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Conformation
'conforming to breed standard'
Conformation is the sport of showing your Berner in a Show Ring among
other Berners before an experienced breed Judge.
There are Conformation Show Rings at All Breed Dog Shows, which happen
in every region of the United States and are generally put on by that
local AKC recognized all breed dog club.
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Shalimar, Group 4 Wi n
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And there are Conformation Show Rings at a Specialty. A Specialty can
be a Regional Specialty or a National Specialty. A Specialty is an
event where only Berners will show, no other breed. Berner Specialties
are normally put on by the BMDCA or by a BMDCA Recognized Regional
Bernese Club (like our Inland Northwest Bernese Mountain Dog Club).
The label 'Conformation' comes from the idea of 'conforming to breed
standard', which is the entire purpose of a Show Ring.
Many people think the Conformation Show Ring is similar to a
beauty contest. Yes, it is that. But it is much more than that.
The purpose of the Conformation Show Ring is to prove which Berners
may be qualified to be breeding stock (or not).
Each Conformation Show Ring will have a qualified Judge, and an
assortment of Berners.
Exhibitors
are the people who actually show Berners in the ring. An
exhibitor may be the person who owns the dog, the person who bred the
dog, a professional handler, or anyone else chosen by the dog's owner
to be an agent.
Why Show:
Ethical breeders and avid Berner Fanciers embrace the Conformation
Show Ring as one of the foundational ways to prove breeding stock -
AND one superb way to have a lot of fun with one's Berner and other
Berner lovers!
" Champions are
not made in the Show Ring.
They are just recognized."
-author unknown
What Judges Look For:
To be qualified to judge Bernese Mountain Dogs, a person must
be well educated about correct Bernese Mountain Dog breed standard and
about dogs and dog breeding in general. And this Judge will have had
much experience in knowing what to look for in a Bernese ring.
As each and all dogs enter the ring, a good Judge looks for correct
movement (front, side and rear). Correct movement basically means that
each paw touches down in the correct spot as the Berner is moved
around or through the ring, given the gait that the Berner standard
dictates that a Berner should have. Gaits, the speed at which the
Berner is moved, can affect how and where the Berner's paws touch down
during movement.
A good Judge will also consider all the other important attributes of
the Berner's breed standard, like correct tail set, ear set, shoulder
set-on, rear assembly, rear angulation, bite, eye color, coat type,
tail carriage, chest depth, and more. Because Berners are a Working
Dog by breed standard, coat markings (coloring) are not nearly as
important as the aspects of correct Berner structure, type and
movement. Although a good judge will consider all aspects of each
Berner in the ring.
When Berners are displayed together in a ring, it can be easy for even
a novice to differentiate between certain traits, good and bad. A
well-trained Judge will see the many important differences, and should
pick the Berner that best Conforms to Breed Standard as the winner.
How The Show Ring Works:
Each show ring has various classes, which enables the judge to
differentiate between gender, ages, and breeding locale. Males show
first, according to class. And a Winner's Dog is selected. Females
show next, according to class. And a Winner's Bitch is selected. Then
the Winner's Dog and the Winner's Bitch go back into the ring, along
with dogs called Specials (who have already won their conformation
championship). These dogs compete for Best of Breed.
Then, each Best of Breed winner goes into its Group ring to compete.
Berners are in the Working Group. After winners have been selected in
each Group, then those winners all compete in a ring for Best In Show.
How a Champion is Made:
Depending on the number of Berners entered in the show (that
are
actually shown in each ring), and depending on the region of the dog
show, Points may be awarded to a winner (Winner's Bitch and Winner's
Dog).
If there are enough Berners
at the show in a given region, the event may qualify as a 'Major' win.
Again, AKC has established numbers of Berners in a show that dictate
the point scale in each region. The Point
Schedule will go up or down, depending entirely on the region and the
number of Berners that are actually shown.
Example: Montana is in
AKC's Region 13.
Current AKC rules for Berners
in this region is as follows:
1 Point: 2 dogs, 2 bitches
2 Points: 3 dogs, 3 bitches
3 Point: 4 dogs, 4 bitches
4 Points: 7 dogs, 7 bitches
5 Points: 8 dogs, 8 bitches
This Point Schedule is
re-evaluated every year by AKC to reflect the actual participation of
Berners at the prior year's shows. Point values may go up or down
depending on how many dogs participated in each breed. This way, AKC
tries to keep realistic Point values in every region, as points are
based on the participation of each breed in that Region.
A win that is worth 3
Points or higher is a Major win.
The number of dogs and/or
bitches actually shown in the Ring is the determining factor for the
points awarded for that show. Oftentimes, dogs/bitches are entered in
a show that are not shown (for whatever reason). If a dog doesn't
show, it doesn't count toward the Point schedule for that show's win.
To acquire a Conformation Championship in AKC requires a dog to have
won a total of 15 Points, and 2 Major wins.
Specials / The BIG Shows:
Berners who are invited to prestigious shows like Westminster are
Berners who have won their Championship and have also gone on to have
many more Best of Breed (and/or better) wins after that. For instance,
each time a dog in this category wins Best of Breed, it is said to
have defeated all the dogs in that Ring. At this level, the number of
'dogs defeated' is the qualifying score. This level of
showing a champion is called 'campaigning', and its considered that
this is usually the realm of the 'Best of the Best' of Berners, or
'Champion of Champions'.
Naturally, a Judge cannot possibly see the health issues (like cancer)
that may lay hidden in a Berner's pedigree. So a lovely Berner that is
a champion, and even a champion of champions, may not be a Berner that
should be bred. But, ideally, the Show Ring is an event that
helps highlight those Berners who may be considered for breeding,
versus those Berners who should not be bred.
How To Learn To Show:
Contact an All Breed Dog Club and/or a Berner Club that is local to
you. These clubs often promote the Dog Fancy by educating newcomers.
Among classes offered by these clubs are 'Handling Classes' (also
called Conformation Classes).
Also, these clubs often have 'Fun Matches', which is a non-point event
geared to help you and your dog learn how to navigate a conformation
show ring.
Other helps are Books and Videos, easily available online at places
like www.amazon.com.
How Much Dog
Shows Cost:
The cost to
show one's dog is much cheaper than many people may think. This is why
I just do not understand those unethical breeders who refuse to show
their dogs (quoting the expense).
Conformation
Show Entry Fees for each dog is usually about $15 to $20 per
day/entry. For Conformation events, you'll only pay the one entry fee
per day, per dog. Some shows are multiple days (2, 3 or 4 day events).
To enter a dog each day will require a separate entry fee to be paid
for each day for each dog entered. You do not have to enter your dog
in each day of the event - enter only those days you want to show.
Your Dog's
Entry Fee is your ticket into the show. Bring your entry receipt with
you to the Show to prove you paid, as the Show Superintendent
sometimes makes mistakes about entries.
Beyond each
day's Entry Fee, the show will cost you whatever it costs to get
there, stay there and whatever show supplies you choose to use.
Many show dog
people find a fellow exhibitor to share expenses (travel, hotel), and
your local all-breed dog club is a good source for this as well as
your local Berner club.
How To Enter
A Dog Show
Dog Shows are
generally put on by a local dog club, who often hire a Show
Superintendent. The Show Superintendent advertises the show, accepts
entries, manages entries, prints show catalogues and 'premiums', etc.
Shows must be pre-approved by
AKC a long time in advance. Once the show is approved, and the
Superintendent has published the Premium catalogue for that show,
entries will be accepted. All shows close on that Wednesday noon-time
two weeks prior to the actual show date. After this time, it is
impossible to enter a dog into that show. However, dogs with entry
errors (wrong class, wrong name) can usually be corrected, depending
on the situation. The Superintendent will handle all of these issues,
along with entries.
Two common dog
show superintendents used in the northwest USA are:
There are lots
of other superintendents. Contact your local dog clubs to learn about
the ones that operate in your area.
After you find
the Show Superintendent hired to manage the dog show you wish to enter
your dog into, ask them for a 'Premium'.
What the heck
is a Premium? I was clueless too, once. Here's my definition:
Show Premium:
A small paper catalogue that tells you everything you need to know
about an upcoming show.
(Location, map, events,
prices, dates, times, hotels, site resources, etc).
Using the
Premium, and the Show Superintendent, enter your dog on each day that
you wish to show, in the Class you which to show. Fortunately, they
make this fairly easy for stupid people (like I was), if you'll just
read the information.
Classes are
usually divided by gender (dog or bitch), then age (puppy classes,
open/adult class) and/or breeding location (American bred, Bred-By
Exhibitor, etc).
Like anything,
once you become familiar w/the material, it becomes simple.
Fortunately, this was easy for me.
There are
generally 3 ways to enter a show:
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-Mail in
an Entry Form from the Premium with your check. This takes time
and you could miss a deadline if you don't mail really early or
if the show accepts only a limited number of entrants.
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-Enter
Online via the Superintendent's website. Usually, there is an
additional fee for this service but its quicker than snail mail.
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-Phone
the Superintendent. There is usually an additional fee for this
service, too. But its the most reliable of all entry methods and
is great for making sure your dog is entered in a limited entry
show. |
The
Superintendent will mail you a receipt for your entry(s) that confirm
which classes and which days your dog is entered. Always bring this
receipt with you to the show. If you don't get a receipt, your dog is
probably not entered. If that is the case, phone the superintendent.
Show
Supplies:
To show a dog,
all you need is a show leash and show collar (about $20). It also
helps if the dog has had a good bath and combing/brushing, and you
wear clothes that are conservative, comfortable and reasonably
attractive. Beyond this, its anything you want to invest in the event.
Its my opinion
that not many reliable show supplies can be purchased at your local
PetsMart or PetCo or any other local pet shop. You'll need to either
buy from a show supplies vendor at the show site, or you can buy from
some of these vendors who operate websites online.
Show Collar: I
buy the silver snake choke chain, in a length that allows about 2
inches of excess chain when the dog is wearing it (how much chain can
be pulled tight). The reason for the snake chain is that it moves the
most freely (quickly) of all the chain collars, in my opinion. The
reason for silver is personal preference. Most Berner people use
silver show collars, a few use gold (which are slightly more
expensive).
Show Lead: I
use a thin, softly woven nylon lead that is 4 foot or less, moderate
size/width and feels soft to my hand. When you're moving the dog
around the ring, the lead needs to be long enough to move the dog
properly. When you're standing the dog (called 'stacking'), your lead
needs to be short enough to quickly fold all of it into your hand
(which creates a clean, no excess lead dangling view for the judge). I
ALWAYS use a black lead, so that the visual continuity of the Berner's
neck is not broken by a different color lead. Note: avoid leads that
feel rough to your hand because they will cause blisters after much
use.
Beyond the show
collar and show lead, its up to anyone's preference and ability.
There are
shampoos and conditioners available at the show vendors that you will
not find at any local Petshop. Some shampoos will enhance white coats
(which I put on the white of my Berner during a bath) and some will
enhance black coats (and all other dog coat colors). These are not
dyes, just shampoos. There are show brushes and combs of many sizes
and shapes. And there are blow dryers that are more powerful than the
typical blow dryer intended for human-hair that you buy at Walmart.
Again, to begin
with, all you need is a show collar and show lead (and courage). All
the rest can be added later, if you like.
If you want to
learn which products I use to groom my dogs, ask me for a specific
product function (dryer, shampoo, conditioner, etc).
info@sagekeep.com. I'll share
my grooming input freely to anyone who wants to learn.
Some online
show supplies resources that I recommend:
Notes from an Exhibitor:
When I first
got into showing my dogs, I was
clueless. Absolutely clueless about show rings, breed type, movement,
etc. It was only by using my courage and interest and by pursuing help
from those more experienced than me that I've made it through.
Everyone has to begin somewhere. Thankfully, most fellow exhibitors
and judges are kind to new people/exhibitors, and many are prompt to
help.
In my first
show ring experience, I thought I'd have heart failure from my
nervousness. Looking back, I'm sure I was absolutely horrid in the
ring. My first Ring experience was as a Bernese National Specialty, in
Puppy Sweepstakes and I was showing to a VERY experienced, respected
breeder. Yes, that's me on the left in the above photo. The Berner
puppy with me was Megan, who absolutely did not like the experience.
Have more than
one experienced Berner person advise you about proper grooming. You'll
find that some people disagree with others, and like everything,
you'll find what works for you and your dog(s). But ask many people
for their input, and listen.
You can't learn
to properly groom a Berner in your all-breed club, but those people do
understand good grooming basics. Its a place to start if you don't
have experienced show Berner people nearby.
Work with your
dog long before you ever get to a show. Teach your dog to stand
completely still, with your hand holding the collar up and tight.
Teach your dog to move at your command in a circle, and turning
around. Teach your dog how to do all these amid various distractions
(other dogs, people, etc). These are the very basics of showing a dog.
Watch each Show
Ring before Berners show. Each judge handles their ring slightly
differently. You'll want to learn how that judge operates, which will
not only make you more effective in the ring but will help you relax
and enjoy the experience. If you see something you don't understand,
ask a fellow Berner exhibitor there - everyone who is experienced
understands the process, and most people are glad to teach
newcomers.
Buy a Show
Catalogue prior to showing your dog. This helps tell you who else will
be in the Ring ahead of you, with you, and after you. It also helps
you accurately identify each dog and person that you see in the Ring.
Show catalogues usually cost between $5 to $10 and are great places to
store notes about the event, about judges, about dogs, about people,
etc.
Most of all,
determine that you and your dog will enjoy your show experience. This
can be an incredibly FUN event, if you allow it to be.
Where to Find Conformation Events (online
resources):
USA:
Canada:
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