Conformation Questions

[JazzyTheSibe]

I'm really uneducated in the world of conformation, so ... my questions are going to be pretty stupid.

As of right now, I don't have a dog. But I am looking into getting a dog within four to six years. Which Is fine with me. I have the time to research, basically anything dog.


The Questions
About Conformation:
How are "Points" award?
How many different classes are there? & What are they?

About getting & competing dogs in conformation:
When is a dog qualified to compete?


About get involved in conformation:
What should I do before I get involved in conformation?
Is there anything I can be involved in without a dog(beside judging)?

Sorry for so many questions.I think I asked to many.

 

[RBark]

I can't really answer the point system, but I've met many breeders and can answer the last part.

Most breeders that I've met have been enthusiastic about helping people learn about the sport.

Not all dogs are right for the show ring, and it's highly unlikely you will find a puppy that will grow up right for the show ring (and even with careful selection, it may not happen anyway).

And going a step further, if you were thinking of showing so you can breed down the line, you need to talk to the breeder about your goals up front so that the person can select a proper puppy for your situation, and also important, to give you a modified contract. Many contracts have a spay/neuter requirement, or at least a no-breeding requirement. They don't want their dogs to be used to fund Backyard Breeders.

So before you get involved with conformation you will want to discuss it quite a bit with your future breeder.

And lastly, you mentioned judging as something you can do without a dog. That's inaccurate, there are strict requirements to being a judge that you could not do without first having had a dog (or several dogs).

 

[JazzyTheSibe]

I can't really answer the point system, but I've met many breeders and can answer the last part.

Most breeders that I've met have been enthusiastic about helping people learn about the sport.

Not all dogs are right for the show ring, and it's highly unlikely you will find a puppy that will grow up right for the show ring (and even with careful selection, it may not happen anyway).

And going a step further, if you were thinking of showing so you can breed down the line, you need to talk to the breeder about your goals up front so that the person can select a proper puppy for your situation, and also important, to give you a modified contract. Many contracts have a spay/neuter requirement, or at least a no-breeding requirement. They don't want their dogs to be used to fund Backyard Breeders.

So before you get involved with conformation you will want to discuss it quite a bit with your future breeder.

And lastly, you mentioned judging as something you can do without a dog. That's inaccurate, there are strict requirements to being a judge that you could not do without first having had a dog (or several dogs).

Thanks, for the info.

I was considering breeding, but I will probably not get involved.

As for the judging part,sorry about that Good to know though.

I still have a ton of learning to, so I really periodically be asking questions.

 

[momto8]

I am very new to showing, so will try to answer these..others may have better answers though!

About Conformation:
How are "Points" award?--Points are based on your region and how many entries. here is the current point schedule
http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/point_schedule.cfm
How many different classes are there? I am honestly not sure how many classes there are, the ones i have seen/payed attention too are - amature owner handler, bred by, american bred, your breed class ( so if your pup is 7 months old you enter 6-9 month) there are more than that i know. & What are they?They are based off different things. I personally always enter my age group of my puppy, because i want them judged as that, puppies.

About getting & competing dogs in conformation:
When is a dog qualified to compete? AKC now has a 4-6 month class, there are no points available. You can start competing for points at 6 months old.


About get involved in conformation:
What should I do before I get involved in conformation?Depends on what breed you are getting. Are you going to get a dog that you can do obedience with, tracking, coursing, rally ect. I would look for your local kennel club, ask them what you can do to volunteer. You could help at local handling classes, or meet the breed booths. You can go to events and watch, watch the professional handlers in your breed, see if you can't pick up some tips now
Is there anything I can be involved in without a dog(beside judging)? you can start building your show wardrobe and the things mentioned above.

I recommend starting to watch your specific breed now, esp since you are waiting 4 years or so. look at pups really well, and if you have the option watch how they develop. There is no guarantee that you will get a show pup, because just being labeled show quality at 8 wks does not mean 100% that the pup will be amazing, however you can watch now so you can see what you should look for your in specif breed. Study lines and find one you love!

 

[samshine]

About Conformation:
How are "Points" award?
How many different classes are there? & What are they?

I'll just give a brief overview. If a dog is not yet a champion, they are entered in the classes. Somebody already mentioned most of them. First you have all the boy classes. After the classes have been judged, all the class winners go back in to compete for "winners." The winners dog will get points. The number of points depends on the number of dogs defeated and the point schedule for the region. (point schedule depends on how many dogs typically show in the region) Up to five points can be awarded. Then they go through the same process for the girls. After winners bitch is awarded, the dogs that are already champions go into the ring for Best of Breed, along with winners dog and winners bitch.

About getting & competing dogs in conformation:
When is a dog qualified to compete?

They have to be AKC registered, 6 months old, and not have any disqualifying traits. Each breed standard will list the disqualifications that the breed club has decided they cannot tolerate. If the dog meets those conditions, they can compete. However, there is a world of difference between being eligible to compete and having a chance to win. It is pretty crucial for a beginner to have an experienced breeder teach them. Usually that is the breeder of the puppy but not always.

About get involved in conformation:
What should I do before I get involved in conformation?
Is there anything I can be involved in without a dog(beside judging)?

The best thing you can do is attend some local shows. AKC has a search engine http://www.akc.org/events/search/index.cfm If you have some breeds you are interested in, read the breed standard and find the website for the national breed club and check that out. See if you can chat with breeders of those breeds at the local shows.

You might look in your local library and see if they have any books on showing. http://dogwise.com/ has a wonderful selection of books. Look by subject at books on showing and conformation, and also Gait and Anatomy. There are a couple really good books on structure that would be very helpful. Dogwise is a small business, just a couple I think. So you could call or email them and explain your situation and ask them to recommend one book on showing and one book on structure/movement.

You could also go to the Westminster Kennel Club and watch the judging for the breeds you are interested in. http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/videos/Archive/

 

[JennSLK]

Last time I checked AKC the Amature Owner Handler class was just at some specialties. Been a while though.

6-9 month. It's just that only puppies 6-9 months old.

9-12 month. 9-12 months old.

Open. Any dog can enter this class

Bred By. Dogs bred by the handler.

Am Bred. Dogs born in the US

Specials. Dogs who are already AKC champions. They can only enter this class

Veterans. Usually just at specialities. Dogs over 7 years old. Then usually broken down more by age.

There is a dog and a bitch class for each of the above. Dogs run through first and are awarded winners. Then the bitches go and are awarded winners. Then the two winners go in with the specials to compete for Best Of Winners, BOS, BOB, Select, and AOM (sometimes.)

 

[speedydogs]

If you're seriously interested in conformation but want to wait a while before getting a puppy of your own, I would recommend contacting a few different breeders in your area and ask them if they'd be willing to take you on as an assistant at shows. Many breeders would be more than happy to help introduce younger people to the show world. A breeder you'd be potentially interested in getting a puppy from would be ideal, since it would allow to build a good relationship with them, but if you're just looking for experience breed doesn't really matter.

I think you mentioned in your intro post that you were 16? If it's something you're interested in, you would be able to compete in Jr. handling for a couple years, if you can find a breeder that'd be willing to let you co-own a dog. I did this with Beagles and Italian Greyhounds for a few years - and eventually decided that AKC conformation wasn't really my thing, but it was a good experience nonetheless. Even if you don't want to do Jr. handling, I know several breeders that would be happy to let you come along to shows and help with grooming and handling their dogs.

Having some background in conformation showing will greatly increase your chances of getting a show-quality puppy, since breeders are often hesitant to let a show-quality pup go to a home with no showing experience.

 

[JazzyTheSibe]

I am very new to showing, so will try to answer these..others may have better answers though!

About Conformation:
How are "Points" award?--Points are based on your region and how many entries. here is the current point schedule
http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/point_schedule.cfm
How many different classes are there? I am honestly not sure how many classes there are, the ones i have seen/payed attention too are - amature owner handler, bred by, american bred, your breed class ( so if your pup is 7 months old you enter 6-9 month) there are more than that i know. & What are they?They are based off different things. I personally always enter my age group of my puppy, because i want them judged as that, puppies.



About getting & competing dogs in conformation:
When is a dog qualified to compete? AKC now has a 4-6 month class, there are no points available. You can start competing for points at 6 months old.


About get involved in conformation:
What should I do before I get involved in conformation?Depends on what breed you are getting. Are you going to get a dog that you can do obedience with, tracking, coursing, rally ect. I would look for your local kennel club, ask them what you can do to volunteer. You could help at local handling classes, or meet the breed booths. You can go to events and watch, watch the professional handlers in your breed, see if you can't pick up some tips now
Is there anything I can be involved in without a dog(beside judging)? you can start building your show wardrobe and the things mentioned above.

I recommend starting to watch your specific breed now, esp since you are waiting 4 years or so. look at pups really well, and if you have the option watch how they develop. There is no guarantee that you will get a show pup, because just being labeled show quality at 8 wks does not mean 100% that the pup will be amazing, however you can watch now so you can see what you should look for your in specif breed. Study lines and find one you love!

Great advice! I will look into volunteering with the clubs, & I will ask if there is anything I can do.
There's a huge pet expo in my area in feb.,so I am planning on to go that. I plan on also going to some dog shows as well as other trials.

As for what breed I am going to get? For conformation, either a Belgian Tervuren,& Papillon.I probably will get involved in other sports.There are other breeds I am looking into, but have no interested in doing conformation with that breed.

I am planning to a lot of research by talking to breeders, going conformation,& other trials.Then when I am certain on my breed, I will further look into the breed,look into which line interests me, & eventually start looking into getting a puppy. When I narrowed down to a few breeders, I will then start talking to them about obtaining a show quality puppy.

Last time I checked AKC the Amature Owner Handler class was just at some specialties. Been a while though.

6-9 month. It's just that only puppies 6-9 months old.

9-12 month. 9-12 months old.

Open. Any dog can enter this class

Bred By. Dogs bred by the handler.

Am Bred. Dogs born in the US

Specials. Dogs who are already AKC champions. They can only enter this class

Veterans. Usually just at specialities. Dogs over 7 years old. Then usually broken down more by age.

There is a dog and a bitch class for each of the above. Dogs run through first and are awarded winners. Then the bitches go and are awarded winners. Then the two winners go in with the specials to compete for Best Of Winners, BOS, BOB, Select, and AOM (sometimes.)

Thanks for this, it was very helpful!