There are many good videos on showing coonhounds, how to pick out a pup with good confirmation, grooming tips and how to correct a hound’s faults on the bench and I cannot possibly compete with them. But I do have some tips and tricks that I have learned through the years on my own and with the help of others, which you might find useful.

The first thing to do is to get a pup from good breeding. There are no guarantees buts a pup from good show stock would be a wise choice. Before picking out a pup, check out the pup’s bite. The teeth should meet in front or the upper teeth just barely overlap the bottom teeth. This is called a scissor bite. If you choose a male pup, check for both testicles to be descended. If they aren’t, then the dog is considered a cryptorchid, which means only one testicle has descended and this dog cannot be shown and should not be bred. So, if you intend to have a show dog, choose another one. It’s sometimes hard to decide which young pup to choose. They are all so cute and look so much alike at 2-3 months. Some people wait a little longer to pick out a pup if they are specifically looking for a show dog. You can tell more about their looks as they get older. There are lots of points to look for; too many to mention here but a few important ones are straight legs, long ears, dark eyes, nice tight feet and a fluid gait.

One thing to remember is to handle your pup lots while he/she is growing. Touch his/her feet especially! Pick them up, lightly squeeze them, and get them used to you messing with their toes and pads. This will help later on in your bench training. Also, run your hands along your pup’s body, up and down it’s legs, sides and head. Look at his/her teeth. All these things will help your hound be comfortable on the bench.

How a dog looks on the ground is becoming more important in the UKC show, as it always has been in AKC. When you gait your hound for the judge, there is no way to correct faults like you can when your hound is on the bench. I feel that obedience training plays an important part in the show ring. A dog that knows how to heel and is not pulling on the leash is easier for the judge to see its confirmation. I always start my young pups with basic obedience training and I feel that it has helped me in the show ring.

Now to the actual bench training…A lot of people set both front feet/legs at the same time by supporting the dog with a hand under the chest between the legs. I prefer to place each front paw, one at a time. I can’t say which way is better. I know that I prefer placing each foot individually. Make sure that when you set each foot, that the toes are nice and tight. You can squeeze the toes together when placing that foot down. This is where that extra handling early on pays off! When I go around to the back of the hound to set his/her hind legs, I do set these together. After setting feet, I look at my hound from all sides: front, back and side. This way you can see if you have stretched your hound’s hind legs too much, if you’ve set the front legs too close or too far apart or if the hound is leaning. It’s much easier to judge a hound that is standing still and straight. The judge is able to see the straightness of the legs, the muscling on the hound and his general appearance and confirmation.

A hound needs to be alert on the bench. You shouldn’t let him/her relax and start to slouch. That will allow the hound to sag along the top line and go down in his front feet. To keep this hound on his toes which will also keep that top line looking good is to grab a bit of skin under his chest just behind his front legs and give it a pinch. This will bring him up on his toes and keep him alert. This is the way he should be when he’s on the bench. And one very important point: NEVER get between the judge and your dog! Always allow the judge every opportunity to look at your dog. That last look just may be the deciding glance to a win!

Some handlers are pretty harsh with their hounds in their bench show training. But I have found that if your hound enjoys being on the bench, he performs better. He will look forward to the daily bench show training, which is needed while you’re actively showing your hound. Some people even practice on the bench as much as twice a day before a big show. You need to see what works best for you. And each dog is different; some will sour with TOO much time on the bench. It takes time to figure out that hound and what you can do to make him more responsive in the show ring. That’s the challenge!

I have found that one of the hardest things to accomplish with your show dog is to keep his head looking forward and staying still. This is where you will see a lot of handlers with a heavy hand. Some will almost be abusive to that hound on the bench. And this is not supposed to be allowed on the bench but I have never seen it enforced. Repetition, patience and insight are the keys to successful bench show training. I enjoy traveling with my hounds to the shows. I find it personally rewarding when they perform up to their potential. And the hound knows when he performs well and my hounds expect extra hugs and treats for their good performance!