After the Best of Breed has been determined, the Best of Opposite Sex title will be awarded. Best of Opposite is simple. If a dog wins Best of Breed or Variety, a bitch is chosen for the Opposite title. And, of course, vice versa. The Best of Opposite is equivalent to saying that the dog would have been Best of Breed if the actual winner had been absent.
Finally, the Best of Winners will be chosen. Each Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for each breed, representing all the first six classes, will be judged and the Best of Winners Chosen. The Best of Winners title holder gets the points set for Winners Dog or Winners Bitch, whichever is greater, calculated by the number of entries.
Everything that has happened up to now has been setting the stage. The points are awarded and all those Winners dogs move closer to their championships. In some cases, some dogs will finish—complete their championship requirements—either with needed points or with a missing major win (remember, two majors are needed under two different judges).
All of this is not as jumbled and confusing as it may seem. It is considerably worse. Nothing daunted, the trick is to stroke one’s chin and say ummmm as convincingly as possible. Just look wise. Mutter words like interesting and profound, cool and daring. No one will seriously challenge you. The people around you will be just as confused as you are. No problem, admire all the beautiful dogs and have fun—most of them are (the dogs, that is). The only ones who seem to understand all this or not care a fig if they don’t are the dogs. The exhibitors just think it is their day in the sun; the dogs know it belongs to them. Everyone gets a chance to be a happy camper. After all, if the owner and the dog aren’t both happy, why go through the whole thing? Why spend the money? Buy a boat instead and enter a regatta. You don’t have to housebreak a Boston whaler. As for the competition, the AKC registers nearly a million and a quarter new purebred puppies a year. Theoretically, all of them could be entered in shows and compete. All told, there are about eleven thousand licensed and sanctioned AKC events (including conformance and field shows) every year.
THE FINAL JUDGING
Now comes the group judging, and this is pretty clear-cut. The Best of Breed or Variety, dog or bitch, for each breed is automatically entered into one of seven group competitions—Sporting Dogs, Nonsporting Dogs, Working Dogs, Herding Dogs, Hounds, Terriers, Toys—and is judged simultaneously with its counterpart winners from every other breed in its group. The Group 1 ribbons go to one presumably spectacular dog in each of the seven groups. There are second-, third-, and fourth-place ribbons in each group, too. Although highly coveted and well and truly boasted, these group placements, other than first, do not carry the winners any further in that particular show. Exciting though it may be to earn a group placement, they are still the dogs that went almost all the way. They have, though, done very well and will be watched in the future by that breed’s fanciers.
When the seven groups have been judged, there are seven dogs left. They are then judged for the ultimate accolade, Best in Show, and that is as good as it gets. Those seven finalists may have started out as part of a crew of thousands of dogs on the opening morning, so getting down to one of seven is no small thing. It is awesome. The peak of the pyramid is in sight.
A legitimate question: If an established champion doesn’t need any more points than he has already won, and thereby has his title for all time, why is he entered with class dogs for Winners and Best of Breed ribbons? Simple. There is always the chance he can go all the way, take his Group 1, and then go on to win Best in Show. He is, after all, a proven dog with his championship. The title Best in Show is truly coveted, and when a dog can be described as a Best in Show winner, the finest breeding partners and the best handlers get in line. So do checkbooks. It is a matter of building a reputation win by win, and that is one thing no show dog or dog owner can ever have too much of: winning. Those wins are added up, and few things sound sweeter to a dog exhibitor than “top winning sporting dog of the year” or even “top winning American Water Spaniel of the year.” It is like Wall Street in a sense; greed is the operative word. But it is a nice, warm, fuzzy greed in which man and dog can rejoice. At its best, ecstasy is the operative word.
THE MECHANICS OF SHOWING
The mechanics and sociology of the dog ring are not really all that difficult to master. The psychology can be a bit tricky and trying, but the nuts and bolts are not nearly as tough as a bridge game and are easier than following a Martha Stewart recipe.
You must enter your dog at least two and a half weeks prior to the show date as indicated in the premium—a printed list mailed in advance to entrants. You can variously fax, mail, or even e-mail some superintendent’s office to enter your dog for conformation judging. Once you have entered your dog, you will receive a program of the judging schedule by mail. You should have it in your hands about a week before the show. This includes travel directions, your ring number and time, and the number of dogs entered in each breed. You can easily determine whether there are enough dogs or bitches to constitute a major.
The judging breaks down the entry of the dogs in each breed as in the following example:
30 Akita 10-15 (3-2)
That is not from a World War II Nazi encoding machine like Enigma. It very simply states that thirty Akitas are entered for the show that you will be attending. Of those, twenty-five are class dogs (not yet finished), ten males and fifteen females. In addition, there will be five champions competing for Best of Breed, three males and two females.
Dogs are not identified by names, as that could have an impact on your decision about attending. Allow two to three minutes per dog to estimate the time you need to arrive if your breed is not the first in the ring as listed in the schedule. Remember, dogs always precede bitches. If some dogs are pulled, you may be expected in the ring earlier, so be there with time to spare. Personally, I hate cutting it close. Think about traffic, getting lost, getting a flat, and going into the ring with your stomach already in a knot. Be merciful to yourself and your dog. Get there an hour or two early, visit with friends, drink coffee, bring along a bag of bagels and doughnuts and share them.
If your dog is going to require any grooming, get there really ahead of time. You have to check in and get your armband, and it isn’t a bad idea to watch the judge you will be facing at work—see what he or she does. (Just as likely, it will be she.) It will usually be the same for all dogs showing under him. The more you know about him the better you are likely to do.
The ring steward is responsible for running an efficient ring. He or she manages the ring activities for the judge. The steward begins each breed by calling out each of the seven regular classes, beginning with puppy dogs. The handlers are expected to be ringside for their class judging. Stewards can often be heard ringside calling out “Puppy dog six to nine months, number twenty-one” as a last call prior to the start of judging for absent entries, but only as a courtesy, so be ready when it’s your turn to enter the ring. If you are not present when your class is called, you will probably forfeit your entry fee and the chance to show your dog that day, however much traveling you have had to do.
Typically, the judge will ask that dogs line up in catalog order. If you watch your judge evaluate the breed prior to your appearance, you can gain a pretty good sense of his style and ring procedure. Once he judges the first dog in your breed, he will judge every dog using the same moving pattern. As the dogs stand in the initial lineup, the judge will generally walk down the line and look at the overall structure of the entries. Many judges will use this opportunity to look for any obvious visible breed disqualifications, such as coat appearance, eye color, height, and so forth. He may also note appealing features such as expression or attitude.
Once the judge completes the initial assessment of the class entries, he will ask the handlers to move the dogs around the entire ring together once or twice. This is his first opportunity to evaluate your dog’s gait and soundness as compared with the standards for the breed. When the circuit is complete
d, the judge will expect the first dog to be stacked—set up in the show stance—on the ground or on a table, depending on the size of the breed or the judge’s personal preference, for a hands-on examination. Judges typically step back and look at the dog’s general structure again during this individual exam. He may approach from the side or front, allowing the dog to see him before he touches it. Typically, the judge looks at the head and the eyes before he examines the bite—the way the teeth come together. It is always a pleasure to see a dog lick the judge as if to say, “Pick me, me, not the others, me!”
The judge completes the hands-on evaluation, going over the dog’s head, neck, shoulders, front assembly, chest, top line, croup (rump), hindquarters, tail, and coat, comparing every aspect of the dog to the specific breed standards.
Testicles are the last things examined—males only, of course. The judge often steps back for a final look, comparing the dog to his or her interpretation of the standards. The handler must be alert and follow the judge’s moves. The dog must look its best at all times from every angle.
The handler is asked to move the dog by itself in a pattern, most often either a triangle, down and back, or both. The judge is looking at the dog’s front movement for correctness, as well as watching the dog move away and observing its top line and overall carriage.
The triangle allows the judge to evaluate all aspects of the dog’s gait, including the side gait. Each handler has to experiment to determine the best pace to move the dog to show it off to its greatest advantage. You will hear judges remind handlers to slow down or move at a more moderate pace, leaving plenty of room for other exhibitors if the lineup is moving together. There are few things worse than showing a dog and having another handler run up on you. Your dog hates it, too. Very bad manners!
The dog will finish the individual gaiting by free or self-stacking in front of the judge. This is where you see handlers baiting and throwing liver treats to improve their dogs’ expressions and show their very best attributes. Watch experienced handlers. They are artists working with animated sculpture. They know how to accentuate the most positive features of their dogs in the free stack. The individual exam ends with the handler moving the dog around the ring in a circle, with an emphasis on showing off the side gait—the gait as viewed from the side. The judge goes into the next dog’s individual exam. If your dog is the only entry in the class, and that does happen, the judge directs you to a place marker and hands you the blue ribbon, if you deserve first place. It is a real downer when he doesn’t. When you can’t win even with no competition, rethink what you are doing. You can also show cats, cows, mules, horses, and rabbits—even canaries, koi, and goldfish.
Once the judge examines every dog in the class, all the dogs line up for a final time in picture-perfect stacked position. Handlers are working here to keep their dogs attentive and maintain a standing position that shows off their overall appearance. Often judges will have all entries or selected dogs move again to crystallize their choices. They may ask the entire class to move again individually or all together before designating their final picks. Remember to leave plenty of room for other exhibitors. This is no time for you to exhibit your bad manners. The judge makes his selections, pointing to exhibitors and calling out class placements. Pay careful attention and look at the judge as placements are called. Many a fidgety handler has missed the judge’s final choices while fussing over the dog’s final stack.
The judge selects his winner for each of the six dog classes. All six class winners are then called back into the ring by the steward to compete for Winners Dog (WD). Typically, the judge will briefly examine each winner again and often move each winner individually. Finally, the judge points to a Winners Dog. This is the dog that receives the coveted points toward its championship. The number of points is based on the actual number of dogs defeated that day. Excused or absent dogs do not count in the point calculations. Points are awarded differently on a regional basis and change from year to year based on the AKC schedule and the dogs competing the year prior to your show date. You can always ask the steward following judging how many points you received for winning the blue.
The steward calls out the second-place dog (if any) from the class the Winners Dog just left. This dog now competes with the other class winners for Reserve Winner. The Reserve Winner is considered the next-best dog competing that day in the classes but does not get points.
The bitch classes now follow the dog entries until the judge points to the Winners Bitch (WB), which is the only other entry to receive points at the show. Now the steward calls out the Specials (champion dogs and bitches) to compete along with the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for Best of Breed. Each champion of record is examined in the same manner as the class dogs and bitches. All of this is carried out for each breed individually.
All Best of Winners will compete later in the day (or perhaps the next day if the show is a large, multiday event) with the other Best of Breed winners within their group for one of four placements in the group ring. Here the competition is very stiff, as the Breed winner is often up against top contenders. The entries can come from all over the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
The AKC Recognized Breeds
No one knows how many pure breeds there are still left in the world. A great many breeds have become extinct over the centuries. I have seen the top figure for survivors given as both 450 and 850. No doubt before the final count is made, many of the breeds here today will be gone, exterminated by lack of interest on our part. (When a breed vanishes, a distressing amount of our own history and culture goes with it.) Some others will have come into being during this time, although why we need more is beyond my understanding. There are certainly breeds enough now on this planet for every season, for every task, and for love.
The breeds and varieties now recognized by the AKC are fewer than 170 in number. The AKC breeds with their probable or known lands of origin are listed here in their proper groups.
Group 1: Sporting Dogs—24 Breeds, 3 Varieties
Brittany (formerly known as Brittany Spaniel) France
Pointer Europe/Britain
Pointer, German Shorthaired Germany
Pointer, German Wirehaired Germany
Retriever, Chesapeake Bay United States
Retriever, Curly-Coated ?
Retriever, Flat-Coated Britain/Canada
Retriever, Golden Britain
Retriever, Labrador Newfoundland
Setter, English British Isles
Setter, Gordon Scotland
Setter, Irish Ireland
Spaniel, American Water United States
Spaniel, Clumber British Isles
Spaniel, Cocker (three varieties) United States
ASCOB
Black
Parti-color
Spaniel, English Cocker British Isles
Spaniel, English Springer British Isles
Spaniel, Field British Isles
Spaniel, Irish Water Ireland
Spaniel, Sussex British Isles
Spaniel, Welsh Springer Wales
Vizsla Hungary
Weimaraner Germany
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Holland
Group 2: Hounds—23 Breeds, 5 Varieties
Afghan Hound Afghanistan
Basenji Africa
Basset Hound France/Belgium
Beagle (two varieties) British Isles
Up to 13 inches
13 to 15 inches
Black-and-Tan Coonhound British Isles/United States
Bloodhound Mediterranean
Borzoi (formerly Russian Wolfhound) Russia
Dachschund (three varieties) Germany
Longhaired
Smooth
Wirehaired
Foxhound, American British Isles/United States
Foxhound, English British Isles
Greyhound Ancient Egypt
Harrier Europe/British Isles
Ibizan Hound Egypt
Irish W
olfhound Ancient Rome/Ireland
Norwegian Elkhound Norway
Otterhound British Isles
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen France
Pharaoh Hound Malta
Plott Hound United States
Rhodesian Ridgeback Southern Africa
Saluki Arabia
Scottish Deerhound Scotland
Whippet British Isles
Group 3:Working Dogs—20 Breeds
Akita Japan
Alaskan Malamute Alaska
Bernese Mountain Dog Switzerland
Boxer Germany
Bullmastiff Britain
Doberman Pinscher Germany
Giant Schnauzer Germany
Great Dane Germany
Great Pyrenees France/Spain
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Switzerland
Komondor Hungary
Kuvasz Hungary
Mastiff Britain
Newfoundland British Isles
Portuguese Water Dog Portugal
Rottweiler Germany
Saint Bernard Switzerland
Samoyed Siberia/Arctic
Siberian Husky Siberia/United States
Standard Schnauzer Germany
Group 4: Terriers—26 Breeds, 4 Varieties
Airedale Terrier British Isles
American Staffordshire Terrier British Isles
Australian Terrier Australia
Bedlington Terrier British Isles
Border Terrier British Isles
Bull Terrier (two varieties) British Isles
Colored
White
Cairn Terrier British Isles
Dandie Dinmont Terrier British Isles
Fox Terrier, Smooth British Isles
Fox Terrier, Wire British Isles
Irish Terrier Ireland
Jack Russell Terrier British Isles
Kerry Blue Terrier Ireland
Going for the Blue Page 6
