Category: Showing

Tiana does such a wonderful job showing Miss Bree!  Here is their win pic from her first point:

Last month was the Great Dane Club of America’s National Specialty.  The Nationals are held every October, each year at a different location around the US.  It’s a weeklong event of educational seminars, conformation, performance, parades and the opportunity to meet breed fanciers from all over the world.  There are hundreds of Great Danes shown over the course of the week.

This year Nationals were held in Chattanooga, TN.  I was unable to attend, but Tiana and Neil took Bree & Kizzy, along with two of Neil’s fawns – Ch Flighty Never Say Never (Mello) & Flighty Now or Never (Neena).  Tiana had quite the stories after traveling with the four dogs!

L to R: Neena, Kizzy, Mello, Bree

Tiana handled Bree in the Amateur Owner Handler class.  They didn’t place, but Tiana did a great job handling Bree.  Kizzy was in the Open Mantle class and took 2nd in the class.  Neena was shown in the very large Open Fawn class and did not get a placement.  Mello was shown in Best of Breed and made a cut.  Neena and Mello’s dad (Ch Elan’s Command Decision Reimroc) won Best of Breed/Best In Specialty Show.  All results can currently be found on the Great Dane Review website.

Kizzy’s placement picture:

For information on future Nationals dates and locations, visit the Great Dane Club of America’s website.  Past winners can be seen on the GDCA’s Photographic History Page.

Kizzy won her second AKC point, going Winners Bitch & Best of Opposite at the Nebraska KC show in Omaha on July 12, 2009.

Confused about what those wins are?  Check out AKC’s Dog Shows For Beginners.

Update on baby raccoons: They were orphaned.  After several days, they started coming down out of the tree and making all sorts of a ruckus.  We bottle fed them for 24 hours until we could get them to a wildlife rehabilitation volunteer.  They will be raised there until sometime this fall, at which point they are released.  The wildlife rehab volunteer that took them already had over a dozen other baby raccoons!

Kizzy earned her first point towards her AKC championship on April 26th!

To become an AKC Champion of Record…

…dogs must earn 15 points.  Points are awarded on a scale of 1-5, based on the number of dogs defeated at that show.  The larger the entry, the greater the number of points won. 

For each breed, there is only one male (males are called “Dogs”) and one female (females are called “Bitches”) that can win points towards their championship that day.

Point scales varies by breed, gender and geographical location. For instance, in Iowa for Danes, it takes 10 Dogs for a 3-point win and 17 Bitches for a 3-point win. 

Wins of 3, 4 or 5 points are considered “major” wins.  In order to become a champion, dogs need to win at least two majors, under different judges.   Points also need to be awarded by one additional judge, so at least three different judges need to award a dog points. 

More info on counting points

At a conformation show, judges are looking to see how closely the dogs conform to their breed standard. They examine (“go over”) each dog with their hands to see if the teeth, muscles, bones and coat texture conform to their breed standard. They view each dog in profile for overall balance, and watch each dog gait (move) to see how all of those features fit together in action.

AKC’s Dog Shows For Beginners

 

A hearty congratulations to Bree, and owner Tiana, for Bree’s new International title.  A big congratulations as well to Gracie, and owners Les & Becca, for Gracie’s newly earned CGC.

International Championships
There are different types of international championships.  Typically, in the US when you hear about Int’l titles, it refers to the International All Breed Canine Association (IABCA).  There is also an International Championship that refers to a dog earning a championship in three different countries.

IABCA offers a relaxed venue.  You will see some exhibitors wearing more casual clothing, like jeans.  There are more owner-handles than professional handlers.

Dogs don’t compete against each other, rather they are judged individually against their breed standard.  When showing in AKC, only one male and one female of each breed can receive points towards their championship at a show.  For more information on showing your dog in AKC conformation events, check out Dog Showing For Beginners.

At an IABCA show, each dog receives a written critique from each judge.

Bree earned the highest rating at puppy can achieve from all four judges – SG1 – earning her national and international puppy titles.  See the IABCA rating chart.

IABCA showing doesn’t replace AKC showing, but offers a great training opportunity, plus another fun way to get out and compete with your dogs.

CGC – Canine Good Citizen
The Canine Good Citizen is a program through the AKC.  The purpose is to promote responsible dog owners, focusing on the necessary training and socialization required to make our companions good canine citizens.

The test consists of 10 parts that a dog must pass in order to earn their CGC.  Any dog can participate in the CGC, including mixed breeds!  If your dog is AKC registered, “CGC” can be added after their registered name and AKC will store the information.

CGC is a certification program, designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community.

The 10 items in a CGC:
Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
Test 7: Coming when called
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation

For more information on these 10 items, visit AKC’s website.  Find CGC tests in your area