showing dogs, a question for people who show?

Question

How much does a normal show run you cost wise? I heard from one person it can be 300 a dog, with all expenses.
Is it worth showing a dog in a class with fewer than 3 dogs, heard you can only get points with a class of three or more.
Do you only get points if you are first place?
Are there good show dog forums or webgroups out there?

Answer 1

Your base expense is the cost of your entry fee. These days those normally run $25-30 per entry day day, although sometimes you can find reduced entry fees for the puppy or BBE classes. Your other expenses are going to depend on how far the show is from you, what type of gas mileage your car gets, if you need (want) to stay over night at a hotel, how many meals you are going to need to eat away from home, etc. A couple of other big variables are if you are going to be able to properly groom and handle your dog yourself or if you will need to hire a professional to do it for you. The fees that professional charge can vary greatly. If you are showing more than one dog of course your travel expenses would be split between all the dogs you were showing. Probably one of the best ways to cut down on your expenses is to travel to the shows with a friend. That way you can split things like gas, tolls and hotels.

The rules for earning a Championship vary somewhat from country to country so I am only going to explain the rules for the AKC.

Depending on the breed and the region you can win 1 point for as little as 1 other dog in competition. The AKC revises the point schedules annually to make sure that it hasn't become too easy to win a Championship because of a dramatic increase in the number of dogs for a given breed being shown in a given region. You can check the requirements for points for your breed and regional at http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/point_schedule.cfm .
The schedules for each region list the breeds in alphabetical order by group. If your breed is not listed then the heading for "all other breeds and varieties" apply. Once you have found your breed look a crossed the line and it will show you the number of males or females needed for 1-5 points. You can also win points in other ways by going Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex or Winning the Group or Winning Best in Show.

Actually all you get for first place in your class is a blue ribbon and the right to go back in against the other first place winners in each class of the same sex, there are no points awarded for winning your class. For each breed the dogs are called into the ring and judged in a specific order starting with the male "Puppy Class Dog" and moving on through each of the male classes ending with the "Open Class Dog" . In each of these classes the judge examines the dog and placing them 1st through 5th, if there are more than 5 dogs in the class the balance is dismissed and leave the ring without any ribbons. Once the judge has finished judging the last dog class the first place winners of each class are called back in the ring, this is called the "Winners Class". The judge will then pick the best "class dog" (non-champion) male and award it "Winners Dog", this is where you get the first opportunity to win points. The process is repeated for the females which are called bitches. Once the judges has awarded "Winners B*tch" the next class is Best of Breed. The Best of Breed class is made up of the Champion males and females for the breed, the "Winners Dog" (WD) and the "Winners B*tch" (WB). The judge will then select the best animal of the breed and award it "Best of Breed" (BOB). This can either be a dog that is already a Champion or a class animal, if it is a class animal then you take the higher number of points available in either sex at the class level and then add the number of Champions and use that to determine the number of points the dog earns. The judge will also select the of best dog of the breed that is the opposite sex of the BOB and will award this dog Best of Opposite Sex (BOS). Again this dog can be already be a Champion or it can be a class dog. If it is a class dog then you take the number of class animals in its sex and add the number of Champion in its class to determine the number of points. The judge will also decide between the to class animals and award Best of Winners (BW) to one of them, this dog get the higher points available in the classes even if it was in the other sex.

Side note--- despite what Yahoo thinks B*tch is not a dirty word, it simply means a female canine, the same a hen is a female chicken and Rooster is a male chicken. It is only the improper use of the word that makes most people think you are swearing when you say it.

Assuming that the show you entered wasn't a Speciality Show (a show just for your breed), the BOB from each breed then moves on to the "Group" and competes for group placements (1st -4th). The AKC divides all breeds into one of 7 groups. If a class dog was BOB and then placed 1st in its group, the dog wins the highest number of points that was available in in of the breeds for that group.

Each of the 7 group winners then goes on to compete for Best in Show (BIS). If the judge selects a class dog for Best in Show then it earns the highest number of point available in any breed in the show.

Now the thing that you have to remember is to earn your Championship you need to get a total of 15 points. Making up these 15 points have to be at least 2 "majors". A "major" is when you earn 3-5 points at a show. Also at least 3 judges have to of awarded you points. Once you fulfill these requirements you will receive a Championship Certificate from the AKC.

Sorry I can't point you to a good show forum or discussion group but a good place to start would be by searching for a group about your breed. Every breed is groomed and exhibited differently and it is important to learn what is a expected for your breed. Also it is very hard to learn the finer points of these things from the internet so I would strongly recommend that you locate your local kennel club and look into taking handling classes. This will give both you and your dog exposure so you both know what to expect when you step in the ring. I would also suggest entry a few "matches" to test your skills. Every AKC club offers one or more matches each year. These are designed to be a training ground for new exhibitors, new dogs and experienced breeders who are learning to be judges. It is important to remember that at a math the judge will not normally be an AKC licensed judge for your breed but rather somewhat who is basically a judge in training so don't be to upset if they don't know the finer points of your breed. On the other hand if judge after judge feels that your dog is not up to the quality required for the show ring then it is probably time to sit back and really take a good look at how closely your dog resembles the breed standard. While at the match you should also think about entering the handling (Mens, Ladies and/or Junior) classes. In the handling class the judge doesn't judge the dog but instead judges your ability to present the dog. This will give you an idea of your skill level and will give you an idea if you might want to learn into getting a professional handler. Often when I judge at matches when I'm done with my assignment I'll stick around a while and offer to help the exhibitors improve their skills. After judging,especially at a match, it never hurts to ask the judge if they have a minute to give you an idea of what they feel your dogs strengths and weaknesses are or if they feel that you need to polish your skills a bit. If a judge offers to spend some time with you and give you some pointers always remember to thank them for their time even if you don't agree with their opinion.

Answer 2

Entries in my area are $25-$30 per dog per day.

The last out-of-state show I went to cost me $300 in gas alone, plus another $100 in hotel (shared the room).

It takes 2-3 dogs in your dog's sex to make a point, not necessarily the class alone. Your first answer explained all that very well.

You do have to be "Winners" to get the point(s)...Winners is a class that includes all of the 1st place winners from the previous classes in that sex. Getting 1st place alone won't do it.

I would love to suggest a good webgroup for you...I know they're out there. Maybe search in Yahoo Groups and find one with lots of traffic/discussion?

There is also a good section about getting into showing on AKC.org -- I'll go look for the link.

ADD: Here it is...
http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/beginners.cfm

Also wanted to add that, yes, I do think it's worth it to show even if there are only a few dogs entered, especially if the show is nearby and you are a beginner. Your dog can use those single points, and it's great experience for the both of you.

Answer 3

Just because your class only has three dogs, doesn't mean there are no points. It is all the classes for the dog of that SEX, and then there is the points from the dogs of the OTHER sex. There can be ONE male in all the classes, but if there is a major in bit ches, the male can get those points. So it all depends.
An entry for one day is about $25-30. Then there are all the travel and other expenses that go with it. And that is if you are showing yourself. A handler would clearly be more.

And the points depend on the breed and the area of the country. Each breed needs different number of dogs for the various points. More for dogs with a high entry...like Labs, less for dogs that are less common...like Otterhounds.

Getting "first place" is misleading. If you take first in your class...say novice dogs...but you don't take winners dog, you are getting zippo. You do not get anything just for taking first in your class. What you are looking for is taking "winners", "best of winners", or "best of breed".

Answer 4

You only get points if you win 1st place. the amount of points depend on the dogs entered. It depends on your breed of dog. 300 dollars is not very realistic unless you are hiring someone to show your dog. I t is very hard work and very time comsuming to get a champion dog.