KNOWING TO WIN - SHOWING TO WIN
An informative, interactive, immersive conformation event
Because the more you know, the better you show!
Do you win in the show ring as much as you'd like?
Do you wonder how others have success while you leave the ring disappointed again?
Do you know that you can win more JUST by knowing more?
Want to know more? You're in the right place at the right time!
YOU CAN DO THIS!
You can win more. But first, you have to know more.
Learn what you need to know - what the JUDGE needs you to know! - to make the most of your entry fees and your time in the ring.
In this seminar, you'll learn...
- To evaluate your dog the same way a judge evaluates your dog
- The inner game of winning, and how to win that one first, before you go into the ring
- To know your dog's strengths so you can show your dog's strengths
- Clever, fun ways to hide your dog's weaknesses (and EVERY dog has weaknesses!)
- To understand why dogs have to be built right in order to move right
- (Psssst...that last point right up there will help you breed much better dogs that can win even more!)
Yes, It Really Is Possible!
Once you've attended the Knowing to Win - Showing to Win seminar, whether you choose the half-day or the full-day, you'll gain the knowledge and the tools you need to win more in the conformation ring, starting with your very next show!
Knowing to Win
$150
3-Hour Session Covers:
- What judges are looking for
- Deep dive into functional canine anatomy
- The mental game of winning
- Workbook
(no handling instruction)
The more you know, the better you show!
Lunch is included
Knowing to Win - Showing to Win Participant
$270
ONLY 10 PARTICIPANT SLOTS AVAILABLE PER SEMINAR - BOOK NOW!
- Custom workbook
- 3-hour morning session
- Best practice and strategy discussion
- Personalized, one-on-one training with you and your dog, where we'll problem-solve, create solutions and polish your presentation
- Recap of the day & final thoughts
The more you know, the better you show!
Lunch is included
Knowing to Win - Showing to Win Audit
$200
3-hour morning session, plus:
- Best-practice and show-ring strategy discussion
- Learn while watching the hands-on handling session
- Recap of the day & final thoughts
(no personalized handling instruction)
The more you know, the better you show!
Lunch is included
This Seminar Is For You If...
You're new to conformation or have been at it for years...
You want to have a better understanding of what the judge is looking at and looking for...
You want to understand canine anatomy and how it relates to movement...
You aren’t sure why your dog doesn't win more...
You win at the breed level and you want to win more at the Group level...
You're frustrated with the work you put in versus the results you get out...
You understand that the more you know the better you show...
You love dog sports and want to be the best you can be.
NICE TO MEET YOU...
I'm Sandy Weaver
When I got my first purebred dog the only thing I knew about conformation sports was that old punchline, "she's so ugly I wouldn't take her to a dog show!"
My, how times have changed! From my learner-dog, Aleks, to owning, breeding and showing multiple Champion Siberian Huskies, the last forty years have flown by. For the last decade my position in the ring moved from the mats to the center, and it was such an a-ha moment! Suddenly, I could see the mistakes I'd made with my own dogs all those years. I wonder now how much more success they would have earned if I had known then what I know now.
Let me teach you what I know now!
Through the years I've taken dozens of dog-related seminars from people like the late Quentin LaHam, George Alston, Carmen Battaglia, and both Pats - Hastings and Trotter. In addition to being a judge, I'm a professional speaker, trainer and citizen-scientist in neuroplasticity. All of that learning is part of what you'll get in this seminar.
"The perfect amalgam of dog skills and people skills.”
- Cris Horne
“We learned so much from Sandy’s entertaining and informative presentation!”
- MH Allen
“Sandy is an excellent instructor – she is patient, knowledgeable and a great problem-solver!”
- Earlene Winn
Upcoming Seminars...
Australian Terrier Club of America Trust - Perry, GA 4/9/24
Saint Bernard Club of America - Loveland, CO 10/29/24 (link coming soon)
Contact us to plan an event near you. Text or email are the preferred contact method. Thank you!
Want a seminar closer to you?
See below.
Want Your Club to Host a Seminar?
There are lots of ways you and your club can win, too! Click the button and discover the ways you can help people in your area learn while the club earns!
Start Exploring Now...Push This Button
“Sandy is very dynamic, knowledgeable and willing to share her experiences.”
- Ron Ateman
“Sandy Weaver has a wealth of knowledge and most importantly she’s willing to share. She loves people and dogs wanting all parties to achieve their goals. Her e-book is part of my toolbox.”
- Missy Brooks
“Sandy is a great teacher. Her expertise in owning, showing, and judging dogs was evident in the classes I took from her.”
- Cheryl Clark
“These are great classes!! Our winning puppy boy has been a rock star at the shows!! 14pts...both majors within a month!!”
- Nancy Ager
"You are a wonderful instructor !!!!!! Thank you! Your knowledge and encouragement is invaluable."
- Sharon Aenchbacher
As I am showing, so many of Sandy’s teachings pop in my head of what to do and not to do. Her classes have made me more comfortable and a better owner handler.”
- Jen Baker
“Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. The presentation was informative and the storytelling was spot-on.”
- Cindy Jo Proctor
What You'll Experience...
Before you register, think about whether you'd like to learn about show ring handling or not. If you're not interested in handling, or if you,have a breed that I judge and you want to be able to show to me, the Knowing to Win session is for you. Per current AKC rules, someone who takes handling lessons from a judge cannot show to that judge for six months, so we'll cover NO handling at all in the Knowing to Win session. Click here to see the breeds I currently judge - enter 94535 in the "Judge number" field.
If you do want to be part of the handling session, decide if you want to bring your dog or if you'd rather watch and learn. At the Participant level, there will be times when you and your dog will be part of the morning session, demonstrating structure as it affects movement, discussions of breed type, and other points. The afternoon session is all about handling, so Participants will be up and moving for two hours, working with and honing presentation skills. There are only 10 Participant slots available in each seminar, so if you want the personalized handling attention, sign up quickly before those slots are filled. Note: Juniors are eligible for half-day participation and full-day audit only. Participants should plan to bring conformation-trained dogs, not puppies or untrained adults.
If you want to learn more about handling and prefer to watch, choose the "Audit" option. You'll learn presentation skills and tricks of the trade you can practice with your own dog on your own time, can ask questions as the session goes on, and will be there for the wrap-up for the day, where we'll distill the day's information into bite-sized take-aways.
No matter which option you choose, you win, because the more you know, the better you show!
And because that's how my momma raised me, lunch is included at all three levels.
When you register, you'll be taken to an online assessment that should take you less than five minutes to complete. You'll tell me your experience level, your breed(s) and the top three things you want to learn. I use the info to sculpt exactly the day of learning that each group desires! You'll also tell me about dietary and physical limitations you may have so I can appropriately plan for your needs.
The Day of the Seminar...
You'll check in, where you'll receive a workbook customized for you, filled with plenty of note-taking space and plenty of done-for-you pages of information about functional canine anatomy, socialization strategies, the mental game of winning and lots more.
There will be bottled water and light snacks. In the three-hour Knowing to Win session, we'll discuss:
- What judges are looking for when they look at your dog.
- Functional canine anatomy, i.e. what the bones do right when they're right, and what happens when they're not. This is a deep dive into movement as it relates to structure, which will help you be a better breeder, too.
- The mental game of winning. As a citizen-scientist in neuroplasticity, I've studied the power of our brains to either support our success or sabotage it. I'll teach you how to re-program your brain to create an atmosphere for success.
We'll take an hour lunch break, then it's time for those who choose to stay to play with dogs!
We'll spend two hours alternating between discussing show ring best practices, strategies and tricks of the trade, and personalized work with each Participant. Auditors are in on the discussion in this very interactive part of the day, asking questions as Participants get the hands-on learning.
For the final hour, we'll continue Q&A about anything we've discussed during the day, and I'll recap the learning in a way that makes it easy to understand and use later.
You'll leave with your workbook and the tools you'll use to win more in the show ring, because...
The more you know the better you show!
Knowing to Win
$150
3-Hour Session Covers:
- What judges are looking for
- Deep dive into functional canine anatomy
- The mental game of winning
- Workbook
(no handling instruction)
The more you know, the better you show!
Lunch is included
Knowing to Win - Showing to Win Participant
$270
ONLY 10 PARTICIPANT SLOTS AVAILABLE PER SEMINAR - BOOK NOW!
- Custom workbook
- 3-hour morning session
- Best practice and strategy discussion
- Personalized, one-on-one training with you and your dog, where we'll problem-solve, create solutions and polish your presentation
- Recap of the day & final thoughts
The more you know, the better you show!
Lunch is included
Knowing to Win - Showing to Win Audit
$200
3-hour morning session, plus:
- Best-practice and show-ring strategy discussion
- Learn while watching the hands-on handling session
- Recap of the day & final thoughts
(no personalized handling instruction)
The more you know, the better you show!
Lunch is included