Tibetan Spaniel Dog Shows Information

Dog Shows

Going to a dog show can be somewhat intimidating to say the least. First you have to find out that a dog show is even in town. If you are not involved in the wonderful world of dogs it is not all that easy to even find out when and where a show is going to be held. They are not very well advertised to the general public as I don't think I have ever seen one of our local shows advertised in the paper, on TV or on heard it on the radio.

When we decided to find a Tibetan Spaniel breeder, I utilized the internet as many people do these days, but when searching for listings of dog shows, local kennels etc, however, the searches did not return results which helped very much. Since you found this web site then I have to assume you did an internet search and it is amazing that you found our web site as it is not very high on the google search engine.
I have found a couple of excellent places from which to search for dog shows both local and out of state. The first is: AKC.ORG
This is an excellent web site, dedicated to dogs. To use it to find a dog show you will have to go to: "EVENTS", then you can select what type of event, the states involved, and the time frame that you are interested in. If you spend time on theis site you will find a lot of interesting pages such as: "Top 25 dogs", you can see how many points your dog has, how many points other dogs have, or for example you can order a pedigree for your dog, registration of puppies etc. Too numerous for me to list here.
Another site which comes in quite handy in locating dog shows is InfoDog.com. I really like this site a lot and I am a member. You do not have to be a member to use the show calendar but I would encourage you to join if you are interested in showing dogs. This site will show you immediately the things that you can do and utilize. I like the Bragging Page, where owners list their dogs accomplishments with pictures. It is impressive how quickly some of these dogs can achieve their championship. And the last one I use to find dog shows is royjonesdogshows.com. I am not quite sure if this site allows you to search for shows as I only use it to enter shows and look up results. Attending a dog show is an excellent way to see a lot of beautiful animals and meet some of the breeders.
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Featuring an forum All Breeds Dog Encyclopaedia. Directory for Trades and Services; Dogs Standing at Stud; Breeders; Clubs and Associations and lots more.
Once you find the show, pay for parking and figure out that you can't enter where they keep the dogs you will find yourself inside where you can purchase a program which by the way, is quite handy, but is in general designed and written for the people who enter dogs at the show. It is "Greek" to someone who has never been to dog show before in their lives.
Now don't get me wrong, the program
has a wealth of information in it, such as the time and area where each breed will be shown, how many dogs are entered in each breed, Judges name, Club name hosting the show, number of dogs required for each point level, index for times for breeds and show rings, competiting dogs names, their breeders and much more.
By purchasing the program you are also helping the local club to raise funds for future shows. It is a tremendous amount of work and expense to organize a show.

Helpful Hint: If you have arranged to meet a new potential breeder at the show, you should make arrangements to meet them at a specific time and place. As you can see from the pictures, some of the shows are quite large and you could spend a lot of time looking for a particular breeder and never finding them.

Now you have made the plunge, you are at the dog show and you purchased a program. As you look at the index you note that it lists all the dogs entered in the show and what rings that they will be competiting in. Typically the rings are always numbered, so it is relatively easy to find a ring. However, they are sometimes located in different buildings or might even be outside. If you cannot find the ring you are looking for, just ask one of the ring stewards when he is not busy. You want to find ring..... 8 and by luck you have spotted it. When you approach the ring, if it is being used please ensure that you do not block the entrance to the ring, as the handlers will be bringing dogs into and out of the ring as they compete.

Helpful Hint: You can double click on pictures to enlarge them
You found the ring. You will notice that there is a notice hanging from the post near the ring entrance. It has a listing of all the different breed which will be shown in the ring and at what times. If the breed you want to see is at 10:00am and is the 5th breed to enter the ring, you can generally estimate at what actual time they will enter the ring.
The list will also tell you how many dogs/bitches are showing for each breed. I use about 2 minutes per dog/bitch. Keep in mind that not all dogs or bitches show up so it is an estimate. They DO NOT make announcements or page anyone who is missing so use it as a general guide because you do not want to miss the breed which you came to see.

The picture of the ring below is typical or at least typical for the shows which we have attended. You will notice a couple of things about the ring.....(I am referencing the ring on far side of the fence) Green runners which depict where you are supposed to walk your dog when instructed by the Judge.... There are a few ways the judge could ask you to move your dog....
1. go around the entire ring (square) and end back at the table....

2. A triangle....down the far side, left turn and
take the diagonal back towards the entrance

3. The up/back which just uses the diagonal

Here are some additional pictures of the ring, the stewards table, and the table utilized for small dogs while the judge inspects them up close.

How a Dog Show Works
Types of Conformation Dog Shows

There are three types of conformation dog shows, however, we will address only the all-breed shows.

All-breed shows offer competitions for over 150 breeds and varieties of dogs recognized by the AKC. All-breed shows are the type often shown on television.

Which Dogs May Participate

To be eligible to compete, a dog must: be individually registered with the American Kennel Club, be 6 months of age or older, be a breed for which classes are offered at a show and meet any eligibility requirements in the written standard for its breed. Spayed or neutered dogs are not eligible to compete in conformation classes at a dog show, because the purpose of a dog show is to evaluate breeding stock.

The Role of the Judge

Judges examine the dogs, then give awards according to how closely each dog compares to the judge's mental image of the "perfect" dog described in the breed's official standard.

The standard describes the characteristics that allow the breed to perform the function for which it was bred. These standards include specifications for structure, temperament and movement. The official written standard for each breed is maintained by the breed's national club and is included in the The Complete Dog Book published by the AKC.

The judges are experts on the breeds they are judging. They examine ("go over") each dog with their hands to see if the teeth, muscles, bones and coat texture conform to the breed's standard. They view each dog in profile for overall balance, and watch each dog gait ("move") to see how all of those features fit together in action.

How a Dog Show Works

Each dog presented to a judge is exhibited ("handled") by its owner, breeder or a hired professional. The role of a handler is similar to that of a jockey who rides a horse around the track and, hopefully, into the winner's circle.

Most dogs in competition at conformation shows are competing for points toward their AKC championships. It takes fifteen points, including two majors (wins of three, four or five points) awarded by at least three different judges, to become an American Kennel Club "Champion of Record."

The number of championship points awarded at a show depends on the number of males ("dogs") and females ("bitches") of the breed actually in competition. The larger the entry, the greater the number of points a male or a female can win. The maximum number of points awarded to a dog at any show is 5 points.

Males and females compete separately within their respective breeds, in six regular classes. The following classes are offered, and are divided by sex:

Puppy - For dogs between six and twelve months of age, that are not yet champions.

Twelve-To-Eighteen Months - For dogs twelve to eighteen months of age, that are not yet champions.

Novice - For dogs six months of age and over, which have not, prior to the date of closing of entries, won three first prizes in the Novice Class, a first prize in Bred-by-Exhibitor, American-bred, or Open Classes, nor one or more points toward their championship.

Bred By Exhibitor - For dogs that are exhibited by their owner and breeder, that are not yet champions.

American-Bred - For dogs born in the United States from a mating which took place in the United States, that are not yet champions.

Open - For any dog of the breed, at least 6 months of age.

After these classes are judged, all the dogs that won first place in a class compete again to see who is the best of the winning dogs. Males and females are judged separately. Only the best male (Winners Dog) and the best female (Winners Bitch) receive championship points.

The Winners Dog and Winners Bitch then compete with the champions for the Best of Breed award. At the end of the Best of Breed Competition, three awards are usually given:

Best of Breed - the dog judged as the best in its breed category.

Best of Winners - the dog judged as the better of the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch.

Best of Opposite Sex - the best dog that is the opposite sex to the Best of Breed winner.

The Road to Best in Show

Dog shows are a process of elimination, with one dog being named Best in Show at the end of the show. Only the Best of Breed winners advance to compete in the Group competitions. Each AKC-recognized breed falls into one of seven group classifications.

The seven groups are Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding.

Four placements are awarded in each group, but only the first-place winner advances to the Best In Show competition.

The Seven Groups in All-Breed Shows

Sporting - These dogs were bred to hunt game birds both on land and in the water. The breeds in this group include Pointers, Retrievers, Setters and Spaniels.

Hounds - These breeds were bred for hunting other game by sight or scent. These breeds include such dogs as Beagles, Bassets, Dachshunds and Greyhounds.

Working - These dogs were bred to pull carts, guard property and perform search and rescue services. Among the breeds in this group are the Akita, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher and St. Bernard.

Terrier - This group includes breeds such as the Airedale, Cairn Terrier and Scottish Terrier. Terriers were bred to rid property of vermin such as rats.

Toy - These dogs were bred to be household companions. This group includes little dogs such as the Chihuahua, Maltese, Pomeranian and Pug.

Non-Sporting - This diverse group includes the Tibetan Spaniel, Chow Chow, Bulldog, Dalmatian and Poodle. These dogs vary in size and function, and many are considered companion dogs.

Herding - These dogs were bred to help shepherds and ranchers herd their livestock. The Briard, Collie, German Shepherd Dog and Old English Sheepdog are some of the breeds in this group.

Finally, the seven group winners are brought into the ring where they compete for Best In Show, the highest award at a dog show.

Ribbons

Each dog that receives an award is given a ribbon by the judge. The color of the ribbon indicates the type of award the dog has won.

blue - awarded for first place in any regular class. Also awarded to the winner of each group competition, usually in the form of a "rosette".

red - awarded for second place in each class. Also awarded for second place in each group competition, usually in the form of a "rosette".

yellow - awarded for third place in each class. Also awarded for third place in each group competition, usually in the form of a "rosette".

White - awarded for fourth place in each class. Also awarded for fourth place of each group competition, usually in the form of a "rosette".

purple - awarded to the winners of the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch classes. Since these are the classes in which championship points are earned, these ribbons are highly coveted.

purple and White - awarded to the Reserve Winners; that is, the runners-up to the winner of the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch classes.

blue and White - awarded to the dog that wins Best of Winners; that is, the better of the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch winners.

purple and gold - awarded to the dog judged "Best of Breed" in each breed competition. This is highly coveted because it allows advancement to the Group competition.

red and White - awarded to the Best of Opposite Sex. This means the best dog of the breed that is the opposite sex of the Best of Breed winner.

red, White and blue - only one of these is awarded, at the end of each show. It is given to the ultimate award winner, the Best In Show.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

However tempting, do not pet a dog without asking for permission first. The dog may have just been groomed in preparation for being judged.

At each dog show, you will find vendors and information booths. Many club booths offer helpful information to the general public.

Wear comfortable shoes - you'll be doing a lot of walking. Unless you bring a chair or arrive early, be prepared to stand most of the time, as seating is usually limited.

If you are considering getting a purebred dog, talk to the breeders and exhibitors - they are experts in their breeds.

Dog Show Terms

Angulation - Angles created by bones meeting at their joints.

Baiting - Using liver or some treat to get the dog's attention and have him look alert.

Bench Show - A dog show at which the dogs are kept on assigned benches when not being shown in competition, so they can be viewed and discussed by attendees, exhibitors and breeders.

Exhibitor - A person who brings a dog to a dog show and shows it in the appropriate class.

Fancier - A person who is especially interested, and usually active, in some phase of the sport of purebred dogs.

Gait - The way a dog moves, movement is a good indicator of structure and condition.

Groom - To brush, comb, trim or otherwise make a dog's coat neat.

Handler - A person or agent who takes a dog into the show ring or who works the dog at a field trial or other performance event.

Heel - A command to a dog to keep close beside its handler.

Match Show - A usually informal dog show at which no championship points are awarded.

Miscellaneous Class - Transitional class for breeds attempting to advance to full AKC recognition.

Pedigree - The written record of a dog's family tree of three or more generations.

Points - Credits earned toward a championship.

Soundness - Mental and physical well-being.

Stacking - Posing the dog's legs and body to create a pleasing picture.

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Five Great Tips For Showing Your Dog

There are several reasons why dog owners love showing off their dogs. Some do it for recognition. Others do it just for seeing their dog succeed and still other dog owners show their dog for the experience.

There are two different types of dog shows for which owners can enter their dogs. One show is geared towards purebred dogs that judge how close the particular dog adheres to the breed standards, and the other type of dog show is open to dogs of all breeds where they are judged on the dog’s skills in a specific event.

During this article on dog shows, the focus will be on purebred shows where dogs compete against other dogs in the same breed or judged on the standards put forth by kennel clubs at the state, national or international level.

Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom each have their own kennel clubs that offer dog shows on the aforementioned levels.

Each kennel club has its own standards in regards to which breeds it recognizes and registers. These standards vary among kennel clubs.

National kennel clubs do not recognize mixed breed, hybrids or designer dogs on the national kennel level, while other dog show organizations do.

You can follow some of the tips and strategies below when showing registered purebred dogs that will enable you to prepare your dog, the handler and/or owner.

1. Study and know the breed standards for the dog breed that you are showing.

2. Get to know the judges’ preferences by attending several dog show events. Most judges work on the same type dog shows, with the same categories and classes. Observe the judges’ comments on the winning dog breed of each class.

3. Ensure that your dog is well prepared for the show by washing the dog, cleaning its teeth and clipping its nails. Doing this in advance will circumvent any last minute issues that may arise.

4. Maintain a calm demeanor with your dog. Be positive with them in regards to its performance in the show.

5. Try to arrive early so that your dog can get acquainted with the show surroundings, including the ring, lights and people.

Also, as an option, allow a handler to show your dog. Using a professional handler to show your dog gives it an advantage in the show, because the handler is trained to accentuate your dog’s positive aspects and abilities.

The handler knows what judges are looking for in a dog and are able to cater to these wants. In addition, you will be able to sit back and enjoy watching your dog in the show. Arrive early, so that the handler and dog can get acquainted with one another.

Let the pair work together before the show to ensure that they well together.

Showing your dog in competitions can be a rewarding experience for both you and your dog.

Preparing ahead of time can make the difference in your dog arriving to the event frazzled and lost or arriving positive and ready to win.