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Dog Show Classes
from: Kyle BesserNovice dog handlers should start competing in Match shows before competing in point shows. Match shows are usually informal dog shows at which no championship points are awarded, but the experience gained at Matches will be of great value later. If you want to know when and where there will be a Match show, ask someone who is participating in dog shows. They will be able to supply this information. A show bulletin is sent out each month that lists the Matches for the next two months.
Conformation classes are intended to evaluate breeding stock. The size of these events can range from large all-breed shows with over 3,000 dogs entered to small local specialty club shows featuring a specific breed. The dog's overall appearance and structure as an indication of the dog's ability to produce quality puppies is what is being judged.
In the Breed Classes a dog is judged against the standard of his particular breed. The judges are experts on the breeds they judge. They examine each dog with their hands to evaluate whether the teeth, muscles, bones and coat texture conform to the breed's standard. They view each dog in profile for overall balance. They watch each dog move to see how all of the features fit together in action. The judge examines the dogs for soundness while they are gaiting and posing. The judge determines which of the dogs in the class is the best representative of the breed in type and temperament.
There are five regular classes in Breed: Puppy, Novice, American-Bred, Bred-by-Exhibitor, and Open. Male dogs and female dogs are judged separately. If a male dog wins a class, he will then compete against the winners of the other classes for Winners Dog. It is the winner of this class that will win points toward breed championship.
The female dog classes are then judged and the Winners female dog is chosen. If there is a special entered (a dog that already has won enough points to gain his or her championship), he or she will compete against the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex. When this is decided the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch will compete against each other for Best of Winners.
If the Winners Bitch has earned more points than the Winners Dog, he automatically gains the same number of points by defeating her. If he wins Best of Breed, he is now eligible to compete in his Variety Group. There are seven Variety Groups and a miscellaneous classification for rare breeds. For example, if you owned a German Shepherd, he would be in the Herding Group. If you were to win this group, you could then show him with the winners of the other groups for the top honor, Best in Show.
If your dog were to win over another dog that had picked up more points that day in this competition, your dog would be entitled to the same number of points the other dog had won. The largest number of points that can be acquired at one show is five. A dog needs to acquire fifteen points to become a Champion, but he must have won two major shows under two different judges.
Conformation Classes have nothing whatever to do with Obedience Classes. The dog's conformation is not being judged in an Obedience event. The Obedience Classes have a different purpose. In Obedience it is the dog's working ability that counts.
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