DAY-BEFORE SHOW SET-UP
When packing to leave for a dog show you want to make sure you have everything you need to present your dog at the highest level. I will be breaking apart the photo of my "halloween" set up from a few years ago of all the basic things you should have in your set up!
Blue circle: Power you make to make sure you have an extension cord or two that way you can reach plugs to be able to run hair dryers, force dryers, flat irons or fans.
Purple Circles: if your dog is not table trained you need to have a grooming arm for your table, I recommend that even if they are table trained you bring an arm just in case you need it. Your grooming arm should be placed on the table so that you have access to the show side of the dog (left side) and they should be placed so that the dog is facing where ever you put your tack box.
Yellow Circle: these are your wash buckets, you should be laying your dog on their side every day after the show and bathing out the hair spray with shampoo in one bucket and conditioner in the other, you need warm-hot water to really break down the hairspray. I recommend bringing a kettle as well, some places do not have warm-hot water. You will also need two sponges to use with the wash buckets (one for shampoo, one for conditioner).
Red Circle: your tack box filled with all your essential grooming tools (you dont want to forget that!)
Purple Circles: if your dog is not table trained you need to have a grooming arm for your table, I recommend that even if they are table trained you bring an arm just in case you need it. Your grooming arm should be placed on the table so that you have access to the show side of the dog (left side) and they should be placed so that the dog is facing where ever you put your tack box.
Yellow Circle: these are your wash buckets, you should be laying your dog on their side every day after the show and bathing out the hair spray with shampoo in one bucket and conditioner in the other, you need warm-hot water to really break down the hairspray. I recommend bringing a kettle as well, some places do not have warm-hot water. You will also need two sponges to use with the wash buckets (one for shampoo, one for conditioner).
Red Circle: your tack box filled with all your essential grooming tools (you dont want to forget that!)
Red Circle: stand dryer, we had a lot of poodles this weekend so we brought the stand dryer to make it easier to bathe out dogs neck hair after the show and completely bathe dogs and dry them as well.
Yellow Circle: you should bring chairs to the show, I highly recommend the stools you get at Canadian Tire, they also are great when washing out your dogs neck hair to put the wash buckets on, they are about the perfect height.
Orange Circles: your tables (you dont want to forget those!)
Blue Circle: the totes, I pack a variety of things in totes. Extra bedding, extra towels, first aid kits (both human and animal) grooming smocks, shampoo, conditioner, sprays etc. Totes are the best way if you have lots of little stuff that doesn't fit in your tack box or doesn't belong. I also have a totes that goes to the hotel with me full go extra blankets, toys, supplements, slip leads etc.
Yellow Circle: you should bring chairs to the show, I highly recommend the stools you get at Canadian Tire, they also are great when washing out your dogs neck hair to put the wash buckets on, they are about the perfect height.
Orange Circles: your tables (you dont want to forget those!)
Blue Circle: the totes, I pack a variety of things in totes. Extra bedding, extra towels, first aid kits (both human and animal) grooming smocks, shampoo, conditioner, sprays etc. Totes are the best way if you have lots of little stuff that doesn't fit in your tack box or doesn't belong. I also have a totes that goes to the hotel with me full go extra blankets, toys, supplements, slip leads etc.
Things not in the picture you might want to bring
X-pens: they can go either outside or a lot of shows allow you to have indoor x-pens however, with indoor x-pens you will need to put down a plastic sheet (like a painters sheet) and tape where the front of the x-pen is to the floor. You will then need to pull the sheet up the back and sides of the x-pen and tape it to the pen (especially if you have boys) then you can put either wood shavings down in the pen or paper. For poodles I recommend paper as the wood chips get stuck in the poodles coat and can be difficult to get out.
Coolers: you can put human food and drink in, as well as your dogs raw food (if you feed raw) until you get to the hotel (if your hotel has a fridge) I recommend getting a Koolatron cooler that you can plug in both in the car and at the show especially if you are traveling far away or your hotel does not have a fridge.
Coolers: you can put human food and drink in, as well as your dogs raw food (if you feed raw) until you get to the hotel (if your hotel has a fridge) I recommend getting a Koolatron cooler that you can plug in both in the car and at the show especially if you are traveling far away or your hotel does not have a fridge.
