Showing your Bernese
can be a most rewarding or an extremely frustrating hobby. The breeder
of your Bernese will be able to advise
you as to whether your Bernese has what it takes to compete in the
show ring and will be able to advise you accordingly.
Before you can show
your Bernese you'll need to ensure that your Bernese has been registered
with
the Kennel Club and has a registration
number. You will also need to know it's parents kennel names to enable
you to enter your Bernese for Open & Championship shows, whether
they be club shows or general shows. The Bernese breed clubs also hold
fun/working days each year where you can enter your Bernese for fun
events without having to enter your Bernese in advance. These events
are most
enjoyable and are taken far less seriously than normal showing and
are open to crossbred Bernese as well.
Bernese Mountain Dogs
are a working breed and therefore are shown in the working group.
There are several different types of shows, depending upon the quality
of your bernese and how far you wish to travel, and how seriously you
want to show.
There
are three different types of dog show; Exemption Shows, Open Shows & Championship
Shows. Open & Championship
Shows can be Breed only shows i.e. Bernese or can be General shows
which will have
classes for various different breeds. At these general shows you
can enter your Bernese in the Bernese classes if offered or if
not then
the AVNSC class, which means Any Variety Not Separately
Classified. Even if you've entered your Bernese in Bernese classes
or the AVNSC class you can also enter them for the AVWC class
(Any
Variety
Working Class). Most people would usually only enter their Bernese
in a breed class or Not Separately classified class.
Exemption
shows are commonly known as fun
shows and are sometimes held as
part of a village fete. They usually consist of four or so pedigree
classes followed by half a dozen or more fun classes. You can enter
these shows if you have a pedigree or a heinz 57 mongrel and are
open to all breeds. These shows you can enter on the day for a nominal
amount
and are just a bit of fun. Winning your class or Best in Show at
one of these shows is great fun but it doesn't count towards any
points
for Show
certificate of Merit or
Junior Warrants.
Bernese
Fun days are the next type of event and are held at least once a
year by each of the Bernese breed clubs. There aren't any pedigree
classes just fun ones but you also get the chance to compete with
other Bernese in obedience, agility and the carting classes if your
Bernese has been trained and you own your own cart, there is also
the carting fancy dress classes. At these events you'll meet like
minded Bernese owners/breeders and a pleasant day is always had.
You'll also get the chance to have your Bernese temperament tested
and to try your hand at the Kennel Club Good Citizen Awards. If you
do
well you'll probably have your picture in the next club magazine
and on the club web site.
The
next type of show is the Open Show. There are two types of open show,
general and breed. The general open shows can be entered by any pedigree
breed of dog where as the breed open shows can only be entered by
that breed. Most of the breed clubs hold at least one if not two
breed open shows each year. At a general open show you can enter
your Bernese in the Bernese classes, or if there aren't any Bernese
classes then the working classes. There are usually three or more
classes. If you win your class then you can compete for best of breed
at the
end of the breed judging. The best of breed winner then competes
later on in the day against all the best of breed winners in the
Working group and then the winner of the working group then competes
against all the other group winners for the Best in Show prize. If
your Bernese wins lots of Best of Breeds and has group placing's
at this
type
of show
then
he may
well
earn
himself
a Show
Certificate
Merit award. Some
open shows are not judged on the Group system, so all Best of Breed
winners go into the winners ring from which Best in Show is picked.
At breed open shows, you have a large choice of classes
to enter. Dogs & bitches
are judged in their own classes and usually by a breed judge or a
good all rounder. The winner of each male class competes at the end
of the male judging for best male and the winners of each of the
females classes compete for best female. Then at the end of the day
the best male and best female go against each other for Best of Breed
and in turn Best in Show. It is quite something to win Best in Show
at a Breed club open show, as competition is quite fierce.
The
last type of show is the Championship show. Judged in the same way
as the general and breed open shows, but the Bernese you will see
at this type of show are the top Bernese in the country. If you win
a first, second or third in a certain class at a Championship show
then you
qualify your Bernese for the following year's Crufts. If you win
your class at Crufts your dog automaticly qualifies for
the following year's Crufts. If your Bernese wins 1st, 2nd or 3rd
in the Limit or Open class at a Championship show, it qualifies for
Crufts for the rest of it's life. At Championship shows the best
male and
best female each get awarded a Championship
Certificate.
If your Bernese gets three of these Championship Certificates under
three different judges then your Bernese becomes a Champion. The
reserve best male and reserve best female get awarded the Reserve
Championship Certificates, even though these don't count towards
becoming a champion
they are still lovely to win and if the actual Champion Certificate
winner is disqualified at a later date then you will be awarded the
Champion Certificate. Winning
at this sort of show is quite something. At breed Championship shows
the males and females are usually judged by different judges, with
the Best in Show winner being decided between the two judges. If
a decision can not be made then the referee is called upon to decide.
If you are lucky enough to own both males and females then showing
at breed championship shows can be hard work as often you're required
in two places at once!
If you have entered
your dog for several classes and your dog only wins one of these
classes but is beaten in the others then you are unable to compete
for Best of Breed or best of sex, as it is only unbeaten dogs that
can compete for these titles. If you have a puppy who won a puppy
class but was beaten in another class say junior at an general open
show, then your puppy can still compete for best puppy in breed.
If you have a puppy and the only class you can enter it in at a general
open show is the junior class but it doesn't win this class. If it
was the only puppy in the breed or the highest placed puppy in the
class then it would still win best puppy. If there are several puppies
in the
Junior
class
then
the
puppy with
the highest placing would winning best puppy.
All
Judges are required by the Kennel Club to write a critique on at
least the winning dog
in each class, and preferably the first three in each class. When
you dog has been placed in 1st, 2nd or 3rd then the steward will
indicate to you if you should stay for the judge to jot down some
notes about your dog for his critique. The critique will then
be published in one or both of the two weekly dog newspapers,
namely:
Dog World
and
Our
Dogs,
and
if
it's
a club
event then in the next club publication and perhaps on their web
site as well. Most of the Bernese clubs also take photos of the winner
of each class for their publications and web site. Sometimes the
Best of Breed winner at an open show is offered a free sitting with
one of the Dog Newspaper photographers to be published in their Newspaper
at a later date. Even though the sitting is free to have the photo
in the paper will cost you generally under £30.
At
Open & Championship shows whether they be general or breed ones,
you have classes that you enter your dog in. Depending upon the age
of your Bernese and it's previous wins determines the class or classes
you can enter him in. These classes have to be entered in advance
and before the closing date
given on
the
schedule.
Schedules can be obtained from the club secretary of the club hosting
the event. These details will be advertised in the Dog papers several
months in advance. Upon receiving your schedule and deciding upon
which class or classes to enter you need to complete the entry form,
with all your Bernese's Kennel
Club details, Kennel Club
number,
Parents,
Breeder,
Date of
Birth
and
then enclose a cheque for the relevant amount. Often you can purchase
catalogues along with your entry will you will be able to collect
on the day of your show. The catalogue lists all the dogs entered
at the show, with their details and owner's details. Open shows vary
and classes usually cost from £5
to enter. Championship show classes usually cost from £19
per class to enter, with club shows somewhere between. It's usual
to pay the full price for the first class
each
of your dog's
enters and a lesser
amount for any subsequent classes you enter your dog in.
Most general
Championship shows can be entered online via Dog
Biz, Fosse
Data or CID.
Your dog's details can be stored on their database and entry is made
very easy for you, as only the classes they can compete in are offered.
There is usually a £1 charge for entry online but once you've
received your confirmation emails from the relevant company you know
your
dog has been entered. A few weeks before your show you will receive
entry passes for your dog, which you'll need to check carefully to
ensure they are correct. Don't forget to take these on the day of
your show so that you can take your dog in and later out of the show.
If you entry your show
by post, it is very wise to enclose a stamped addressed envelope
so that they the club secretary can confirm receipt of your entry.
It would be awful to travel to a show only to find your entry had
been lost in the post and your dog couldn't compete.
The
classes available at Open & Championship shows are based either
on the age of your dog or how much your dog has won in the past.
You need to take care that you enter your dog in the correct class
as you could get disqualified if your dog wins a class that it
wasn't eligible for. The different classes definitions are usually
as below but check your schedule first before entry.
Minor
Puppy -
For dogs of six months and not exceeding nine calendar months of
age on the first day of the show. Winning this class at a Championship
show will qualify your dog for Crufts the following year.
Puppy -
For dogs of six months and not exceeding twelve calendar months of
age on the first day of the show. Winning this class at a Championship
show will qualify your dog for Crufts the following year.
Junior -
For dogs of six months and not exceeding eighteen calendar months
of age on the first day of the show. Winning this class at a Championship
show will qualify your dog for Crufts the following year.
Yearling & Special
Yearling -
For dogs of twelve months and not exceeding twenty four calendar
months of age on the first day of the show.
Maiden -
For dogs that have not won a challenge Certificate or a first prize
at an open or championship show.
Novice -
For dogs which have not won a Challenge Certificate or three or more
first prizes at open or championship shows.
Graduate -
For dogs which have not won a Challenge Certificate or four or more
first prizes at Championship shows in a Graduate or higher class.
Post
Graduate -
For dogs which have not won a Challenge Certificate or five or
more first prizes at Championship shows in Post Graduate or higher
class. Winning this class at a Championship
show will qualify your dog for Crufts the following year.
Mid
Limit -
For dogs which have not won a Challenge Certificate or five or
more first prizes at Championship shows in Mid Limit or higher
class.
Limit -
For dogs which have not won three Challenge Certificates under three
different judges or seven or more first prizes at Championship shows.
Winning this class at a Championship show will qualify your dog for
Crufts the following year.
Open -
This class is for all dogs of the breed which are eligible for entry
at the show. Winning this class at a Championship
show will qualify your dog for Crufts the following year.
Veteran -
For dogs no less than 7 years old on the first day of the show. Winning
this class at a Championship show will qualify your dog for Crufts
the following year.
Progeny -
For a dog or bitch accompanied by at least three of it's registered
progeny. The dog or bitch not necessary having been entered in any
other class at this show but each of the progeny having been entered
in other classes at this show.
Brace -
For a pair of dogs of the same breed but of either or mixed sex owned
by the exhibitor, each of the dogs having been entered in other classes
at the same show.