We came to the sport of showing dogs relatively late in life considering the many friends we have met who are not much older but have been doing this for 20+ years! Showing our dogs gave Toni a terrific outlet from work and a wonderful target for her competitive nature! This page is devoted to providing tips to other newcomers to the sport. From a novice to a novice! Some advice may sound odd, but it is based on what we wish we had known when we started!
The AKC also offers good advice for beginnnners. See http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/beginners.cfm and http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/getting_started_showing.cfm.
Whether you become consumed by the sport or just approach it as a healthy and fun hobby you can enjoy with your pet, we hope you find this information helpful! Showing your dog will introduce you to many wonderful people. Learn everything you can from them! Almost all of them are willing to share their knowledge and welcome newcomers to the "fancy" as it's called.
Getting Started
Points Needed For An AKC Championship Title
Learn about points required for a championship! An AKC CH title requires 15 points, but the dog must win at least two majors from two different judges. (I failed to learn that when I first started!)
For the AKC's explanation of points, see https://www.akc.org/events/conformation/counting_points.cfm
Finding Shows To Enter
Entering Shows
We think the easiest way to enter is online even though there is a "convenience" fee tacked on to the entry fees. All the Superintendents offer this service. The four most prominent Superintendents in the Midwest are:
Links to the other dog show superintendent sites are:
Supplies
Where to Stay
The premium list for each show will list dog friendly hotels and motels in the area. In addition, La Quinta Inns (Wyndham), Candlewood Suites (IHG), Country Inn and Suites, Town Place Suites (Marriott) usually allow pets. If you want to go upscale, most full service Marriotts accept pets as do their Residence Inn brand hotels. Check each property before booking.
Additionally, most online travel sites allow you to select amenities, one of which is Pets Allowed.
The AKC also offers good advice for beginnnners. See http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/beginners.cfm and http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/getting_started_showing.cfm.
Whether you become consumed by the sport or just approach it as a healthy and fun hobby you can enjoy with your pet, we hope you find this information helpful! Showing your dog will introduce you to many wonderful people. Learn everything you can from them! Almost all of them are willing to share their knowledge and welcome newcomers to the "fancy" as it's called.
Getting Started
- Select a good puppy from a reputable breeder who will mentor you in the sport! Good mentors are absolutely key to enjoying the sport, and a breeder is your best bet because they want to see their dogs do well! If the breeder you talk to isn't interested, FIND ANOTHER BREEDER!
- Find a conformation handling class and take your puppy as often as you can begin as soon as you get it! Your breeder will know of any in your area. Even if it's inconvenient, it is a MUST!
- Socialize your puppy to all kinds of people and dogs as soon as you can as frequently as possible. Two excellent books - How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by Clarice Rutherford and David H. Neil and The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey - give great advice on this and other important puppy training issues.
- Introduce your puppy to the dremmel as soon as possible! (A cordless dremmel can be purchased for not much at Wal-Mart.) Short nails are a must for show Dalmatians! You should do your puppies nails every week. Besides being necessary for showing, it is good for their feet. Long nails can cause all kinds of problems!
- Crate train your puppy. Eventually you can let it sleep with you if you like, but crate training is essential when they are young to their long-term happiness as a show dog.
- Once your puppy reaches 4 months of age, enter him or her in any matches you can find. Matches are fun opportunities that simulate a real show and help you and your puppy build confidence in your new abilities!
- A good book to read is The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Showing Your Dog by Cheryl S. Smith.
- Practice, Practice, Practice! Even if only 5 minutes a day, it is worth it!
Points Needed For An AKC Championship Title
Learn about points required for a championship! An AKC CH title requires 15 points, but the dog must win at least two majors from two different judges. (I failed to learn that when I first started!)
- How does a dog earn points? By being awarded Winners Dog or Winners Bitch at a dog show.
- What is a class dog or bitch? These are dogs and bitches which have not yet earned their AKC Championship title. They compete in classes. Bitches (girls) compete against other bitches and dogs (boys) compete against other dogs. There are up to 8 classes offered for each sex:
- 6-9 Month (based on age of the puppy)
- 9-12 Month (based on age of the puppy)
- 12-18 Month (based on age of the puppy)
- Novice dogs born in the US, Canada or Mexico who have not won 3 first places in Novice or a single first place in Bred-By-Exhibitor, America-bred or Open may enter. Any age may enter. Typically there are no Dalmatian entries in this class unless it is a very large show.
- American Bred: The dog must be born and bred in the US. Any age may enter. Again, there are usually no entries in this class for Dalmatians except at very large shows.
- Bred By Exhibitor: To enter this class, you must be the breeder of the dog, the owner (or co-owner) of the dog and you must personally show the dog. Any age may enter. This is a prestigious class and very competitive. However, since you are a novice handler or you wouldn't be reading this, you don't need to worry about this one for awhile!
- Open: Any dog who is not already a champion of any age may be entered in Open. Some shows will split the Open class by variety: Black Open and Liver Open.
- What are Winners Dog and Winners Bitch? Dogs are judged in each of the classes and a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place ribbon is given for each class. The first place winners from each class then compete against each other for Winners Dog or Winners Bitch. The Winners Dog and Winners Bitch earn 1-5 points toward his or her championship. The number of points earned depends upon the total number of dogs or bitches entered and shown that day. The number of dogs required for the different levels of points varies from division to division and are updated annually in May. Go to https://www.akc.org/events/conformation/point_schedule.cfm to view the current schedule of points required in each division.
- What is a Major? A major is a show where there are enough dogs or bitches entered for Winners Dog or Winners Bitch to earn 3 or more points. It is possible to win a Major with your dog or bitch even if the entry in his or her sex did not reach Major status if the other sex did, AND your dog or bitch goes Best of Winners. Best of Winners gets the highest points of either sex.
- What is Best of Winners? After Winners Dog and Winners Bitch are chosen, Specials entered compete for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed, Select Dog and Select Bitch. The Winners Dog and Winners Bitch go in the ring then too and compete for Best of Winners. Occasionally, the Winners Dog or Winners Bitch will be awarded Best of Breed or Best of Opposite as well! That is VERY fun! If that happens, the WD or WB may add the specials of his or her sex to the count to determine the number of points he or she earned.
- What is a Special? These are dogs or bitches who are already AKC Champions who continue to be shown for national rankings or to earn their Grand Championship. Dogs that are awarded Select, Best of Breed or Best of Opposite Sex earn Grand Champion Points. You can learn more about that here:
For the AKC's explanation of points, see https://www.akc.org/events/conformation/counting_points.cfm
Finding Shows To Enter
- Our favorite free site for this is Infodog.com. Here you can look up shows by date or by state. It tells you when the entries close and who the judges will be. You can research judges. You can click through to the Show Superintendent sites where you can look up previous breed counts, read the premium lists online, and after the shows close, get the breed counts and judging programs.
- Another good source is the AKC Events Calendar.
- ShowDals is a list serv community of Dalmatian owners who breed and/or show in conformation, obedience, agility and other performance events. It is source of news about Dalmatian health and other issues. Sometimes owners will communicate through ShowDals to build a major entry at an upcoming show. It is also great fun to post your wins there as brags! To join ShowDals, send an e-mail to LISTSERV@APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM Do NOT put anything in the subject line of the message. The message should read: SUBSCRIBE SHOWDALS-L Firstname Last name (meaning your first and last name!)
- Another excellent annual subscription fee source is http://www.showdays.info/. This website allows you to customize your searches by state, review evaluations of judges, look up a judge's past history and many other bits of useful information.
- There are a number of Facebook groups you can join also. One in particular is Dalmatian Major Builders.
Entering Shows
We think the easiest way to enter is online even though there is a "convenience" fee tacked on to the entry fees. All the Superintendents offer this service. The four most prominent Superintendents in the Midwest are:
Links to the other dog show superintendent sites are:
- Jack Bradshaw (West Coast)
- Rau Dog Shows (East Coast)
Supplies
- Show lead and collar. We like Kangaroo leather ones. You can get custom made ones from a variety of places.
- Peppermint hard candies. Suck on one of these before you go in the ring! They will calm you and your dog!
- Cotton balls and ear cleaner
- Dremmel, previously mentioned
- Blunt end scissors for trimming whiskers and stray hairs. Win By A Nose horse shavers work great for whiskers too! (You don't have to clip your dogs whiskers to show. Most puppies show with them. Usually Specials do not.
- Paw Wax of Show Foot Spray available at most shows from a vendor. You don't need this often, but if you get in a ring that is carpeted with no mats, your dog's feet will slip and slide, and you will wish you'd had it!
- White grooming chalk. Always nice to have to cover up those boo boos Dals are prone to inflict on themselves while digging in the back yard!
- Neosporin. Always good to have to rub on those same boo boos for quicker healing! Vetericyn is a fantastic spray that helps heal any abrasions.
- A wet wash cloth size rag in a zip lock to clean off the mud your dog is bound to step into right before it's time to go in the ring! Plush Puppy Wonder Wash Self-Rinsing Sampoo is a must have also. Dilute it 50/50 with water.
- Poop bags. ALWAYS clean up after your dog wherever you are and no matter how many other people do NOT.
- Collapsible wire or soft crate. You will need this for the hotel rooms and you may want it at the show site too. Most shows do NOT allow soft crates, so you will need a wire crate if you plan to crate your dog during the show.
- Gold Bond Powder (drug store), Ducky White (dog show vendor), and a make-up (blush) brush. Combining Gold Bond with Ducky White makes a less harsh white powder. Brush up your dogs feet with this (except for the spots of course) before showing. Corn starch also works. Whatever you use, it stays on better if you apply a small amount of Colestral first. Available from show vendors.
- A tote bag with pockets to hold all this stuff (except the crate of course)!
Where to Stay
The premium list for each show will list dog friendly hotels and motels in the area. In addition, La Quinta Inns (Wyndham), Candlewood Suites (IHG), Country Inn and Suites, Town Place Suites (Marriott) usually allow pets. If you want to go upscale, most full service Marriotts accept pets as do their Residence Inn brand hotels. Check each property before booking.
Additionally, most online travel sites allow you to select amenities, one of which is Pets Allowed.