How do dogs do that? My dog Sunny keeps escaping from the fence….I see the spot and fix it. Next time he goes over and get’s out again. Those little trouble makers. Here he is in the spot he gets out. Mind you the back is chickenwire-type fence. Once he’s go that bug, it’s hard to get him over it. It all started from a bird. He wanted to get the bird sooooo bad, he found a way.

As I mentioned I have 6 dogs- two of which have their CGC (Canine Good Citizen). Those two dogs are the most well behaved and confident dogs I have and ever had- a real pleasure to be around. I must mention if you are a dog person the CGC is a valuable program in having a calm family life. So I would urge everyone who owns a dog to go through this program and certification because it is well worth the time spent. The actual test is inexpensive only about $5, and can be taken a variety of places such as dog show events, and local chapter dog clubs, or you can look on the akc.org website for an evaluator in your area or dates of upcoming tests. Some local dog clubs have program/classes to help you teach your dogs good manners in order to take this test, but it takes the owner to enforce skills everyday to insure the dog is learning good manners outside the class.

Canine Good Citizen Certification

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger -Dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation. With no sign of resentment or shyness, and must not break position

Test 2: Sitting politely for petting -Dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler  not showing shyness or offense.

Test 3: Appearance and grooming – Dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so.

Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead) – The handler is in control of the dog.

Test 5: Walking through a crowd – This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places.

Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place

Test 7: Coming when called

Test 8: Reaction to another dog – Behave politely around other dogs

Test 9: Reaction to distraction – Confident at all times when faced with common distracting situations.

Test 10: Supervised separation – Can be left with a trusted person and will maintain training and good manners.

Please visit this site for more information…http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/index.cfm.

Now that you have a well-trained show dog, it is time to enter a show. However, there are several different classes, these are age guided, bred guided, and open class, also some are divided by color, size, or hair type within the breed. The puppy and 12 to 18 month classes are only for the younger dogs and have more flexibility as far as behavior and being perfectly still. The next classes depend on who or where the dog was bred. These classes are called Bred-by Exhibitor and American Bred. The Bred-by class will only allow the breeder handle the dog and the American Bred class only allows dog bred in America exhibit. These classes are usually used to improve your chances of competing for “winners”if you qualify to enter these classes, because it spreads out the dogs instead of all just in one class. The remaining class is Open and is open to any dog no matter age or who bred him. This is the most crowded class. Lastly, certain breeds need to be divided so the same types are competing against each other. For example Cocker Spaniels are divide by the colors ASCOB (any solid color other than black), parti-color, and black. Classes may also be divided by size like the miniature poodle, toy poodle, and the standard poodle. Lastly by hair type as in the Dachshund with short hair, long hair, and wire hair.  Classes are also split by gender. There are male (dog) classes of all the above classes and female (bitch) classes of all the options. After winning your class, you will move on to the next step in the process, going on to the “Winners” class and acquire points.

The next step in showing a dog is to compete for Winners Dog or Bitch. This class is again divided by gender and variety. However, if you win the class you receive points, which goes towards the championship title. The amount of points each breed can earn is determined by the Schedule of Points published by the AKC every year in May. This Schedule of Points is divided by divisions of states, for example division 2 are the states Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It is also dependant on the amount of dogs or bitches shown in your breed. For instance, as of May 2007, if there are thirteen Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs shown in division 2, the Winners Dog would receive four points toward his championship. In order to become a champion a dog would need to earn fifteen points including two “majors” under at least two different judges. A major is determined by the amount of dogs in that show, and consists of three or more points, while one or two points are  known as a minor. After winning Winners Dog or Winners Bitch, you would compete for Best of Winners, which is the winner of the Winners Dog and Bitch competition. Next, the established champions will join the newly appointed Winners to try to win Best of Breed, the best of all of the dogs in the competition, and Best of Opposite Sex, which is the best dog that is the opposite gender of the Best of Breed winner. After competing for points, you will want to move on to the next step in the process. Finally, when you win Best of Breed you will want to compete in your group for Best of Group, then eventually Best in Show.

For information about getting to Best in Show, check back later.

Did you know dogs at dog shows are not judged against each other, but against the breed standard? The breed standard set by the American Kennel Club is an outline of the “perfect” dog of a particular breed. Therefore, the purpose of a dog show is to find the “perfect” example of the breed in order to produce more of the ideal breed. For this reason, only intact dogs can compete. The first step in showing a dog is to find a breed, that meets your personality.
      

After you have decided on the breed, the next thing to check for is the quality of the dog. The good quality breeders really care about there puppies. They will do the necessary medical tests on the parent dogs to make sure they are cleared of any hereditary defects, and keep the puppy with the mother for the best possible time to ensure a healthy and stable dog. In addition, quality breeders will survey the potential owners; some will even require that they be assigned as co-owner on the registration papers to make sure your puppy is healthy, and safe. If the breeder is not requiring a co-ownership, then they will always send you home with good instructions of how to take proper care of the breed. To find a quality breeder, contact your breed’s AKC breed parent club.

As in any profession, you will need some basic tools of the trade. This starts with a show lead, a grooming table, a crate, and a show dog trainer.  A show lead that fits your breed is selected by type and thickness. The several types include; slip leads, martingale leads, and your basic snap leads. You hold the lead usually in your left hand towards the judge so the judge always has view of the dog.  Next, select a grooming table large enough for your dog to stand on and at a height you can reach your dog in all directions, you do not want to have to bend over or reach up all the time. Also, choose a crate that the dog will be able to stand and sit in comfortably as this will be his new den. The crate is used to transport from show to show, in addition to, help you housebreak your new puppy, sleeping, and feeding. Attending a show training class will help you develop your skills, as well as, your dog’s knowledge and expectations. It will also help socialize the puppy properly.

For information about how dog shows work, check back later.

Here are some links for more information about the information discussed.

www.akc.org –American Kennel Club

www.offa.org –Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

www.vmdb.org/cerf.html -Canine Eye Registration Foundation

Welcome to my blog. I am in the process of writing and publishing a book called “For the Love of Dogs”. It came as an inspiration from my daily life with my current six dogs. I’ve been involved with dogs in some capacity or another since I was a child, and have had many situations I want to share with children and parents in regards to dogs. I am using one of my dogs as the main character…his name is Sunny. I will keep you posted with the progress of this book, and with various topics regarding dogs. My daughters, also, will be involved with this book and blog. They are involved with the dog showing industry and continuing education in the small animal science so as you may suspect they were an inspiration for me to write this book.