Show Dress Tips

Taking special care of how handlers dress for a show not only helps to present the dogs well, it also shows respect for the judge under which one shows. The standard show dress code for the handler should be such as one would wear to church on Sunday. The goal is present a well dressed, clean appearance.

Men

Shirt and tie: No T-shirts, or cut off sleeves. No shirts with printed messages.

Coat: Rule of thumb, if the judge is wearing a coat, so should the handler.

           If it’s very hot, shirt sleeves are permissible

Pants or dress shorts: No change in pockets or anything that will jingle such as keys.

          No blue jeans or dirty, stained trousers.

Socks

Shoes: Comfortable, running shoes, preferably laced. No loose sandals.

            NO BARE FEET!

Jewelry:  Tasteful

Women

Blouse: Should be modest, no low cut tops. Check by bending over in front of the mirror.               

              What you see is what the judge will see. No shirts with printed messages.

Coat: Optional, if the judge is female and wears one, wear yours!

Skirt: If worn, it should be loose. It's very hard to run in a tight skirt! No short skirts.

Underwear:  Please wear some if wearing a skirt.

Pants, dress shorts, culottes:  No change, keys, or anything that can jingle in pockets

Panty hose: Optional, nicer if worn with skirts

Socks

Shoes: Comfortable, running shoes, preferably tie down ones. No heels, loose sandals, or               

            flip-flops. NO BARE FEET.

Jewelry: Tasteful, no long necklaces that can swing forward and hit the dog

Color Tips: Wear colors that will create a good background to your dog. If your dog is dark, and has a nice top line, wear light colored clothing to enhance it. If your dog is light, with a nice top line, wear dark clothing. If the dog has a poor top line, wear same colors as your dog, to camouflage it!

Some professional handlers will not wear Red in the ring. It’s the color for second place. Some will wear only Blue (first place) or Purple (best in show), they feel it gives them a psychological advantage with the judge. In general, wear clothes in colors that flatter you and show off your dog.

Good luck!