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Dog Conformation Shows Article
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Dog Shows In The UK
from: Kyle BesserDog shows aren't just for breeders. Many people love to show their own dogs, some just for fun. There are several types of dog shows in the United Kingdom. Some have quite different types of competition. All are under the Kennel Club's Rules and Regulations.
Companion Shows
The smallest shows are the Companion Shows, which are usually held to support a charity or other good cause. These are fun shows open to all dogs. In these shows there are usually a few conformation classes for pedigree dogs and several "novelty" classes. Novelty classes, such as waggiest tail, handsomest dog and "the dog most like its owner," may be open to any dog, including crossbreeds.
Limited Shows
Limited shows are for pedigree dogs only, and entry is confined to members of the Society or Club sponsoring the show. Limited shows will have a small number of specified breed classes, but the majority of classes are "Any Variety Not Separately Classified (AVNSC)" classes. The rules and entry are as for an Open Show. Challenge Certificate winners cannot enter Limited shows.
Open Shows
Open shows are open only for pedigree dogs registered with the Kennel Club. Open shows attract entries from a relatively small geographic area, and many are held all around the country. Open shows are a good way for the dog and handler to gain experience, and the dog can gain points towards a Junior Warrant award or a Show Certificate of Merit.
There are usually several different classes for each breed. The breeds are separated into seven Groups as defined by the Kennel Club: Gundog, Hound, Terrier, Toy, Pastoral, Working and Utility. If you have a Labrador or a Border Terrier you will probably find classes for your dog at all Open Shows, but if you have a less popular breed, you may find breed classes only some Open Shows.
If there aren't any classes designated specifically for your breed, there are others in which you can enter your dog. Any Variety allows any dog within that Group classification, Terrier, Toy or Gundog for example, to enter the class, even if it had its own separate breed classification elsewhere in the show. "Any Variety Not Separately Classified (AVNSC)" only allows dogs in that Group which do not have particular breed classes designated for them at the show.
The range of different classes are designed to ensure that newer, untried dogs do not have to compete against dogs which have won consistently or that a youngster has to compete against a mature dog. In the official entry form for each show there is a comprehensive classification and explanation of all the classes.
Championship Shows
These are the prestigious dog shows,often drawing entries from all over the UK and occasionally from overseas. The large Championship shows are where dogs can gain points toward a Junior Warrant and compete for the highly coveted Challenge Certificate (CC). If the breed is sufficiently numerous, the Kennel Club awards a Challenge Certificate for the Best Dog and Best Bitch. A dog needs three Challenge Certificates from three different judges to be awarded the title of Champion, one of which must be awarded when the dog is over 12 month old. The most prestigious Championship show is Crufts, and each dog entered at Crufts has had to qualify by certain wins at Championship or Open show level.
Crufts
The international championship show Crufts was first held in 1891. Since1991, Crufts has officially been recognized as the world's largest and most prestigious dog show by the Guinness Book of Records, with a total of 22,973 dogs being exhibited that year. Crufts is held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, with an estimated 160,000 visitors in 2008.
Scruffts
The Kennel Club also operates a separate show open only to mixed breeds, Scruffts. At Scruffts, dogs are judged on character, health, and temperament with people and other dogs.
Regardless of the type of show, they are all held under a Kennel Club Licence and adhere to the latest regulations. A listing of all forthcoming dog shows is published in the two main weekly dog papers, Our Dogs and Dog World, with the closing date for entries, the name of the secretary and sometimes the name of the judges. The web sites for these papers also list the shows.
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