. 

they are going to have to live with the dog. They might want to consider other factors about breeds other than how easy it is to show.

They are willing to take on any coat type. They know that breeds are different and are willing to learn whatever they need to with whatever breed goes with their family. They are trying to be open minded and let their daughter have fun and dont want to limit what breed she can get. It probably wont be till next year that they get a pup/dog because they want to research and meet with breeders and go to shows. Plus I will be getting an IRWS next year so the little girl will be learning how to train and possibly show her pup/dog with me.

What do you think about a Boston Terrier Bonita? The mom really loves them. I'll mention the Whippet to them and see what they think. 

Beagles make WONDERFUL Jrs dogs. There just enough grooming to teach them to use various tools...the dogs have an affinity for kids...they are a handy size and easy to travel with,...they do not tend to get into it with other dogs...they tend to show well and free stack nicely for food. It's hard to beat a Beagle when it comes to Jrs breeds IMO.

Personally, I think Golden Retreivers make excellent family/kid dogs.  I'd look for a smaller type (45-50 lbs) for a junior handler.  They are such versitile dogs that the girl could do any number of things as they age -- conformation, obedience, rally, agility, tracking, etc.

yes but bear in mind Golden conformation rings are well...errrm...competitive...LOL. Needing 20+ dogs for a 3pt major in many areas will do that! Also the speed at which the dogs are moved could be problematic for a 7y/o....but it'd depend on the kid.

Keep in mind that to have a competive Juniors breed, some breeds have an edge over others. The showy, "big moving" breeds have an advantage in the Juniors ring. Also the dog should be basically show quality structure wise. If the dog has a bad bite, missing testicle or is mismarked that isn't as big of a concern as a structural issue like a bad front, bad topline or some such thing. The dog should have a good, stable temperament too and like to show. Some breeders will place Champions with Juniors, which is worth looking into. You don't want to make the Junior have to work too hard at hiding faults on a dog. A breed/dog that will freestack is almost a must.

  A whippet is a good suggestion for sure and a more popular choice for Juniors. I think the right smooth collie would be nice as well, providing they don't mind the shedding and size. Goldens are a good choice but again you have a bigger dog with lots of hair (show bred Goldens have a TON of coat). A Smooth Fox Terrier could be good as well - they make for flashy little show dogs. Or a Brittany - showy, good size, good natured, not a ton of coat and no huge split in working/show.

kle1986

What do you think about a Boston Terrier Bonita? The mom really loves them. I'll mention the Whippet to them and see what they think. 

Bostons are fun, here's the thing, a short single coated dog is best for a true novice.  As in a child not raised in and around the rings.  A coated dog as I  mentioned earlier requires the family and child to learn to pull the coat to strip them. Aside from wanting to do it correctly to make sure they shape it right..( you do NOT want to know how many eyebrowless terriers I have seen !)  it is painful for the dog as a pup to learn to tolerate stripping from a pro, so a tentative hand is not best. Think plucking your own eyebrows.... if you don't know what you are doing it hurts like the dickens !

Bostons are tabled dogs. So the Junior must be tall enough to work confidently with the table. Picking up and placing the pup/dog , then stacking it.  The junior then has to learn to stack on the ground , kneeling next to the pup/dog.  So off the bact you have doubled the work she must put into her new skills.   In a junior ring you may have one JR on a the Boston another on a boxer, a poodle , a pointer, a ????  It is not a breed specific ring as has been mentioned it is ALL about the Jr.  The judge does not care if they are on a pup or on a retired champion.

The Best Jr's normally work with adult dogs when they begin,  they have to co own or their parents have to co own or own the animal.  Using a retired champion has tremendous advantages. The  dog is already trained and settles quickly in the ring.  The Jr can then focus on their own game. Being able to handle the dog, never blocking a judge's view even when circled, knowing what to wear and how to wear it. Jrs do NOT show up in jeans or pants, you dress for the ring out of respect and competition. Shoes and clothes must show you have a clue so the parents investment is going to include a show wardrobe.  Grooming equipment and show equipment

Finding a Breeder to work with who has an older dog they might lease while she is learning how to handle would be a Great way to get her ready for the puppy she wants.

Bonita of Bwana

Bonita of Bwana

Bostons are tabled dogs. So the Junior must be tall enough to work confidently with the table. Picking up and placing the pup/dog , then stacking it.  The junior then has to learn to stack on the ground , kneeling next to the pup/dog.  So off the bact you have doubled the work she must put into her new skills. 

And that really does make it hard, says the person who is trying to learn to stack the Chinese Crested puppy in a skirt. I think I need a pantsuit.... 

I loooove the whippet idea, and the retired champion who loves to show idea. Show grooming is a whole different ball game from anything you do with a regular pet dog, so.... something that's not too terribly intense is probably better.

Even if they are willing to take care of any coat type, show grooming is a whole 'nother ball game. The dog may not need to be show quality (although it helps) but the dog DOES have to be groomed like the dogs in the breed ring. It's part of presentation and showmanship.

At one show, I watched a friend getting a golden retriever ready, and I was amazed at what had to be done. Thinning, stripping, scissoring, shaving... If they find a local breeder who agrees to be a mentor and train them to do the grooming and help out at shows for a while, then a coated breed could be a possibility. And I would not expect the junior to take full responsibility for the grooming of a breed like that until they are 12-13 years old.

Of course, not all coated breeds are created equal. Samoyeds are surprisingly simple to groom. Thorough line combing, bath, good blow dryer, comb again day of the show, re-fluff with a blower, trim feet and the back of the hocks and you are good to go. Time consuming but not hard. Chalking legs can help some dogs but not really required especially for juniors.

I've also heard from some Samoyed junior handlers that a breed shown mainly by free-stacking is at a disadvantage in the juniors ring. Because it really does not look like they are doing as much. Hand-stacking a dog perfectly looks more impressive to the judge than a dog that seems to come into a perfect stack all on their own. When the dog is free-stacked perfectly the judge does not know if the dog was super well trained by the junior, but somebody else, or just a natural. So it's just not obviously showing the handler's skills in the ring.

Of course, like most showdogs, the dog will be first and foremost a pet so they need to think mainly abouit what kind of dog they want in their home.

I don't think GSDs require nearly as much grooming as other dogs (at least for UKC shows, probably a good brushing, maybe being spritzed with water and the hair blown out with a dryer) and they are often hand-stacked, but again, not a breed for everyone.  I have seen juniors win with GSDs or white shepherds.