Snowborn Siberians |
Our Males & Females |
"How A Dog Show Works" an informal guide to help unravel the mysteries of canine conformation competition... |
It all starts with the classes. Dogs that are not yet champions compete against others of their same breed in a variety of classes. First the male dogs ("dogs") compete, then the females ("bitches") |
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The first place winners from each "Dog" class compete against each other for Winner's Dog. The first place winners from each "Bitch" class compete against each other for Winner's Bitch. Those winners may be awarded points pending on how many dogs were defeated. (A Reserve Winners ribbon may also be awarded. That's like runner-up.) A dog needs to win 15 points to become a Champion. That's not as easy as it sounds. |
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All of the Champion Dogs of that breed come in the ring and are joined by the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch. The judge chooses which dog is the Best of Breed, which is the Best of Opposite Sex and chooses between Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for Best of Winners. Sometimes there are no class dogs, sometimes there are no champions, sometimes there are only dogs of one gender; the judge adjusts the awards accordingly. When there are no class dogs, judging starts with Best of Breed. |
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Toward the middle of the afternoon, the Best of Breed dog goes to a special large ring to compete in his or her respective "Group". Dogs are grouped by type and purpose. There are seven groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. Each group has about 30 dogs, though not every show will draw representatives of every breed. The group judge will award first through fourth place. |
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What are judges looking for? Judges look for dogs with the structure, movement and temperament that best match that breed's written standard. |
After all the groups are done, the winner from each group (seven dogs in all) will come to the group ring to be judged. Sometimes its a tough decision to choose which beautiful dog, but finally the judge will chose one winner and that dog is. . . |
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BEST IN SHOW |
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Ribbon Colors |
blue 1st red 2nd yellow 3rd white 4th purple winners purple & white ReserveWinners purple & gold Best of breed blue & white Best of Winners red & white Best of Opposite |
This information is copyright 2010 Larkin Vonalt & Fort. St. Clair Kennel Club. Duplicated with permission |
