Open Dog Show

These are more 'formal' than the companion dog shows but follow the same basic format. And now, perhaps, is the time for you to have a look at the rule books and the show regulations. You can get these from the Kennel Club for about £3 or so. You won't need the full Kennel Club Year Book but the Show Regulations should be O.K. for now.

One important thing you should know is that you can't take a dog (or, indeed, any animal) to a dog show (other than Companion Dog Shows) unless it is 'entered' beforehand. Also, your dog must be 'full' pedigree and be properly registered with the Kennel Club. Entries for these shows are different to Companion shows because you have to enter in advance (usually around 6 wks before the show). These shows are also advertised in the weekly dog press but you will need to ask for a 'schedule' from the shows organisers. The schedule will list the events or 'classes' that are available for your dog and will also contain the entry from which you must send back before the closing date with the appropriate fee - usually about £3 - £5 for Open Shows. And, it's probably about now, that you should consider Ring craft training.

What's this? -- Ring craft training is to educate you and your dog in the best ways to show the dog in the ring. The Judge will want to see various aspects of the dog including how he stands, how his muscles and joints work when on the move, his teeth, and yes, even check out his testacles.

Ring craft training will help you understand what the Judge is looking for and how best to present your dog properly. Where do you find Ring craft training? Your local Yellow Pages will have dog training schools listed and most of these will offer ring craft training (or you can e-mail the webmaster link on the home page and I will send you details of the nearest club). Don't be frightened of entering Open Shows because they are more formal, many of the judges appreciate that you are probably new to showing and the Steward will always help you with advice on where to stand etc., the very worst that can happen is that you will come last, but you will need to spend some time with the dog training if you want to progress at theses shows. Once you enter Open Dog Shows the meter starts to tick --- which means that 'wins' in these classes and are recorded for future events, As your dog wins more shows he has to then be entered into higher graded classes. After Open Shows you mat want to consider the Championship Shows.