Going to the Dog Show

As I said in my last post, the Columbia MO Kennel Club will be holding its annual show on Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

The event is open to the public. I think there's a fee to get in but it's very minimal. And it's a really great place to go if you love dogs or if you are thinking of getting a dog. There are two main types of competition at this show, Conformation and Obedience.

The largest number of dogs will be entered in Conformation, which we call "breed." This competition is the same thing you see at Westminster each year (well, except with lots less glamor, and Westminster is a show of Champions only, whereas most dog shows have everything from puppies on up). Each dog is measured against the standard of its breed. Each breed's written standard is designed to describe the physical attributes that the breed needs to do its job. So the Doberman is a short-backed galloper with a deep chest, designed to be nimble and quick but with enough heft to stop an attacker. The Greyhound has a long, arched loin for speed. The Border Terrier's chest must be spannable (you must be able to put hands around it and touch fingers bottom and thumbs top) because they need to be able to go to earth and hunt prey.

In breed competition, there are "Class" dogs, who have not yet attained their championships, and "Specials," who are Champion dogs competing for Best of Breed, Group and Best in Show wins for rankings in the show world. Class dogs compete in a variety of classes for best male and female (Winners Dog, Winners Bitch). Those two dogs get points toward their championship. How many points they get depends on how many dogs they compete against, but the most they can ever win in a single day 5 points. It takes 15 points to get a Championship. Winners Dog and Bitch also get to compete with the Specials for Best of Breed. Whoever wins that can enter "Groups," which are divisions loosely based on function or type (i.e., Herding Group, for all herding dogs, Hound Group, for all Hounds, Working Group, for dogs who work/pull/guard, etc.). Then whoever wins each Group gets to go on to try for Best In Show. As many of you know, Uno, the Beagle who went Best In Show (which is the Daytona 500 and Superbowl combined in the dog world) is owned in part by Eddie Dziuk of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals in Columbia. Oh, and a note about the Groups and traditions. One Group has a really odd name: Non-Sporting. Does that mean it's for reject dogs who don't show a proper sporting attitude? No. Back when dog shows first started there were two groups. Sporting, for the dogs who competed in sporting events such as hunting; and Non-Sporting for all other dogs (such as toy dogs, etc.). Over time more groups were added, but the Non-Sporting group remains as sort of a catch-all for breeds that don't easily fit in other groups. Here you will find breeds like the Shar Pei and Chow Chow, the Dalmatian and the Standard and Miniature Poodles.

In addition to all the Breed dogs, there will be an Obedience and Rally competition at the show. For this competition dogs need only be purebred and registered with the AKC. No specific physical look is needed. There are three levels to both Obedience and Rally, and at the upper levels there's a lot of really great work seen like scent discrimination, directed retrieves and jumping, heeling backwards (Rally), etc.

There are just a few rules to keep in mind if coming to the show. This particular show doesn't allow strollers because of crowded conditions. No unentered dogs are allowed. Always, always ask before petting any dog. Some dogs aren't that friendly and some have had a lot of grooming before going into the ring and need to not get their "do" mussed. If you're watching Obedience and/or Rally, please stay a few feet away from the rings and no food within 10 feet or kids hanging over gates.

It's a great place to check out dogs and breeds you might be interested in, but try not to corner someone just before they go into the ring. You might ask when a good time to talk to them about the breed might be. Most people are very generous with their time, but a few may be grumpier than the dogs. Just remember they get stressed and nervous too. It's not you.

You can find when the breeds will be in various rings at the Onofrio site: www.onofrio.com/jp/COMO1JP.pdf

See you at the show!

—Robin