Shows And Obedience

ABOUT DOG SHOWS
 A championship dog show is an exhibition of dogs registered in Australia on what is called the main register of the State Dog Controls, which are all members of the Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC).
There is another register called the Limited register for dogs that people or breeders don’t want to show but are still pedigreed dogs.
At shows dogs compete for best female (the winner is called Challenge bitch), best dog (the winner is called Challenge dog), then the best dog competes against the best bitch for the title of Best of Breed. Certificates are awarded. Only official ANKC judges can officiate (judge) at these shows.
 
An open show is a dog show at which no best of breed or challenge points are awarded but dogs still compete for the title Best of Breed.  At these shows trainee judges officiate and it is considered the training ground for all young dogs and owners. It is particularly good to help socialise your puppy.
  
Puppies can be entered at dogs show from 3 months of age. 

When you join a State dog control you will get a journal each month where advertisements for shows are printed. These are called show schedules and provide all the information that you need to enter and exhibit your puppy at the show. 
 
CLASSES
A dog show is divided into classes which are usually based on age. The simple entry form you fill out will explain these.
Classes are provided for each sex, the class numbers for bitches are followed by the letter 'a'. 
 
YOUR FIRST DOG SHOW
 
Important things to note are the date of the show and the closing date of entry, the time it starts and where it is being held.
You will need to complete an entry form which you can get from your State dog control, or you can enter Online at a lot of dog shows. There are websites which make this an easy process once you have registered with them.

GETTING TO THE SHOW

You will usually get an exhibit number in the mail the week before the show, which will come in your stamped self-addressed envelope along with a catalogue receipt and a listing of the first number in each group. Some shows may ask you to collect the exhibit number when you arrive. A catalogue is a small booklet with all the dogs entered at the show listed, along with the judges and officials.
When you get to the show locate the Show Secretary's tent and ask for your catalogue. You should tell them you are a new exhibitor and they will usually help by finding an experienced person to help you so your have more fun and make new friends at your first event.
Dog Shows are divided into 7 Groups of dogs in Australia. They are Toys, Terriers, Gundogs, Hounds, Working Dogs, Utility and Non Sporting.  Dogs compete firstly for Best of their Breed, the winners of those then compete for Best in Group and from there the 7 winners compete for the ultimate award of Best in Show. If you don't know which group your puppy is in ask the breeder or the show secretary.
 
Diet, exercise, training and socialising help to make the shows more fun and give your dog the best chance of winning.
 
Don’t forget to take an umbrella or small canopy and some chairs, food and drink. Also some water from home a few treats for your new puppy come in handy. It is big day for them!
  
CHAMPIONS

Your dog needs to win a total of 100 points to become a champion and 1,000 points to become a grand champion. 
Points are awarded to be best of each sex of each breed (over six months of age) with extra points going to the Best of Breed winner.

ASK THE STEWARD

There is a Steward at the ring entrance to the show ring where your puppy will compete, don’t hesitate to ask them what to do if you haven’t had time to watch other competitors before your turn.
Dog Showing is a pretty simple process. Without getting too technical you will need to able to get your puppy to run in a large circle and the stop in front of the judge and stand still while the judge has a look at them and checks their teeth. Judges are usually very gentle especially if you mention it is your puppy's first show. The judge will be deciding whether he thinks your puppy is a good example of its breed. All breeds have a Breed Standard which has detailed requirements that have to be met. On Purebred Puppies we have printed information on each breed which is a simplified version of the breed standard.
The judges will ask you to run in a straight line away from them, turn around and run back. Sometimes they will ask you to run the circle again. They do this to check if your puppy has good shoulder or hindquarter placement and how well it is physically constructed to do the job the breed was originally intended to for.

JUNIOR HANDLERS

There are special events for kids at shows called Junior Handler events – ask the show secretary to introduce to someone who can advise you on this at the show. There are also Breed Clubs for some popular breeds – it is great to join these because they have shows just for dogs of your breed.
Remember the people who run dog shows are there to help you – don’t be afraid to ask!

SHOWING YOUR DOG & OBEDIENCE CLUBS

Dog shows are held all around Australia, where dogs are judged by specialist judges against their breed standard. Obedience trials are held nearly every weekend in Australia, clubs exist all over the country. You can become a member of your state controlling body and then you go from there.  You can get further information from your state controlling body:

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

DOGS ACT
PO Box 815
Dickson ACT 2602
Phone: (02) 6241 4404
Fax: (02) 6241 1129
Email: administrator@dogsact.org.au
Website: www.dogsact.org.au

NEW SOUTH WALES

DOGS NSW
PO Box 632
St Marys NSW 1790
Phone: (02) 9834 3022 or 1300 728 022 (NSW Only)
Fax: (02) 9834 3872
Email: info@dogsnsw.org.au
Website: www.dogsnsw.org.au

NORTHERN TERRITORY

DOGS NT
PO Box 37521
Winnellie NT 0821
Phone: (08) 8984 3570
Fax: (08) 8984 3409
Email: admin@dogsnt.com.au
Website: www.dogsnt.com.au

QUEENSLAND

DOGS QUEENSLAND
PO Box 495
Fortitude Valley Qld 4006
Phone: (07) 3252 2661
Fax: (07) 3252 3864
Email: info@dogsqueensland.org.au
Website: www.dogsqueensland.org.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

DOGS SA
PO Box 844
Prospect East SA 5082
Phone: (08) 8349 4797
Fax: (08) 8262 5751 
Email: info@dogssa.com.au
Website: www.dogssa.com.au

TASMANIA

DOGS TASMANIA
The Rothman Building
PO Box 116
Glenorchy Tas 7010
Phone: (03) 6272 9443
Fax: (03) 6273 0844
Email: tca@iprimus.com.au
Website: www.tasdogs.com

VICTORIA

DOGS VICTORIA
Locked Bag K9
Cranbourne VIC 3977
Phone: (03)9788 2500
Fax: (03) 9788 2599
Email: office@dogsvictoria.org.au
Website: www.dogsvictoria.org.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

DOGS WEST
Cnr Ranford & Warton Roads
Southern River  WA  6110
Phone: (08) 9455 1188
Fax: (08) 9455 1190
Email: k9@dogswest.com
Website: www.dogswest.com

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON TYPES OF DOGS

TOY DOGS
Small dogs like the Maltese or the Pekingese have been popular for thousands of years. Unlike many of the breeds whose uses to society have become obsolete, as the demands of society change, toy or lap dogs are growing in popularity in modern times.

TERRIERS 
Taking their name from the Latin word ‘terra’ meaning earth, these dogs were bred to follow game down into burrows and holes where they were either killed or dragged out alive for the hunters. For centuries, the Terriers virtues of ridding stable yards and farms of rats and vermin, made them invaluable to their masters. However, with the advent of mechanization and the reduction of horse stables to attract rats and mice, many Terrier breeds have nearly become extinct.

GUNDOGS 
Spaniels, Retrievers, Setters and Pointers are all included in this group. Their main purpose was to work under the command of their owner either by pointing, scenting and/or retrieving birdlife and other game from land and water. As Gundogs were evolved to work with man, these breeds are more amenable to training than some of the breeds which have been evolved to use their own initiative (e.g. Terriers and Hounds).

SIGHT HOUNDS
Sometimes known as gazehounds, members of this group are identifiable by their long fine heads, lighter framed bodies and long legs. They were evolved for speed, an ability to hunt by sight, and were required to be smart enough to use their own initiative when hunting either on their own, as a pair or with others. Often aloof with strangers, Sighthounds are probably the most sensitive and gentle of any group of dogs.

SCENT HOUNDS 
Dogs with excellent scenting powers were needed to track quarry which could not always be seen due to ground cover or distance. Hounds falling into this bracket like Beagles and Foxhounds usually have shortish coats, and require broad nostrils to enhance their scenting powers. Often working in packs, they are known to get on well with other dogs.

HERDING BREEDS 
This group of dogs which includes working breeds like Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, German Shepherds and Border Collies, have been invaluable over the centuries for their work with farm stock. Like members of the Gundog group, these herders comprehend and readily work under the command of man.

MASTIFF FAMILY
Believed to have originated in Asia where they were sometimes known as the Molossus, with their large powerful bodies and massive heads, these dogs were prized by the early Greeks and Romans over 2,000 years ago. They were highly valued as both guard and fighting dogs and were used in the Roman circuses in the now outlawed activity of fighting lions and later, for the purpose of baiting bulls and bears. Bullmastiffs, Boxers and Bulldogs are some of the descendents of the original Mastiff.

GUARD DOGS 
These breeds often-have Mastiffs as forebears and unlike watch dogs who merely bark to warn, guard dogs will attack on command. Originally used to protect the family, home or property; in modern times breeds like Dobermanns, Rottweilers and Giant Schnauzers are utilised by police and the armed services.

UTILITY DOGS
Falling into this category are draught and sled pulling dogs like Bernese Mountain Dogs and Samoyeds. Also included are dogs descending from the Mastiff family like St. Bernards and Newfoundlands who have brilliant records for rescuing people in trouble from either the snow or the sea.

SPITZ  FAMILY
This family of dogs originate from the Arctic fox. With their foxlike heads, pricked ears and shorter pointed muzzles, this group extends from the Toy Pomeranian, the Corgis, Schipperke through to the large Alaskan Malamute. Usually dogs in this group have double coats with the outer coat standing away from the body.

NON-SPORTING GROUP 
This group could be called the miscellaneous group. The original purpose for their existence in most cases, has become obsolete which has resulted in them no longer fitting into any specific group of dogs. Like the Toy group, many of these dogs had origins in other families, but changes in their structure, or society’s needs or habits have altered the original reason for their existence. Breeds of this group include Bulldogs, Poodles and Lhasa Apsos.