# what age are you ready to start?



## Fur Elite (Nov 4, 2009)

If a poodle has not been clipped down at the age of 6 months, they are ready for the ring, probably won't win (though every now and then you see a young puppy get put up...not often though). Even at this age, there will be differences in coat length between those that grow hair fast and those that don't. If the coat has been clipped or shortened prior to this, you probably aren't going to have a chance and really, you just have to evaluate how the hair is growing. Some people shave their puppies down with a 4 blade or so early on, and at 6 months they are not competitive but sometimes by 9 months they are, just depends. If nothing else, it is good experience in the ring for when they are more competitive later. But if you are trying to save your money and time, probably a puppy that was clipped down just isn't going to do much before they are a year old, and then be basically non-competitive until they are over 18 months old. Unless you have a "super puppy". If you have a nice dog but not just something majorly outstanding, I would probably assess whether my puppy at least looks similar to the ones in the ring, and if not, hold out and show sporadically at cheap, local shows for experience until you are truly ready to enter as a competitor. But if it is just for fun, do what feels best to you. My main goal would be not to enter the ring with something that people gawk at, wondering why I had entered.


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## Fur Elite (Nov 4, 2009)

Could you post a picture? I am thinking the shorter leg hair and the tail and ears are going to be a problem for you for a while.


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## bucksmom (Jan 2, 2010)

I am thinking they will be a problem as well for a while because I know from days of grooming competition that if I lost hair in those areas I was screwed! Let me chase him down and take a pic....Be right back....
Darn cell phone camera...take pics too dark and when I lighten them in photo shop they are just grainy. 
Ok...hubby set me up with digi cam...how is this?


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## Fur Elite (Nov 4, 2009)

Your legs are a huge problem. They really need to grow as well as that tail. Can't really see the ears very well, but they are probably a concern and it looks like there is very little neck hair. Those legs though. Puppy hair grows fast, but the legs need to be very full to balance out the body. You are probably looking at several months at the minimum. How old is the pup? Can you go to the poodle pics and look at my pics of Poodles at Play. That puppy is 5 months old, but see how full the legs are? You need to achieve this sort of balance.


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

bucksmom said:


> I am thinking they will be a problem as well for a while because I know from days of grooming competition that if I lost hair in those areas I was screwed! Let me chase him down and take a pic....Be right back....


Oh dear. You have a long road ahead of you. I don't think he will be able to show as a puppy. He will need to re-grow his tail, top-knot and neck hair, but the biggest problem I think is that his ears have been tassled. All that hair is going to have to grow out and that is going to take some time.


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## bucksmom (Jan 2, 2010)

Thanks guys and yes, I agree and thought so....I had no hopes of jumping right in the ring with him. He is 6 months old. Yes, he has very little neck hair too. So, I should just keep a regimen for growing coat, and we will get there one day, right?!
I plan to do some handling classes with my local club which I am a member of, and maybe even work on an OB title or Rally while he grows.
Thanks for the looks at him. He is super sweet and has a great texture to his coat, and the color is very uniform at this point, so I will let him grow. Any thing else I should know or do? 
Does anyone here do UKC showing? I heard they can be shown in like a Sporting clip...wondering if I could show him there while I wait for him to grow?


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## Fur Elite (Nov 4, 2009)

Is that dog blue or silver? Very pretty in any case. Yes, let him grow and do whatever else you want to with him. Re-evaluate when he is a year old for comformation. You could show him in UKC, just make sure you don't cut at the topknot or neck (or anywhere you need hair for AKC) to "make him look better"!


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## bigredpoodle (Sep 13, 2009)

UKC seems to quite popular for poodle folks. I think it might be a good place for you to start and let the hair grow. 
I know mine that I am taking out in February is not long enough either. But I plan to brace myself for lots of advise


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## bucksmom (Jan 2, 2010)

Good attitude to have Bigred! Well, I originally purchased him for obviously companionship and performance sports, but the breeder so encouraged me to try to show him ...if nothing else in UKC (his grandsire I think was like the #1 Parti in UKC last year or something). I will enjoy him as he already has healed the 3 year old wound of my Logan-poodle passing, and whatever else we do...gravy baby!
Thanks for being so nice guys!


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

heh, I just saw you on groomers.net! He certainly needs more hair for now, so I'd be just enjoying him, brushing and not worrying about shows for quite some time. Good luck!


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I don't think it's a big thing not to take him out as a puppy. I mean it's all really to just get both you and the puppy experience and you can do that with UKC while his hair is growing out as long as you don't enter him in a specific catagory (I'm not 100% up on the rules of UKC) where the hair has to be 1". Otherwise just grow out the hair for continental and have fun with him while he's little. That puppy coat is a lot of work and then as they transition they start matting and it becomes a hot mess if you don't stay on top of it.


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## thestars (May 2, 2009)

If you would like to know more about UKC showing just PM me as I have done that as well as IABCA.


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## Poodlepal (Nov 1, 2009)

Wait until he has grown out as an adult and get your practice in with classes and other types of shows like the ukc and the internationals.


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