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Dog Shows In Australia
from: Kyle BesserThe spectators at a dog show in Australia are expected to be participatory. They are vocal and often applaud the silkiest, fluffiest or more popular breeds without knowing the breed standards. Owners and breeders may cheer for a popular handler or a favorite from a particular breeding kennel. The judges are supposed to ignore all attempts by spectators to influence their decision.
Conformation shows are an assessment of the physical characteristics of individual dogs against the breed standard for each breed, whick is a description of the ideal physical and temperamental characteristics for individual breeds. The assessment is made by the judge according to how he or she interprets the breed standard, so it is important to remember that when you show your dog you are receiving the opinion of that particular judge. Just because one particular judge does not select a dog does not mean that a different judge would have the same opinion.
The Australian National Kennel Council is the national body, but it does not run any dog related events or keep any dog related records or registers. All dog events, records and registers are controlled by the State body that has representation with the Australian National Kennel Council. The Australian National Kennel Council's main function is to maintain unity through the Australian dog world for such things as Australian Breed Standards and qualifications for titles.
The are several different types of dog shows in Australia, including Championship Shows, Open Shows or Parades and Members Competitions. To be eligible to compete in Championship Shows, Open Shows and Parades, the dog must be registered and the owner be a financial member of the Australian National Kennel Council affiliated State controlling body. Other specific rules apply to dogs that are on lease agreements from interstate. Members Competitions only require membership of the club holding the event, and there are sometimes classes available for purebred unregistered dogs unless the competition is a Championship show sponsored by a breed club.
The various aspects of dog showing can seem very confusing at first so the following is intended to help the novice gain an understanding of how the shows work. In most shows the following classifications are used:
Baby Puppy 3-6 months
Minor Puppy 6-9 months
Puppy 6-12 months
Junior 9-18 months
Intermediate 18-36 months
State Bred 6+ months
Australian Bred 6+ months
Open 6+ months
Junior Handler for handlers under the age of 17 or 18 years (depending on State)
In Membership Competitions there may be additional classes, including Best Head, Best Gait, Best Brace and Progeny class. In some breeds there are slight conformation variances for "show dogs" and "working dogs" so there may also be classes for Best Working Dog. Some Membership competitions may also have novelty classes such as Best Companion Dog, Best Handler over/under certain ages.
Breed Judging
For each breed, dog (male dogs) classes are judged before bitch (female dogs) classes, starting with Baby Puppy Dog and finishing with Challenge (or Best) Dog in Breed. Each class is called to the ring, and exhibits enter in catalogue order. Generally, all exhibits go around the ring in a circle for the judge to look at as a group. Then each dog in turn is "stacked" or set up by the handler for individual examination by the judge.
The judge will examine the dog and then ask the handler to move the dog out. This is usually in a triangle pattern so the judge can examine the dog's movement from three different angles, back, side and head on.
Each dog in the class is examined in the same manner. At this point the judge may award placings or ask to have all or just some of the dogs moved out again before awarding placings. The dogs in each class are placed first, second, third and occasionally fourth.
The winners of each class, excluding Baby Puppy, compete for Challenge if it is a Championship Show or Best Dog in Breed if it is not. The dog that is selected as Challenge will then leave the ring and the dog that came second in the same class as the Challenge winner returns to the ring to compete for Reserve Challenge. Once this is chosen, the bitches are judged by the same process starting with Baby Puppy Bitch class.
It is up to the judge's discretion whether a Challenge certificate is awarded. The judge must consider if the dog is good enough to be awarded the title of Australian Champion, and it can and does happen that Challenge awards are withheld.
When the judging for Challenge and Reserve Challenge Bitch is completed, the Challenge Dog re-enters the ring to compete with the Challenge Bitch for Best In Breed. Whoever wins this leaves the ring and is replaced by the Reserve Challenge of the same sex as the Best of Breed and then competes with the opposite sex Challenge winner for Reserve or Runner Up Best In Breed.
The Best and Reserve Best of Breed automatically win their respective Class in Breed, except when they are in the same class. In this case, the Reserve misses out in going through to the Class in Group competition.
The winners of each class then compete with the opposite sex winner of the same class for Class in Breed, and the winners for each class then progress to compete for Class In Group.
Group Judging
When all of the breeds in the group have been judged, the Best of Breeds return to the ring in alphabetical order according to breed for judging of Best in Group (BIG). Once the BIG has been chosen, the Reserve Best of Breed to that dog re-enters the ring to compete for Reserve or Runner-up in Group.
The BIG and RUBIG are automatically awarded Class in Group for their respective Class except in the case where they were both exhibited in the same class, regardless of the breed, in which case the RUBIG misses out in competing for Class in Show.
Once the BIG and RUBIG have been awarded, judging of Classes in Group commences with the winners of Baby Puppy in Breed. There are no reserve placings for Classes in Group.
In Show Judging (also called General Specials)
General Specials are judged by one judge only and take some time as the judge needs to fully examine the dogs that he or she has not previously seen. The judging of General Specials commences with judging of the seven dogs that have won Best in Group. These dogs then enter the ring in the following Group order to compete for Best In Show (BIS): Toy, Terrier, Gun Dog, Hound, Working Dog, Utility, Non-Sporting.
When the BIS has been awarded, the RUBIG to the BIS returns to the ring to compete against the other BIG winners for Runner-up or Reserve in Show.
The BIS and RUBIS winners automatically win Best in Class in Show, unless they are from the same class in which case the Runner Up in Show misses out.
Judging of each Class in Show then commences with Best Baby Puppy in each Group.
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