Silly question I guess but do you heat up the hot dog first? We are attending our very first handling class tonight. Thanks!
It’s your preference. Some people cook the hot dogs and then slice and squish between paper towels to get rid of the fat so it’s not as messy. Some people use them raw.
Whatever you like best - especially if it has to go in your mouth or your pockets. 
Personally, I hate hot dogs as bait - they are very slippery and I am afraid I’ll choke or drop it. My favorite bait is cooked steak, in slices, and squeezed between paper towels so it’s dry. It doesn’t crumble, it’s not slippery, and you can let your dog nibble off pieces without having to give him the whole thing.
Have fun! What breed?
An 11 mo old golden retriever.
The class was really fun. Mostly way more experienced handlers there but they were all super friendly and willing to take time to share lots of helpful tips.
Yay! Actually, probably better to take a class with more experienced handlers than a bunch of beginners because you can watch them.
Are you entering a show soon?
I often use hotdogs. I slice, put on a paper towel, sprinkle with garlic powder, then microwave to dry up a bit. Pull them out, put another paper towel on top and squish out more water. Voila!
Chicken is even easier: buy this! More expensive than hotdogs. Now I have a reeeeally hard time eating plain chicken or hotdogs because I think of those foods as dog treats :lol:.
I am trying to find a nearby match show to stay your in but having a hard time navigating info dog. Any tips or other sites you can recommend?
[QUOTE=Lion1024;7746085]
I am trying to find a nearby match show to stay your in but having a hard time navigating info dog. Any tips or other sites you can recommend?[/QUOTE]
Usually the best place to look for match shows is from local kennel clubs. If you know which kennel clubs are near you, they may have a website that tells you when/where there is a match. Very often it’s connected with a regular All-Breed show…e.g. after Best in Show, or somewhere else on the grounds.
Unfortunately you might not be able to find out without reading the premium list for other shows (that’s the document that tells which clubs are hosting, who the judges are, entry closing dates, etc.) One way to find shows in your area is to "search by state:. Here is the link for PA shows:
http://infodog.com/panels/pa.htm
To read the premiums, look for shows that say AB under “type” and click the link for the Kennel Club name. It should give you a premium list option (usually a .pdf file).
For example - this is the Premium for the Lehigh Valley Kennel Club - show is 9/13/14 and it is closed.
http://www.raudogshows.com/pdfs/upcoming-shows/BlueMt-PL2014%20(2).pdf
But, if you read the premium, you can see that they are sponsoring match shows:
FRIDAY EVENING - MATCH SHOW - SEPTEMBER 12,2014
ALL BREED AND MISCELLANEOUS
LEHIGH VALLEY OWNER HANDLER ASSOCIATION
MACUNGIE MEMORIAL PARK
JUNIORS STARTING AT 6:00 P.M.
NEW FUN COMPETITION:
“SENIOR SHOWMANSHIP”
GIFT CARD FOR BEST SENIOR
CONFORMATION STARTING AT 6:15 P.M.
FMJ - KATHY POOLE-PRICE E-Mail: kzpck9@aol.com
CARLA CLOSE (610) 791-1061 carlencav@botmail.com
ALL BREED CONFORMATION MATCH WITH JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP
SPONSORED BY THE GARDEN STATE AKITA CLUB
SEPTEMBER 13, 2014
AT MACUNGIE MEMORIAL PARK, MACUNGIE, PA
FOLLOWING LEHIGH VALLEY KC’S BEST IN SHOW
PRE-ENTRY (BE SEPT 4) - $8.00 DAY OF SHOW - $10.00
(ENTRIES TAKEN DAY OF SHOW FROM
3:00 PM TO END OF BIS)
MAIL PRE-ENTRIES, ON ANY SHOW FORM, TO:
TOM BAVARIA
1421 GREEN HILL COURT, KUTZTOWN, PA 19530
PHONE: (610) 496-3922 E-MAIL: - TBAVARIA@AOL.COM
CLASSES: 3-6 MOS; 6-9 MOS; 9-12 MOS; ADULT
JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP STARTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIS
FOLLOWED BY BREED JUDING
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find this information - but if you knew the kennel club names near you it might be easier. If you were close enough to attend - you could enter the day of the show, and it wouldn’t matter if you were showing in the regular all-breed show.
That said…if you can’t find a good match show - go ahead and enter a real show. Yes, it’s a little more expensive…but hey, you might win some points.
Hope this helps a little!
I mostly used hot dogs for obedience training treats. I would freeze them and slice them very thin, about the size of a nickel. For conformation, I preferred beef heart. I would boil it with a bit of garlic powder and then dry it on paper towels. Beef heart is kind of chewy so you could use it to get the dog to lean forward by letting them chew on the bait and then move it forward while they are chewing on it.
I just use them right out of the fridge. They come pre-cooked (at least the Oscar-Meyer ones I buy), so it would just be reheating them were you to cook them. Having them nice and slimy gets my boy excited!
I used to use hot dogs. the love liver but frankly hot dogs are much easier and cheaper! And they love them too. I didn’t cook them, just used them out of the package (think hot dogs by definition are pre-cooked anyway). You can use bologna too but that is even greasier. Petsmart carries a brand of dog treats that are various flavors and designed for training treats.
Point of order. Commercially sold hot dogs are pre-cooked. They might be cold but they are not “raw.” 
I microwave them to dry them out a bit so they are less slippery for me to handle, not to cook them.
