Showing? But Why...?
- May 4, 2017
- 3 min read
A simple question that anyone who shows is undoubtedly asked more than they would like.
"So why do you show?"
Showing has a long history across many domesticated species. It used to be used for owners to share bloodlines and compare progeny, to better the animal for intended use. While these days that is still very much the case, it is also a sport.
When a dog is judged in the confirmation ring, the judge is comparing that dog to it's breed standard of excellence (now simply referred to as the standard). Each breed has a standard and this is a blue print for breeders, telling them what the dog should look like, how it should behave, even how much it should weigh.
In a companion breed like Lowchen it can be hard to imagine that there is much need for a standard. We must remember that there are many different companion breeds which suit different types of people, Lowchen are no different! Another thing that the judge looks for is soundness in body and mind. A show dog must have a great temperament, be relaxed travellers, well trained for grooming and exhibition as well as the physical ability and disposition to move around the ring as least without going lame or pulling up sore and at best, with a beautiful cadence and exemplary reach and drive.
"Ok, Great. So what's a champion?"
Excellent question!
To become a champion, a dog must win challenges. I won't go into the specifics because you're not here to nap! But, at shows the dogs are divided into 7 groups based on working type and function. Each breed is split into males (dogs) and females (bitches), then into classes. With the exception of the Baby Puppy class, any class winner then goes into the challenge for their sex, then the winner of each sex competes for Best of Breed.
In Australia each winner is awarded points based on the number of dogs they won against. They need 100 points to become an Australian Champion.
"A lot of breeders have champions, what does it mean?"
For me personally, I can title a dog in about 3 months if it is the only Lowchen of that sex I am exhibiting. The quickest I have titled a Lowchen is 28 days as a minor puppy. That same girl went on to gain her Grand Championship at 2 years and 1 week old. So for me I use my ability to title dogs as a good comparison for comparing to other breeders. If a Lowchen takes a long time to title, or never does, I do ask why.
Another thing to consider is the strike rate a breeder has with breeding champions. It is not unreasonable in Lowchen to expect that near on every litter should have a champion. The less a breeder breeds, the more this is true. As of today, we have 50 registered Kilgarrin Lowchen progeny, 16 of which are champions. That's 32% success. If we take that down to progeny who have won challenges, 29 of our dogs have won challenges. You're right, that's 58%. Only 2% have currently gained Grand/Supreme championship but 10% are being campaigned to such. Those statistics are nothing to sniff at and that 4 of those litters have had 100% success.
So when you are talking to a breeder and they are telling you how both the parents are champions, ask them what that means. And if they tell you how many champions they have bred, ask them how many progeny (individual dogs) they have bred. This will clearly tell you if they are breeding for quality.
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