Kennel club

Kennel Clubs are organizations dedicated to dogs, the breeding, training, exhibition, and advancement of purebred dogs, that is.

United States of America

American Kennel Club is the oldest club in the US that is still operating. Founded in 1884, pedigrees and registration, and competition records of more than 15,000 annual events. The motto of the AKC is “We’re more than champion dogs. We’re the dog’s champion.”

Dog Shows

Conformational Dog shows. These shows are a competition that serve the purpose of providing an evaluation of the suitability of animals for breeding. Puppies must be at least 6 months old to be entered. De-sexed animals are not eligible, nor are individual dogs that have features specified as disqualifications for the breed.

“All-breed shows offer competitions for over 150 breeds and varieties of dogs recognized by the AKC. All-breed shows are the type often shown on television

Specialty shows are restricted to dogs of a specific breed or to varieties of one breed. For example, the Bulldog Club of America Specialty is for Bulldogs only, but the Poodle Club of America's specialty show includes the three varieties of the Poodle - Standard, Miniature and Toy.

Group shows are limited to dogs belonging to one of the seven groups. For example, the Potomac Hound Group show features only breeds belonging to the Hound group. “ from AKC website. http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/beginners.cfm

Judges

The judge examines each dog and mentally compares the animal to the ideal dog of that breed – the breed standard.

Handler

Championship

15 points for the AKC. There must be 2 major wins, (3-5 points each) and a minimum of 3 judges awarding the animal points for the title of “Champion” to be given. The number of points won at any particular show is depndant on how many other animals of the breed are competing. At most, a dog may win 5 points.

AKC Working Dog Sport

Open to 4 breeds: Bouvier des Flanders, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, and Rottweillers.