Joining Your First Dog Show
Dog shows are one of the most usefultools when breeding to gauge how well your program and stocks are. Even pet lovers can benefit by letting their beloved furry friends socialize and have a new change in environment. Even if you do not really intend to win the most coveted prize, Best in Show, it is important that you have an idea about the guidelines at least to be sure and to have the best time.
1. Dog arrangement. In dog shows, dogs are arrangedaccording to the groups they belong to first. There are 7 groups, depending on the specific functions of the dog such as Toy, Working, Herding, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Terrier and Hound Group. After the dogs are arranged by group, they will be arranged into different breeds.
Males and females will be shown separately as well. As for the prizes, the best male of the breed is called Winner’s Dog and the best female of the breed will be called Winner’s Bitch. The winner among the two will be called Best of Winners, which will advanceto the Special Class to compete with champions. The best in the breed will advance to compete for the Best in Group title, and finally, the Best in Show.
2. Registering. Make sure you register early so that you can pick the perfect spot for grooming and storing your Money clips. Always keep an eye on your things and on your dog, since the environment tends to get busy over time. It will help to staywith others who are also showing dogs of the same breed, so you know when to enter the show ring. You may be lucky to be lent some preparation tools to make your dog look better.
Mens wallets, cellular phones and other valuables need to be stored properly. You may ask a friend or family to hold these for you, as you prepare to get in the ring. Wear the proper attire, preferably with tones that accentuate your dog. Some judges are very keen on your attire, so not being formal may cause you important prizes.
3. The ring. When entering the show ring, you will be asked by the judge to positionyour dog into a stacking position. Try to practice this weeks before the show, since your dog needs to stay very still upon inspection. Some smaller breeds may be required to be placed on a table to be examined carefully.
Afterwards, you will be asked to gait your dog to check if it is moving properly. Some common courses include a circle, a triangle and a square. Listen to the judge carefully as he may be giving you tips on how to improve, as well as the major weaknesses and strengths that can make or break your dog’s show career. After the show, take time to confrontthe judge and ask for advice. Exchange through your Business card case and make more breeder contacts for added reference in the future.
Your description of how a dog show works isn’t quite correct. For one thing, this is a description of an AKC dog show, not necessarily all dog shows. UKC for example has a few more groups than does AKC and the world dog show federations such as FCI have even more groups not to mention that the progression from exhibit to champion is way different in those organizations.
Even now, AKC is discussing the creation of more groups so as to make them smaller and more easily classified. You can check the AKC website for more information on the realignment of groups.
When the Winner’s Dog and Winner’s Bitch are chosen, both advance to Best of Breed competition. It’s there that the Best of Winners is chosen along with Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed.
AKC shows require you to submit your entry to them by a closing date that is usually around two weeks before the actual show date. There are “practice” shows called Matches that allow you to enter on the day of the show. UKC shows allow you to enter on the day of the show.
Judges are not supposed to judge the handler of the dog, they are only supposed to judge the dog itself against the written standard for its breed. This means that attire for the handler should not matter in the judging process. That being said most folks dress up for shows (usually business attire or Sunday dress), but some shows encourage the exhibitor to be more relaxed in their dress. Outdoor shows require you to be prepared for bad weather, so coats, hats and rain gear is in order for those venues.
I don’t recommend anyone “confronting” a judge after the ribbons are awarded, but certainly “approaching” the judge and asking for recommendations on improving your exhibit are not discouraged.