Specialty Show FAQ

Q. Do I need special training for me and my dog in order to attend?

Q. What is the best age to start showing my dog?

Q. My dog is spayed/neutered, can I still show him/her?

Q. My dog has sometimes problems with other dogs, or my dog loves other dogs so much, that he/she wouldn’t pay attention to me. I am worried about being in the ring with all the other dogs.

Q. I have watched the “Westminster Dog Show” on TV. And this is way too fancy and formal for me.

Q. I have never done this before and I would be uncomfortable amongst all these experienced people.

Q. Why should I show my dog, if I do not plan to breed my dog and I do not care for trophies?

Q. Why are shows so important if I want to breed my dog? Is health and character not more important?


Q.	Do I need special training for me and my dog in order to attend?
A.	No! However it is important that your dog is comfortable with a stranger touching him/her and that you are able to show your dog’s teeth like you would do at the annual health check at the vet. Basic obedience training is encouraged so that you can appropriately control your dog in the ring. There are handling classes available in almost every town. While it is good training for you and your dog, it is definitely no prerequisite!
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Q.	Does my dog need special grooming?
A.	Hovawarts are still a very natural and original breed. This is how we would like to show and see them. Having said that, you probably would want to do regular grooming with a brush and/or comb before the show. Check behind the ears and at the thighs for knots – just make your Hovi look nice and clean. If necessary brush his teeth before the show. Just look at it like you would prepare your dog for a special appointment at the photographer to take pictures for the family album.
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Q.	What is the best age to start showing my dog?
A.	Any time is good. But with everything a dog has to learn in life, the earlier the better. But I have also seen adult dogs who come to their first show and do great
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Q.	What is the routine in the ring?
A.	All dogs are judged according to their age and sex. There are different classes available: Puppy (3 to 6 months) Youth (6 to 9 months) Junior (9 to 18 months) Intermediate (15 to 24 months) Open (15 months or more) Veteran (8 years or more) Champion (dog has to have a champion title) Dogs with working title (15 months or more) Spayed / Neutered Some of the age groups overlap. Because dogs do not develop at the same speed, you have an option in which class you would like to enter your dog. Depending on his/her development you might want to compete with older, more mature dogs. But usually, our Hovawarts are not really “early birds” when it comes to mature ;-)) So very often it makes sense to “downsize” a class. First the males are judged, starting with the Veteran class, then the Puppy class and then going all the way up to the Spayed/Neutered class. The winners of each class, which have received at least an “excellent” (except Puppy and Youth Class and Spayed/Neutered Class) come back into the ring and compete for the “best male." After the males, the females are judged as explained above. The “best male” and the “best female” compete for the title of “Best In Show” (BIS). This is what happens in the ring: All dogs of the same class enter the ring with their handlers in order of their catalogue/armband number. They walk once around the ring at a brisk pace. After this first round the judge will have a closer look at each dog individually while the other teams wait at one end of the ring (or outside of the ring – depending on the judge.) The judge will evaluate the appearance of your dog according to the breed standard and will dictate a detailed report which you will receive a copy of at the end of the show. Your dog will be graded according to the F.C.I grading which is either “excellent”, “very good”, “good”, “sufficient” or “disqualifying”. During this evaluation the judge will be touching your dog and will also have a look at your dog’s teeth to check if the bite is correct and complete (if you prefer to show your dog’s teeth yourself, just tell the judge.) With males the judge will also check to see if both testicles are there. Then you get to show your dog’s gait. You walk with your dog on your left side in a straight line diagonal from one corner of the ring to the opposite corner and back, then you walk once around the ring at a brisk pace. You should try to find the right pace at which your dog would show a nice trot. After all dogs in one class have been evaluated individually, they all walk around the ring again and the judge decides the winner in this class. This procedure will be repeated for each class.
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Q.	My dog is spayed/neutered, can I still show him/her?
A.	Yes! However you would have to enter in the Spayed/Neutered class. The winner of the Spayed/Neutered class won’t compete for the title of “Best in Show”. The reason for this is, that a dog show is a “show for breeding stock”, and obviously spayed and neutered dogs don’t fall in this category ;-)).
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Q.	My dog has sometimes problems with other dogs, or my dog loves other dogs so much, that he/she wouldn’t pay attention to me. I am worried about being in the ring with all the other dogs.
A.	Our shows are usually not huge. You won’t have to go in the ring with 20 other dogs. It is usually a small number. Just tell the ring steward before your class is supposed to enter the ring and he/she will make sure that there is enough room between you and the people in front of you and behind you. Also talk to the people yourself and explain the situation. This is something which needs practice – not just for a show, also for your daily life! And if you have a dog who is always friendly, and always sees other dogs as friends, please check first with the other dog owner, to see if it is okay to come close and let the dogs meet. Please respect that not all dogs are the same!
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Q.	I have watched the “Westminster Dog Show” on TV. And this is way too fancy and formal for me.
A.	It also is to me as well ;-)) “Hovawart Club of North America Speciality Shows” are not as formal as other shows. It is all about the Hovawarts. As I mentioned before, Hovawarts are still a very natural and original breed. This is how we would like to show and see them. Our judges would rather see a handler wearing running shoes and jeans in the ring showing that he/she is a team with his/her dog, than seeing a fancy dressed person who is having problems with her high heels ;-)). Our judges are always very nice. They take their time to answer your questions. You won’t be rushed in the ring. There is no such thing as having only 2.4 minutes to show your dog like it is at AKC or CKC shows.
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Q.	I have never done this before and I would be uncomfortable amongst all these experienced people.
A.	Don’t worry: all of us started at one point! There is always a first time! And I guarantee you, that you won’t be the only person who is a beginner!! This is the nice thing about our shows: it is always a very relaxed, friendly environment. We help each other. Our judges understand if you are doing this for the first time, and they will be happy to answer your questions. There will be always a ring steward in the ring who will also help you. And if you feel like you would need a “crash course” before entering the ring, there are always experienced people around who are happy to help you! Just ask.
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Q.	Why should I show my dog, if I do not plan to breed my dog and I do not care for trophies?
A.	Showing your dog at one of our club’s shows gives the club and the breeders the opportunity to see where our breeding went. It will help us to determine if we are still on the right track. It will answer for us, whether the dogs which have been bred within our club are still typical Hovawarts as described in the breed standard. It will give you a chance to “give something back” to the club and to the breeder of your dog. It always means a lot to a breeder if “his/her” puppies are being shown. And a nice side effect:: you will have an opportunity to meet other Hovawart enthusiasts and litter mates of your dog! It wouldn’t be the first time that people would make new friends at one of our shows!
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Q.	Why are shows so important if I want to breed my dog? Is health and character not more important?
A.	Yes, and No! First , all three aspects mentioned above are important. If one of the three aspects is missing then you wouldn’t be happy with the Hovawart you have purchased or bred. If you have a very beautiful dog without any faults, but he/she is very aggressive, then this is not what you wanted. If you have a very beautiful dog who has a great temperament, but is very sick, then this is not what you wanted. If you have a healthy dog with a good temperament, but he/she is not looking like the typical Hovawart described in the breed standard then this is not what you wanted either. If you didn’t care about the appearance, you could have chosen a different breed, which is also healthy and shows a sound temperament. Also, some of the faults in your dog’s appearance could actually cause your dog problems at some point. For instance, if there is not enough angulation, then there is not enough drive from the hindquarters – this dog will most likely have problems with jumping. And the chest should show enough depth. This is important so that the vital organs can work properly.
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