Ndgaa dogs for certification

[caninecrazy]

While I've been grooming for sometime, I've only been "pet grooming" for the most part. I grew up with show family and field trial dogs.
Lately, I've become very interested in certification. I recently rejoined the ndgaa. I let my membership go about 10 years ago.
My issue is where to find a show type groomer to mentor and hone my skills for show category. Also none of my clients would qualify for breed standard for certain categories.
I probably could come up with a terrier but not much else.
So, how does one go about finding bichon, poodles, cockers and the like to practice and use?
I admit I've been terribly secluded in my own little shop world but I have skills and would love to better myself.
Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to go about getting proper dogs and advice from advanced certified or show groomers?
I would love to donate one of my days off to go after this.
Thank you in advance for any advice.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

You don't have to have show-quality dogs. You just have to know how to place a pattern correctly, or scissor a non-sporting (poodle/bichon) correctly to hide its faults and emphasize its good points.

For example, my poodle has a short neck. To make it appear longer, I do the body as tightly as I can, especially tight on the sides of the neck, make the topknot a little taller, etc...or I can grow it into a puppy spray-up type of topknot, you name it. Sometimes you have to "build a butt" onto a dog that doesn't have one, etc...

If you have a fox terrier that has a longer muzzle than skull, you can lengthen the brows a bit to make them appear equal in length...

This make sense?

Good luck, I am working on my certification through ISCC and it has been very challenging but I have learned a LOT.

Tammy in Utah

[lexapurple]

Caninecrazy, do not worry about getting show quality dogs for you certification. NDGAA certifyers understand that we work with less than show quality pets on daily basis. What they look for is your ability to execute proper breed trim on a dog and if you know right grooming techniques for the coat type. Any dog that has faults that could be "corrected" by grooming would work.
None of the dogs I certified on were even close to show or even show quality coats but I passed my practicals with grades between 87-96. They will never give anybody a 100 .
For a long legged terrier I had an Aierdale a size of a mastiff with low tail set, eve neck and dipped top line. I carded him out and left fill coat where needed.
For short legged terrier I had a wreck of the westie with long snout and sparse coat that I was able to thicken up by regular plucking and carding and loads of CC Thick and Thicker before testing.
For sporting I had a tiny cocker spaniel that I grew coat for 12 weeks from a short snap on trim. She was overweight, cow hocked and very wavy coated low tail set and high ear set and wry mouth. I clipper trimmed her back.
All of them belong to my clients and I made a deal with them. They brought their dogs in every two weeks and weekly for baths for nominal fee for as long as I needed their coats to grow before certifications, and they got a free groom at the end.
Just take a plunge and look at you clients dogs with imagenative eye. Do they stand well for you during grooming? No major faults that can not be covered by grooming? Have coat that you could show you skills on? Owners are willing to grow coat out and let the dog travel with you? You got yourself a certification dog.

[cybercat]

I am planning on doing the ICSS and your question has gone threw my mind too. Living here there are few if any pure breds. I think I am going to buy my own as I only need 3. I already have 2 for the dermateck but need the 3 for the pet mater part. Since I was already planning on getting a standard poodle that part is taken care of in a way. The other two I firgure I could get then when done with them pass them off to another groomer that need them for certifiing. But this is all way down the road as first I have to get signed up for it.

Best thing I heard was attend dog show talk to owner handlers not the pro handlers. Ask them to show you how to do the hand stripping or what ever breed you need help with after the show. Most will and you might be able to borrow one of theirs for a practical after you built a good relationship with them. Remember AKC is not the only register. UKC has the most owner handlers in conformation shows. Although they do have fewer shows than AKC so check both.

[caninecrazy]

Thanks so much for your replies, that takes a load off. For some reason I thought they had to be breed standard.