Jazz's Guide to "Show Time"

        Welcome to the Sheer PANDEMONIUM! You enter the show area and there are people rushing everywhere, carrying dogs, leading dogs, and running to the ring. Dogs are barking, the public address system is blaring, and people are talking, it seems like everyone in the area is talking all the time! How can you make some sense of it all and start to figure out what's going on? First look or ask around for the superintendent, club or catalog table. Once you find the table, you will find a pile of catalogs. Buy a catalog. The catalog has all the information in the judging program, plus it has the name of each dog, its parents, its date of birth, breeder and owner. In the back of the catalog, you will find the addresses of the owners. These addresses will be invaluable to you if you are looking for a puppy or a breeder. 

        With the judging program or the information in the front of the catalog, you can locate where certain breeds will be showing at a certain time. There will be a ring number and time of judging listed in the program for each breed. It's often impossible to locate someone with a breed you are interested in by cruising the grooming area, so it's a good idea to come early - usually 8:30 or 9:00 AM, so you don't miss what you really want to see. And, it's a good idea to plan to stay late, so you can see the whole event to its grand conclusion, the groups and best in show.


        At most dog shows events are offered in conformation and obedience. There may also be an agility trial. The original basis for showing dogs, like other livestock, is to judge which individuals display the structure that suits the dog for its typical tasks. The way we know what characteristics do this is by comparing an individual to the breed standard, which defines the breed. Ideally, this standard will be well written and will enable the judge to tell which dogs come the closest, and are therefore best suited for the tasks ahead of them.

        The objective of conformation classes is to identify dogs most suitable to breed and produce the next generations. The most important objective of obedience and agility, as well as the many other kinds of trial, such as hunting and herding, is to identify the inner character and ability of the dog, which combined with the structure, produces the ideal animal. In all dog show related activities, however, whether obedience, conformation, or working events, and so forth, the second most important objective is having good clean family fun.

        Dog enthusiasts attend shows every weekend. They meet friends, enjoy themselves, and compete on a very personal level, through their dogs. They may take their dogs in the ring themselves, or they may hire a professional handler. They may own one dog, a leash, and a hatchback, or 30 dogs, hundreds of pounds of equipment, and a Tour Bus size motor home. You never know at a show if you're standing next to a millionaire or a pauper. Well, sometimes you do know, however, often you truly don't. The point is you can attend with just your dog and a leash, and you can also win. You can have your son or daughter compete in Junior Showmanship or in the actual "breed" ring. There are so many levels of competition and so many different kinds of events that you can spend a lifetime shepherding one or many dogs through them. Dog showing for most of us is much more than a hobby, it's a lifestyle.

        In the conformation ring, (the 'breed' ring), there are several different levels of competition. First, there are the dogs that are not Champions of record. These dogs compete at what's called the 'class' level, and are working toward their Champion title. They may enter the Puppy class, Novice, American Bred, Bred By Exhibitor, or the Open class. Males and females compete separately at this level. The size of the entry has a lot to do with whether all of these classes will actually have an entry at a given show. If there are only 2 dogs entered, obviously not every class will have an entry. However, each class is always available to the exhibitor to enter their dog in.

        In each class there are 4 placements awarded. The first place animal from each class goes on to what is called the 'Winners' class. We still have the males and females separate here. Males are called 'dogs' and females are called 'bitches'. The dogs and bitches are still separated in the winners classes. All of these first place individuals compete as a class, and the winner is called the Winners Dog or the Winners Bitch. A Reserve Winners Dog and Bitch are also selected. The two Winners are the only dogs to earn points toward a Championship.

        The number of points earned is dependent on how many were entered in all of the classes. There may be many dogs entered, and the points awarded might be 5, which is the highest number of points that can be earned at one show. There may only be a few and worth only 1 or 2 points, or none at all. A win of 3,4 or 5 points is termed a 'major' win. A dog must win at 2 majors and collect a total of 15 points to earn a Championship. The 'point schedule' of how many entries are required to make up 1,2,3,4,and 5 points, varies in different regions of the country and in different years. Check the AKC pages for the current point schedule in your area.

        At the next level of competition, the Winners Dog and the Winners Bitch and any Champions that are entered compete in intersex competition for: Best of Breed (BOB), Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed (BOS), and Best of Winners (BOW). Only the Winners Dog and Bitch can earn the Best of Winners award, but any of the individuals in the Best of Breed Class may win the BOB or BOS. Under some circumstances, extra points may be earned by one of the 'Winners' by going BOW, BOS, or BOB.

        The individual that goes Best Of Breed is then eligible to show in the Group. For many of the Specials dogs (Champions being 'campaigned'), this is where the competition really begins. There are 7 Groups at a dog show; Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding. Each BOB from the individual breeds which make up the Group competes for Group I, II, III, and IV. The dogs winning Group I in each of the 7 Groups then compete for Best in Show. In this manner, the Best In Show dog has defeated every other dog entered.

        Beyond competing to finish championships, dogs compete to gain points toward informal national ratings at the Best of Breed level and at the Group and Best in Show level. These ratings have nothing to do with the AKC. They are compiled by dog publications or breed clubs and only convey prestige to the top dogs in the country.

        How do you tell which dogs won?

        (I know a tad redundant, but better explained I think)

            Watching a breed competition can be puzzling to those not familiar with the dog show world's routines. The condensed answer is: A generous number may win ribbons and a couple might win points toward a championship, but only one wins the "best of breed" designation and can go on to the show's group competition.
            The first rules are that all dogs are registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and that dogs of the same breed compete against each other. In some cases, breeds are further divided into "varieties" according to color or size. The judge's job is to examine the dogs and compare them to the written standard for the breed.
            Entrants in a breed competition are placed into various classes, such as puppy 6 to 9 months, puppy 9 to 12 months, Bred by Exhibitor (dogs owned and handled by their breeders), American-bred (dogs born and bred in the USA) and Open (any eligible dog). All of the dogs in these classes are non-champions.
            The males (only the males are called dogs) compete against each other in the classes and are placed from first to fourth place. The first place males from each class then compete for Winners Dog (WD). This is the only male dog at that show that earns any points toward a championship.
            A Reserve Winners Dog (RWD) is then chosen from among the remaining first place males and the second place dog from the WD's class (if any). The Reserve Winners Dog doesn't get any points, but if there is something wrong with the Winners Dog's entry (say the AKC finds he was 10 months old and shown in the 6-9 months puppy class), the RWD gets the points.    The whole process is duplicated with the females (bitches) and the Winners Bitch and Reserve Winners Bitch are selected.
            Up to five points are awarded for WD or WB, depending on the amount of competition. Point rules vary from region to region. To earn the title of champion, a dog must have earned 15 points under at least three different judges, including two shows in which it earned at least 3 points.
            Then comes the Best of Breed class. Dogs who have already earned their championships compete in this class, along with the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch. From these dogs the judge selects Best of Breed (BOB), Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed (BOS), and Best of Winners (BOW). For BOW, the judge selects whichever of the two Winners the judge thinks is superior.
            The Best of Breed winner goes on to compete in its group: Toy, Terrier, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Hound, Working or Herding. Just as in the breed competitions, the dogs are competing against their individual standards, not each other. The judge determines the top four in the group, and the first-place winners of the seven groups compete for Best in Show.
           
           

        Specialty shows and sweepstakes

            Breed specialty shows are much like regular AKC shows, but they include additional competitions, such as for Veterans Dog and Veterans Bitch. These dogs are seven or more years old are are usually, but not necessarily, champions. Other classes may include stud dog, brood bitch, brace and team.
            Sweepstakes classes are basically just for fun. No championship points are awarded. They are restricted to a particular age group, say puppies or Veterans. The classes may be further divided by age and sex, and those who place win back a portion of the entry fee, as well as any ribbons, rosettes or trophies offered. Sweepstakes classes are often held at specialty shows.    

        Guide to the ribbons

        Sometimes it's hard to see who the judge is pointing at, but the ribbon given to the handler is a good clue:

        First Prize: Blue Ribbon
        Second Prize: Red Ribbon
        Third Prize: Yellow Ribbon
        Fourth Prize: White Ribbon
        Winners: Purple Ribbon
        Reserve Winners: Purple & White Ribbon
        Best of Winners: Blue & White Ribbon
        Best of Breed (Variety): Purple &Gold Rosette
        Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed (Variety): Red & White Ribbon
        Highest Scoring Dog in Regular Obedience Classes: Blue & Gold Rosette
        Highest Combined Score in Open & Utility Classes: Blue & Green Rosette

        Groups
        First Prize: Blue Rosette
        Second Prize: Red Rosette
        Third Prize: Yellow Rosette
        Fourth Prize: White Rosette
        Best in Show: Red, White, & Blue Rosette

        Is that all they win?

        The Best in Show and group winners receive engraved trophies. The highest-scoring obedience dogs and top junior handlers receive a cash award of $75 and $100 respectively, and breed winners receive products from the show's sponsor, Ralston Purina. Breed clubs that hold specialty shows also typically award a variety of prizes, often donated by members.

         

         

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