All breed shows - Conformation
Conformation Events are intended to evaluate
Breeding stock. There is a breed standard for each breed and
the Judge makes his/her choice based on how the dog compared
to this standard. Conformation is the structure and
appearance of the dog and how well it moves. There are
approximately 150 breeds of dog recognized by the American
Kennel Club eligible to compete in AKC events. They are
split into 7 groups and a Miscellaneous Class. The Groups
are: Sporting, Hounds, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-sporting
and Herding. The Miscellaneous Class breeds will eventually
be placed into one of the 7 Groups. In the competition the
winners of each breed compete against each other to decide
the winner of each group. The 7 group winners then compete
for BEST IN SHOW.
Obedience
Dog obedience, at
first, sounds so formal that it may initially turn people
off. But enter the world of dog obedience and you will find
ways to enjoy and bond with your dog that you never
imagined.
You may start at the Canine Good Citizen level; a test to
see if you have a well mannered dog. A sit and stay,
tolerating the touch of a stranger, and accepting another
dogs presence are some of the basics.
The next level, Novice, involves some heeling, both on and
off leash, a recall exercise and a long sit for one minute
and down for 3 minutes.
Move up to the Open level and all your heeling is off lead
and your recall has a drop (or down) along the way. Now your
sits and downs are 3 and 5 minutes respectively, while the
handler leaves the room. Throw in some retrieving and you
have exercises that are much more difficult for both dog and
handler.
At last you are at the Utility level, the most difficult.
Scent articles, where the dog must find the one that smells
like its handler, the signal exercise with no talking, and
directed exercises where the handler is across the ring,
make this very difficult and many dog and handler teams
never get to this level.
Teaching your dog obedience can be rewarding, frustrating,
fulfilling, confusing, enlightening and aggravating.
Obedience is not for everyone, but it may be for you. Check
out a local trainer, sit in on some classes and see if you
think you and your dog want to try it. It’s fun!
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Agility
Running a dog in an
agility trial is the ultimate game for you and your dog and is
one of the most exciting canine sports for spectators. In
an agility trial, a dog demonstrates its agile nature and
versatility by following cues from the handler through a timed
obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles and other
objects. It’s an activity that strengthens the bond between dog
and handler and provides fun and exercise for both, which might
explain why it’s so enjoyable to watch and has become the
fastest growing dog sport in the US.
A judge sets up a course with the prescribed numbers of
obstacles and handlers are then allowed to walk through the
course in practice (without dogs). Handlers follow the
numbers set at each obstacle to become familiar with their
course. The handler and dog team runs the course
individually, off leash. A timer watches for the dog to
cross the start line and begins the stop watch. The time
ends as soon as any part of the dog crosses the finish line.
As each dog runs, the judge indicates any faults such as taking
the wrong obstacle, knocking a bar, or refusing to take an
obstacle altogether. The faults are recorded along with
the dog’s time and the combination of the two will indicate the
placement the team receives providing they qualify within the
rules.
There are three levels of competition:
NOVICE is for the dog that is just starting in agility.
There are 13-15 obstacles and the focus is more on
performing the obstacles as opposed to doing them fast.
OPEN is for the team that has completed their novice title.
There are 16-18 obstacles and they are arranged in a somewhat
more challenging course. There is less room for mistakes
here and the team needs to perform the course faster than in
novice. The focus here is on more difficult obstacle
course performance with more handling skill required.
EXCELLENT is for the team that has completed the open level.
There are now 18-20 obstacles and no mistakes are allowed at
all. The team needs to demonstrate superior skills in
moving quickly and efficiently with close communication and
teamwork through challenging courses.
There are two types of
classes offered at one trial: Standard and Jumpers with
Weaves. Standard class has not only jumps, tunnels, and weave
poles but also the big contact obstacles such as an A-frame, dog
walk and seesaw. Control is the name of the game here. Safety
zones must be touched by the dogs to insure their safety.
The Jumpers class has only jumps, tunnels, and weave poles.
Without the contact obstacles, speed is the name of this
game.
Agility brings many hours of enjoyment and bonding between you
and your dog. You will make many friends in this sport, human or
canine.Your dog doesn’t know what the ribbon means, all they
know is they get to have fun with their humans. If you don’t
come away with a smile on your face, win or not, your missing
the point of this wonderful sport.
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