What's The Difference...

[Pretty Miss Emma]

Ok, so I have 0 experience in this area and was looking through the DogsVic gazette. Questions started popping up for me!!! I have been starting to browse through the massively long thread to help people new to showing, but I'm wondering if you could please give me some really simple explanations of the different categories (??) in shows? What is the difference between a championship and open (did I get that right?!)? What is sweepstakes? What do you enter when you start out? Does it matter?! If a show is not advertised as restricted to breed or group does that mean any breed can enter even though it's run by a particular breed/group/etc?

Sorry, but just trying to get my head around the terminology as it's a little confusing until you know what it all means!!!

[Showpony]

Ok, so I have 0 experience in this area and was looking through the DogsVic gazette. Questions started popping up for me!!! I have been starting to browse through the massively long thread to help people new to showing, but I'm wondering if you could please give me some really simple explanations of the different categories (??) in shows? What is the difference between a championship and open (did I get that right?!)? What is sweepstakes? What do you enter when you start out? Does it matter?! If a show is not advertised as restricted to breed or group does that mean any breed can enter even though it's run by a particular breed/group/etc?

Sorry, but just trying to get my head around the terminology as it's a little confusing until you know what it all means!!!

Hi,

I'll answer your question and keep it simple......but suggest you read through the Show Regulations that can be downloaded off the DogsVic website

Championship Show - offer Challenges, which award points toward a Championship title

Open Show - No Challenges

Sweepstakes - a class where dogs and bitches compete together under a certain description eg 3 - 6 months Sweepstakes held at an All Breed Show....is for any dog/bitch of any Breed that is between 3 - 6 months old. There is also 6-12months Sweepstakes

Shows can be All Breeds - open to any ANKC reg breed.......Group, eg Gundog Show, Only Gundogs can enter........or Breed Shows eg Labrador Club, only Labradors can enter

Most ppl enter their dogs age class and if a pup Sweepstakes.....its totally up to you......but I would suggest you go and have some handling lessons, that way you will also learn hown to train your dog for the ring.

[yarracully]

Hi,

I'll answer your question and keep it simple......but suggest you read through the Show Regulations that can be downloaded off the DogsVic website

Championship Show - offer Challenges, which award points toward a Championship title

Open Show - No Challenges

Sweepstakes - a class where dogs and bitches compete together under a certain description eg 3 - 6 months Sweepstakes held at an All Breed Show....is for any dog/bitch of any Breed that is between 3 - 6 months old. There is also 6-12months Sweepstakes

Shows can be All Breeds - open to any ANKC reg breed.......Group, eg Gundog Show, Only Gundogs can enter........or Breed Shows eg Labrador Club, only Labradors can enter

Most ppl enter their dogs age class and if a pup Sweepstakes.....its totally up to you......but I would suggest you go and have some handling lessons, that way you will also learn hown to train your dog for the ring.

Should also be pointed out that although Showpony has mentioned two sweepstakes classes, these are not the only ones although probably most common. There are some clubs that will have Juniors or even intermediate sweeps as an alternative. It is upto the club if they wish to run a sweepstakes and what age group they want to run. But it does give the club extra income from the additional entries.

Also not all shows have sweepstakes and it is not compulsory to enter sweepstakes either. By that you could have a baby puppy entered in a show but it does not have to be entered in the sweepstakes. However many use the sweepstakes to give a youngster more ring experience. Sweepstakes are upto you if you wish to enter. We don't usually do sweeps as I rather use the time to get ready for breed judging itself as quite often our group is one of the first in and many of the shows we do have sweepstakes before breed judging. But that is my personal choice

Also worth remembering that in a puppy sweepstakes, for example, that means in theory all pups in the show could be in the same ring at the same time so at larger shows it could get quite crowded in the lineup and it means your youngster may have to behave for quite a while. But then again many judges are forgiving if a young pup gets a bit rebelous after a while waiting to be judged.

Edited June 8, 2012 by yarracully

[Bisart Dobes]

I enter sweepstakes with young dogs as it is a great chance to aquaint them with the ring & lots of other dogs. Very often with breed judging it is a bit rushed and the dogs are in and out before they get the chance to really realise whats going on. A large sweepstakes class gives you and your dog chance to relax, soak in the whole thing, do a little training, a little socializing AND get judged !!! A great experience for a young dog and I have found it makes a lovely introduction to the showring for a young dog. Unfortunately there aren't alot of Vic clubs running sweepstakes anymore.

Good luck with your showing.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Bisart Dobes

[Crazy Daisy]

I'll put in here too that Open shows are normally a lot cheaper or free/automatic entry as the judges are trainee judges and not able to judge at all breeds level yet. I found when starting out a new puppy or one that hadn't been in the ring for a while that Open shows are great. It gives the dog another opportunity in the ring and for a dog like my boy that has HEAPS of energy I found the Open shows were great to settle him before going in the champ show.

Although sometimes I think I could have entered him in a sweepstake class, Open show and Champ show and he could still do it all three times over :laugh:

[Lemonlime]

Hello, it's Daisy... Long time no see!!

You are more than welcome to meet up at some shows with me if you like. You can do all of the reading in the world but I think the only real way to learn is to go to a show and actually watch the judging whilst having someone explain it to you. If you don't know what you are looking at, it can be very confusing :)

[Pretty Miss Emma]

Hello, it's Daisy... Long time no see!!

You are more than welcome to meet up at some shows with me if you like. You can do all of the reading in the world but I think the only real way to learn is to go to a show and actually watch the judging whilst having someone explain it to you. If you don't know what you are looking at, it can be very confusing :)

You'll have to meet my new little Hamish!! Let me know if you're showing somewhere local in the near future and I'll bring him to visit!!

[Lemonlime]

Hello, it's Daisy... Long time no see!!

You are more than welcome to meet up at some shows with me if you like. You can do all of the reading in the world but I think the only real way to learn is to go to a show and actually watch the judging whilst having someone explain it to you. If you don't know what you are looking at, it can be very confusing :)

You'll have to meet my new little Hamish!! Let me know if you're showing somewhere local in the near future and I'll bring him to visit!!

Hamish!!??!!?? A Border I presume? Where from etc ......I need photographic evidence ;)