1) For Fun!
2) To show the world that our dogs are conforming to their specific breed standard which in turn leads us to
3) Breeding the best animals we have.
Conformation Dog Shows are all about breeding and the sport itself. I don’t know exactly how many years it has been going on, but let’s just say a long, long time! If dog shows didn’t exist, we would never really know how our dogs compared to other dogs out there.
A lot of people think of the Eukanuba Dog Show, the one on TV or Westminster when they hear the words dog show. And the ones that are televised are glamorous and such– if you are watching from your living room. When I hear the words dog show, I think of many things (like my checkbook balance, the grooming, the gas money, having to deal with my kids, will we actually win this time? etc…) but most of all I think of the movie “Best In Show”. There are a lot of things and people in that movie that are so real and it’s just something that we people in the dog world have come to accept. Parker Posey’s character (they had the Weimaraner), Meg Swan, is an extremely believable person in the dog show world, as is John Michael Higgin’s character, Scott Donlan (with the Shih Tzus). These people were “over the top” with their attitudes and animals! Then there are those like Christopher Guest’s character, Harlan Pepper with his Bloodhound, Hubert. He was very minimalistic, laid back and sometimes hard to come by at a dog show! But whatever category we fit in, it all works out in the end, and we are really just normal people at the end of the day!
The way dog shows work is this. Your dog needs to be an intact (no spay, no neuter) male or bitch that is purebred and registered with the AKC. There is also a list of unacceptable surgeries and alterations that cannot be done for aesthetic purposes, like changing the ear set on your dog. So, you have a dog that meets these requirements? Now what?
The Premium List is a list sent out by the hosting Kennel Clubs that list the judges, the place, the date, hotel information and importantly, what classes are offered. The most common classes are as follows:
Puppy, 6-9 months
Puppy, 9-12 months
Dogs, 12-18 months
Novice
Bred By Exhibitor
American Bred
Open
Winners
The classes are broken down by dog and bitch. I think the first 3 classes are self-explanatory. You must make sure that they fit in the age frame by the date of the show, which may mean two different classes in one weekend depending on the birthday. The Novice class is new to the AKC and it’s described as a class for a dog over 6 months who has not earned 1 point, has not won 3 first place placements in the Novice Class, or 1 first place placement in the American Bred or Bred By Exhibitor class. The Bred By Exhibitor Class is for dogs that were bred by the owner and shown by the breeder/owner. The American Bred is for dogs born in the USA. Sometimes this class is useful coming out of the puppy classes because there is usually not a lot of competition in it (at least for Saints). The Open class is for any dog that has not finished their Championship and is a very competitive class. Once a dog is a Champion, they may compete in the Winners, or Best of Breed, class. Essentially, when your dog is “finished” (Champion), you may just enter to win the Breed.
The Saint Bernard’s Open Classes (only) are further broken down into divided classes: Longhair and Shorthair. The puppy classes may have shorthair and longhair, as well as Bred By, American Bred and Novice.
The way to a Championship is to get 15 points. But there’s a “catch”. Can’t be that easy can it? Out of the 15 points, the dog must have won 2 majors under two separate judges. Majors are defined as dog shows won with 3, 4 or 5 points. A major is different all around the US and the AKC determines a point schedule every year for different regions that takes into account what was shown last year and how many litters were registered and probably a lot more data than that, but I don’t know the whole story! Obviously, the more class dogs, the more points. Right now it takes 5 dogs and 7 bitches to make a 3 point major in NY and for a 5 point major it’s 10 dogs and 11 bitches. It is possible to take 3, 5 point majors in one weekend and finish your dog! That’s what I call a cheap championship! Possible, but doesn’t happen too often. We have personally not done it, but we do know people who have achieved this. And I’m envious and hopeful it, too, will happen to us!
So after your dog or bitch has attained 15 points, with 2 majors under two separate judges, it will be a Champion and have the Ch. In front of its name. Exciting isn’t it? But what is really going on that ring? How do they actually get judged and what the heck is a Reserve Winner’s Dog? Please stay tuned for the second lesson!
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