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The Winning Edge: Show Ring Secrets (Howell reference books) | 
 enlarge | Author: George Alston
Publisher: Howell Book House
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
Buy New: $15.62
You Save: $12.33 (44%)
New (25) Used (19) from $14.55
Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 86898
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 176
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 0876058349
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70888
UPC: 785555038103
EAN: 9780876058343
ASIN: 0876058349
Publication Date: May 16, 1992
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
George Alston, an expert dog handler for more than 30 years, teams with author Connie Vanacore on The Winning Edge: Show Ring Secrets. Combining sports psychology and dog showing, topics include psychocybernetics, the making of a show dog, learning from the competition, and etiquette and sportmanship. The Winning Edge: Show Ring Secrets is "an essential for every dog exhibitor's bookshelf."
Product Description
George Alston has been one of the country's preeminent professional handlers for over thirty years. Now, the secrets of his success are shared with every dog fancier. The Winning Edge is the very first book to apply sports psychology to dog showing. Here, serious exhibitors, including the seasoned veteran, will have the opportunity to develop and polish the skills necessary to take a place in the winners' circle. With award-winning author Connie Vanacore, George Alston shows us all how to gain consistent success in the only sport in which amateurs compete directly with the professionals. Chapters focus on the advantages of being an amateur and underscore the necessity for the mental preparation and psychology that are essential to every exhibitor's success. The authors cover every ingredient in the recipe for show ring success, with chapters on the perfect handler, the making of a show dog, psychocybernetics, where and how to focus when in the ring and learning from the competition. The Winning Edge, an essential for every dog exhibitor's bookshelf, now makes George Alston's professional know-how available to everyone with the desire to win.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 40
 Not Worth Buying, But a Pretty Good Read February 5, 2009
Silver Dragon (New York, NY)
A friend of mine loaned me this book to read. The first thing you must know before you get this book is that unless you've been in the ring at least once, you won't understand a single word of what Alston says.
Alston reveals many showring "secrets" (like sucking on a mint if you're nervous so your dog won't smell the adrenaline in your breath and get nervous himself), and there are a lot of interesting stories and good tips throughout the book.
The one problem of this book is his utter contempt for owner-handlers. He seems to think that they don't know one end of the dog from the other, and that all they do is complain when they don't win and gripe about the politics, while the professional handler is the expert in all situations and never complains about the politics (which is untrue: I know this lady who is a professional handler AND a judge, and she is always complaining about the politics in the ring).
If you seek a book that teaches you how to stack, bait, gait, etc. correctly, then this is not the book for you: Caroline Coile's Show Me! will fit your needs.
 Well, DUH! November 1, 2008
hummerfriend (Sacramento, CA United States)
First of all I'd like to point out that in the introduction of this book it says exactly who it is aimed at: the owner-handler who already knows the basics of showing and wants to beat the pros.
I think that makes it fairly obvious that you will not be getting neophyte-level instruction and at the same time you will be getting a pro's perspective.
With that said I could not put this book down. It's the second one I've purchased (get Peter Green's "New Secrets of Successful Dog Showing" for a great entry-level book) and I have already gained innumerable tips and insight that I will be putting to immediate use. What I found most refreshing was the perspective that the owner-handler is actually at an ADVANTAGE over the pro because 1) he probably only has one dog to focus on and 2) all things being equal the pro is going to be held to a higher standard of performance in the ring. Makes sense to me!
I won't go into every detail of the book but I do have to say that what I appreciated the most was the admonishment to treat your dog as though they are a fine piece of art in the ring. Every touch, every motion on your part should give the impression that you are displaying a priceless Ming vase. So many times I've seen frustrated handlers (let's be honest here--I've BEEN one!) whose handling belays their frustration...particularly if the dog is getting wiggy in the ring. I am going to work on that illusion....that I am presenting a priceless china cup to the judge and they should feel honored to be allowed to handle it. My dog deserves that high respect regardless of whether or not he's the best specimen in the ring that day!
There is a lot of info on campaigning in the Specials that I probably won't use, however I still mined it for jewels.
 Check it out from the library. September 16, 2008
J. Filicetti
This book is definately for beginner show handlers. The book is an extremely quick read with very few "secrets". Anyone who has taken a beginning handling course from someone who has shown dogs would learn just as much or more than what this book offers.
The book is worth reading, but I would pick it up at your local library and read it in a night or two. Not worth adding this to your collection.
Helpful advice for a beginner May 31, 2008
Sheltie Devoted
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I went to my first show before reading this book - I would have avoided a couple of mistakes if I had read it first! Very helpful advice for a novice in the show ring.
FANTASTIC September 19, 2007
Margrét Inga Veigarsdóttir (Iceland)
This book is an absolute must have if you want to enter the wonderful world of dogshows!
I've been showing for some time, and this book tought me so much, made me think things differently and be a better handler.
I absolutely recommend it to everyone involved in showing!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 40
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