Monthly Archives: March 2012

Lots Of Follow-Up

Posted in dog show, General/Misc, Puppies by

Time to answer some questions.  :)

Snoopy from Snoopysdogblog asked about the lead we had on Freighter in this picture and specifically the handle.

Freighter On A Check Cord

That is just a 12 or 15 foot flat black nylon lead with a looped handle, like this.  We picked this for Freighter’s check cord, (actually Storm used it and maybe even Thunder), because it is light weight and if you have to hold it, it won’t hurt your hand.  Some people use a rope and eventually Freighter may use that too, but for right now, this one works for him.

thatjenk of Back Alley Soapbox asked whether we solidify the retrieve on land before moving to water.  Right now the retrieve is all about fun for Freighter whether it is on land or water.  So as long as he will go in the water willingly, we threw the bumpers there.  However, as training progresses, particularly when a dog starts to learn handling, you work mostly on land and then move to water after land is solid.  Generally, if the dog has problems at a test, it is on the water portion, (at least for our dogs).

Storm Water Blind August 2011

Basset Momma asked whether Freighter’s coat would always be as wavy and curly.  We hope so.  Right now it is puppy fur, but he is losing it and getting a more adult coat, so we shall see.  But generally Chessies should have a wavy coat.  Thunder’s might not look as wavy, but his is still correct, (just a different style).  Thunder’s coat dries super fast and we hope Freighter will end up with a coat that dries as quickly.

A Good Look At Freighter's Coat

Anna had a couple of questions.  First she wanted to know about the collar we used for Freighter’s Invisible Fence collar.

Freedom

That is the collar that came with the Invisible Fence system.  It is actually Thunder’s collar (or rather the one he used as a puppy).  Thunder knows our boundaries and has great recall so he doesn’t need it (or use it much) anymore.  Freighter got a hand-me-down.

Anna also asked whether I had heard about a new class offered called “Gun Dog” or “Hunting Dog” class.  For retrievers both “Hunting” dog class and “Field Trial” dog class have been offered for some time.  Since Thunder earned his championship, if we enter him in a show, we enter him in Hunting dog class.  But it is a non-regular class and not offered at every show.  If the dog/bitch wins the class, it moves on to Best of Breed. Perhaps it is new for pointers?  If so, that is very cool.

Jim and Thunder ACC Specialty Show-Hunting Dog Class

Jodi of jodistone–Life with Sampson and Delilah….The 411 asked if dogs get stressed at dog shows.  Yes, some do.  Storm is not a fan of shows which take place in big expo centers.  She is overwhelmed with the noise.  However, she does fine at out-door shows and is tolerant of those held in fair ground buildings with big openings at each end.  As a result, if she is entered in a show, we try to stick to those held outside.  Thunder has no problem and as you can see in the above picture, sometimes he gets too excited!

I always laugh at this picture of Storm from a show because it sums up her feelings.  :)

I'll do it, but I'm keeping my tail to myself!

Boondocks of Boondocks & The Love Shack Pack asked if there are treats at a show.  Yep…lots!  Although once when Thunder was just starting to show there was a judge that banned treats from the ring.  Handlers use treats to help keep the dogs focused and still while the judge is going over them, or to help the dog show expression.  Luckily, Thunder did fine without the treats and got his fair share outside of the ring.

Don't I deserve a treat?

My Brown Newfies wanted to know if those were dog runs she spied in one of the pictures.  Yep.  We can’t have real fences so we put in runs for the dogs.  They are fully enclosed, top and bottom.  We also have houses in them so the dogs can spend time outside in the winter or summer (the houses are insulated).  We put up and take down sun/wind screens depending on the season.  They love hanging out in them and prefer it to being crated.

Kennels

Front View

Finally many commented on the new look of the blog.  Thanks for all of the positive comments.  Truth be told, the reason I keep changing themes is because as I use them, there always seems to be something that starts to bug me over time.  The last theme I liked, but I had to put spacers in between pictures or they would run together and when I inserted links, I had to give them a color or they just blended in with the type.  It just took too much time, which I don’t have.  Hey WordPress theme designers, ask me what I’d like to see in a theme.  :lol:

Hope I answered all of the questions.  Have a great weekend!

Dog Show Basics–Entering A Show

Posted in dog show by

At the beginning of the month, I posted some pictures from the Detroit Kennel Club Show, here.  Several people commented that they had never been to a show or didn’t understand how they worked.  When we started to show Thunder, I was in the same boat.  Dog shows were very confusing.  Why did some of the dogs keep going back into the ring?  Why did the people make the dogs run around and around the ring?  What was the judge looking for when he or she felt the dog all over?  Why does the judge look into the dog’s mouth?  I am no expert, and really am only familiar with Chessies, but here are some of the basics.

First thing to do is to figure out how to enter a show.

Dog shows are held by clubs.  Shows may be just for one breed (called a “Specialty Show”) or they may be for all AKC recognized breeds (called “All Breed Shows”) and sometimes they are for a specific group of dogs, (say the “Sporting Group” or the “Hound Group”).  When a club puts on a show, they have to put out a “Premium List”.  The AKC has specific requirements for what has to be in the Premium List, but generally it contains all of the specifics of a show such as the time, date, location of the show and the date and time that entries close.  It also lists the names of the judges, and the prizes offered, (the AKC also has minimum requirements for prize ribbons).  The Premium also lists the classes (or entry categories) being offered for conformation and if there is Rally, or Obedience or Agility offered, that will also be listed.  Basically all the information about the show is contained in the Premium List.  Here is a PDF example of a Premium List for an upcoming show.

Detroit Kennel Club 2010--Bred by Exhibitor Dogs

The regular classes that are generally offered at each show are:

  • Puppy, 6 & Under 9 Months
  • Puppy,  9 & Under 12 Months
  • Dogs/Bitches, 12 & Under 18 Months
  • Novice
  • Amateur-Owner-Handler
  • Bred by Exhibitor
  • American-Bred
  • Open

Open Bitches 2011 Chessie Specialty Show

The classes that the AKC requires to be offered are in blue.  The others are optional, but most are offered at most shows.  The classes are divided by sex, meaning that males compete against males and females against females.  Sometimes the classes are further divided for certain breeds, say by color. coat, or size.  If so, it will be listed in the Premium List.  The dogs in each class compete against one another.  Then each dog who has placed first in its class competes against the others who have placed first in their class until one is awarded “Winner’s Dog”.  The bitches do the same until one is awarded “Winner’s Bitch”.  Championship points are awarded to “Winner’s Dog” and “Winner’s Bitch”.  The number of points depends on the number of dogs/bitches the winner has defeated.

Jim and Thunder in Hunting Dog Class ACC Specialty Show 2009

Sometimes a breed club will help out the club holding a show and offer larger ribbons or additional prizes for placements at a show.  This is called a “Supported Entry”.  At Supported Entries, sometimes Non-regular classes are offered.  For Chessies non-regular classes may include Hunting Dogs and Bitches, (must have a hunting title), Field Trial Dogs and Bitches, (must have field trial placements) and Veteran Dogs and Bitches, (7 or 8 years old and up, may be further divided by age).  Dogs do not earn points toward their championship from Non-Regular classes; however, if they win their class they advance to the Best of Breed competition.

Best of Breed Competition ACC Supported Entry Detroit Kennel Club 2010----Veteran, 10 Years & Over Bitch, Hunting Dog (Thunder), Hunting Bitch

In addition to all of the classes (regular and non-regular) a dog/bitch can also be entered in Best of Breed.  These are dogs/bitches who have already earned their championship, (called “Specials”).  Should a dog/bitch win “Best of Breed” it would advance to compete in the Group competition with the Group winners competing for Best in Show.

Sometimes when there is a Supported Entry there is also a Puppy and Veterans Sweepstakes.  This is a separate entry and the prizes include a cut of the entry money, (in addition to other prizes and ribbons).  No points are earned by winning a Sweepstakes, just the prizes and bragging rights.  :)   The club supporting the entry donates the prizes, which usually means individual members of the club will donate prizes/ribbons for both the Sweepstakes and the Classes/Best of Breed.

These are the basic ways to enter a dog show.  Next week what happens in the ring.  Tomorrow, I hope to have some follow-up and answer some of the questions from comments.  Hopefully…