Dorsetdog - Dog show types

Taking your companion to a local show for the first time can be a daunting task for some.

Here are some tips to help you on your way.

When going to any show, please ensure that you take your dog’s following items with you

• • Water bowl and water. Many sites do not have running water

  • Poo bags, no responsible dog owner should ever leave home without them as you never know when they might need to go!

  • Umbrella so the dog can sit in the shade if sunny, and protection from rain

  • Please - always ensure that you have one bag in your pocket every time that you enter the ring.

  • Favourite toy

  • Blanket or towel

  • Grooming brush

  • Treats

  • Fixed lead

  • KC Companion Dog Club Certificate - if you have one

Pedigree in the context of Fun and Companion shows means that the dog has a dam (mother) and sire (father) that are of the same breed, and that breed is recognised by the UK Kennel Club. An example is a labrador where the dam and sire were both labaradors who themselves had labrador parents on both sides.

A Crossbreed is where two dogs of different breeds (be they recognised by the KC or not) are put together, or where two Crossbreeds are put together.

The problem of putting two different breeds or crossbreeds together is that the offspring can inherit medical conditions from both parents. It is not a way to breed out known conditions of certain breeds.

Novelty / Fun dog shows - such as Village or Church Summer Fete

Any dog over 6 months may enter this type of show, and does not need to be KC registered

These shows are purely fun events to raise money for a local charity. They are usually held outside of Kennel Club rules.

They can be informal to the point of paying the class entry fee every time that you walk in to the ring.

Simply turn up on the day, pay your money and enjoy being in the ring with your dog or dogs.

Classes will not usually include Pedigree specific classes, but usually include classes like

• • Fancy dress

  • Prettiest bitch

  • Most handsome dog

  • Best Rescue

  • Best 6 legs

  • Dog most like its owner

  • Family dogs (between 2 and 8 dogs who live in the same household)

  • Most unusual brace from the same household (i.e. such as Dachshund and Great Dane)

and my favourite title

• • Best Dog or Bitch of dubious parentage

These shows are usually held by local dog owner clubs or local dog training clubs, but are frequently held in conjunction with a local show, local horse show, or village fete

They have Pedigree classes as well as Novelty classes, and are held under Kennel Club Rules.

Companion Dog shows will usually have a novelty class solely for members of the Kennel Club's Companion Dog Club

Companion dog shows are a way of having fun with your dog.

Simply turn up on the day and pay for the classes that you wish to enter.

Any dog over 6 months old may enter a companion dog show, and does not need to be registered with the Kennel Club * please see below.

Classes will usually include Pedigree classes such as

A. V. Puppy (A. V. = any variety) Puppy = 6 to 12 months of age

A. V. Sporting

A. V. Non Sporting

A. V. Open (A. V. Open means open to any variety of dog of any groups, i.e. toy, gun, pastoral, working, etc)

Possibly followed by a Best in Show class for winners of the above Pedigree classes.

There then follows novelty fun classes for pedigree and crossbreed breeds - such as

• • Waggiest tail

  • Best Condition

  • Best crossbreed or mongrel

  • Best Child handler - under 12 years

  • Best Child handler - 12 to 16 years

  • Best Veteran - 7 years and over

  • Best Rescue dog

  • Dog most like its owner

  • Fancy dress

  • Possibly followed by a "Dog the judge would like to take home" class for winners of the Novelty fun classes.

* = Championship and Challenge Winners

Any dog may enter a dog show held under kennel Club rules. However, Dogs which have won any of the following are not eligible for entry in to the Pedigree classes.

Challenge Certificate (or an award that counts towards the title of Champion under the rules of any governing body recognised by the KC)

• • Reserve Challenge Certificate

  • Junior Warrant

  • Dogs which have won an Obedience Certificate are not eligible to be entered into Obedience classes.

Some shows hold Junior Handler classes. These classes are supposed to be an opportunity for a child to show that the child knows how to handle the dog. So the child is expected to show it's handling skills of a dog, and parents should just let the child get on with it, rather than jointly holding the dogs lead for the child!

Any crossbreed dog over 6 months and under 12 years old may enter a Scruffts dog show, and does not have to be Kennel Club registered to take part. As Scruffts is a competition for crossbreed dogs - pedigree dogs, therefore, are not eligible for entry.

Scruffts is the nation’s favourite crossbreed (mongrel) competition and is a great way to enjoy time with your dog and family. A crossbreed is a dog of mixed blood, whose parents are of two different breeds, or a mixture of several breeds.

Simply turn up on the day at any of the heats listed on the Kennel Club web site and you too could dazzle the judges. Entry to each class is just £1 (2010) and all the money raised goes to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust to help ‘make a difference for dogs’.

KC Scruffts big show

Is your crossbreed the next Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year?

The Kennel Club is coordinating Scruffts heats throughout the UK in 2010. Scruffts rosettes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in each class. The winners from each heat will be invited to Discover Dogs 2010 at Earls Court 1, London in November for the Grand Final.

It must be stressed that only 1st place winners in each class are eligible for the final in November. However, in the event of a 1st place winner not being able to attend the final then 2nd or 3rd place winners will be invited to attend in their place.

Each entrant will have a few minutes in the spotlight to dazzle the judges in the following four classes:

• • Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog 6 months - 7 years

  • Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch 6 months - 7 years

  • Child's Best Friend 6 months - 12 years - (handled by a young person between 6 and 16 years of age)

  • Golden Oldie Crossbreed 8 years or over

The winner of each class will be entered into the Grand Final to compete for the overall accolade of Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year at this year’s Discover Dogs event.

Please go here for full details https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/events-and-activities/dog-showing/

The following is just a general guide to provide novices to the show world with some information

An open show is the next step up from the local novelty, scruffs or Companion dog show.

A dog entered in to an Open show must be Kennel Club registered

A dog that has had its hair clipped to shape falls outside of the standard for the breed, so cannot be shown at Open shows.

A neutered dog (dog or bitch) might be shown if it was neutered for medical reasons, but the Kennel Club must receive a Vets letter confirming why the dog was neutered before the dog is shown - however, as the breed standard calls for the dog to be whole then the judge will be obliged to prefer a whole dog to a neutered dog.

Unlike local companion dog shows, more professional shows require you to book your dog in to the competition well in advance of the date.

Each show has its own group specific classes, but also has breed specific classes within those group classes. Where only a small number of dogs from certain breed are registered, then they are entered in to the AVNSC (Any Variety Not Separately Classified) of each group

Winners of Best in Show at an Open show will qualify for Crufts.

Winners of the Best of Breed at a Premier Open Show will also qualify for Crufts.

Spectators must not take their own dogs to an Open Show

Please go here for full details https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/events-and-activities/dog-showing/

The following is just a general guide to provide novices to the show world with some information

A dog entered in to a Championship show must be Kennel Club registered

A dog that has had its hair clipped to shape falls outside of the standard for the breed, so cannot be shown at Championship shows.

A neutered dog (dog or bitch) might be shown if it was neutered for medical reasons, but the Kennel Club must receive a Vets letter confirming why the dog was neutered before the dog is shown - however, as the breed standard calls for the dog to be whole then the judge will be obliged to prefer a whole dog to a neutered dog.

Unlike local companion dog shows, more professional shows require you to book your dog in to the competition in advance of the date.

Bench areas will be provided for you to crate your dog out of direct sunlight. If you wish to take an additional dog that is not being shown, then you can register them with the show as Not For Competition, or NFC, and for a small fee bench them in a separate area where staff will keep an eye on the caged dogs.

Spectators must not take their own dogs to a Championship Show

The beaten dog - Pedigree Best In Show award.

Best In Show is a class of all the 1st Place winners of the pedigree classes at a show. It is a free class and not a class that any entrant can just pay to enter like a normal class.

A dog entered in a Pedigree class which wins that class, but who fails to gain first place in any other pedigree class that they are entered in to becomes a beaten dog, and cannot enter the Best In Show round at the end of the Pedigree class round.

For example, if a puppy wins the AV Puppy class, and is then entered in AV Open and comes second or lower, then the puppy is a beaten dog and cannot enter the Best In Show round

The beaten dog rule does not apply to Novelty class Best in Show, which is still a free class for all 1st place winners

Open = open to all breeds – compared to toy dog breed or collie breed

Pedigree = pure breed, such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, or Labrador

Non Pedigree = cross breeds, such as Cavalier Jack Russell cross or mongrel

Bench = supervised area to safely leave the dog in a crate away from the ring