New Style of AKC Conformation Show

Open shows, which don't allow pro handlers or finished dogs and which offer a separate conformation certificate. Sounds like these are meant to be fun, laid back events allowing day of entry and puppies as young as 4 months to compete. I really hope these catch on, I have been saying for years AKC show offer some sort of "easier" conformation title.

http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/Open_Show_Regulations.pdf

It sounds exactly like a match show, except now they're doing a point system and giving a certificate once you get your 15pts. I don't see them catching on, to be honest. Too much time/money/effort going in to something that really doesn't amount to much. I do match shows if they're local, but I'm not going to travel far for one.

What AKC really needs to do is talk to their judges about putting handlers over everyone else no matter what their dog looks like. I can't tell you how frustrating it is, as an owner/handler, to get beat over handler dogs that are paddling, gay tailed, etc. But that'd be a whole 'nother thread

Sounds like a UKC show... I'd go! And I don't see myself showing AKC unless something like this catches on, since campaigning to a CH is just not a priority of mine.

That sounds cool! I like showing in both venues (prefer UKC but thats beside the point) this sounds like a good medium and Im all for more titles

Yeah I'd say it sounds more like a UKC or International show than a match. Those sort of shows can attract good entries too and often a different crowd, so it could work for AKC. Especially since they aren't allowing clubs to add new regular conformation shows. Also it gives people who have FSS or Miscellaneous breeds a chance to earn a conformation title.

That does sound a lot like UKC. Honestly at this point I'll do AKC with Logan because he breeder would like me too, and I DO want to give it a try. But UKC is where my heart lies, and I'll probably be showing Logan in UKC long after he gets his Ch. It's really a lot of fun! Something like this would bring the fun back to AKC.

I mean, I get the concept (more UKC style).. I just don't see it catching on with a lot of the AKC people. Just wonder how much "value" a title from an "Open Show" will hold. Does that make sense?

If they're letting puppies that young compete I can at least see how it would hold value as a venue for socialization and training for diehard show folks. Not sure how it will do in the long run. A lot of that will probably depend on how much entries cost, etc.

It sounds more "fun" in the sense of being something more "laid back" to go out and do with your dogs, but in terms of what conformation shows were originally intended for (evaluating structure in potential breeding stock), I guess I don't really see the point in allowing puppies that young to compete for championship points. To be perfectly honest, I've never even seen the point in showing 6 month old puppies for CH points either.

It's all about who's on the other end of the leash? I've managed to finish multiple dogs, get a couple GrCHs, placements and even RWB at Nationals, BOB/BOS over specials, win under some of the most well known judges out there and I'm an owner/handler. I've also gotten points/majors on quite a few other breeds, sometimes the first time I've ever taken them in. A friend of mine just got her dog's bronze GrCH, he's been ranked in the Top Ten, has AOMs from the National and Eukanuba. Not only is she an owner handler but this is her first and only show dog, first dog she's ever competed with in anything.

I didn't do as well when I first started. I wasn't good at presenting my dogs and my dogs were not necessarily in the best show condition coat wise (Loki spent the first half of her life looking like a Blackenois). I also never considered researching judges and showing to those my dog had the best shot under or at least not going to judges who consistently like a very different type than my dog (not that I would've known how to determine which those judges were anyway).

Are there politics in conformation shows? Sure there are. There's politics in just about everything. There are some breeds that professional handlers have a huge advantage in. And some judges who definitely make political decisions. But there's also plenty of judges who do put up what they liked, especially at the class level. Just because a judge puts up a dog that you don't care for doesn't mean they did so for political reasons. They may have put up the dog with a gay tail because they felt his virtues were the best in the ring. A few times my dogs have been beaten by dogs who I wouldn't have even considered show quality but they weren't being handled by professionals. All dogs have faults and chances are your dog (general) isn't everyone's cup of tea either. Mine certainly aren't. In fact, when Jagger got a 5 point major the woman who's dog was RWD loudly commented while we were waiting for ribbons that she couldn't believe "that dog" got it over the other quality dogs entered - no doubt meaning her dog and her friend's LOL.

I don't think the people already dedicated to showing in regular conformation are the target audience. More people who show in UKC, International shows, have FSS/Misc breeds, people just getting started and people interested in getting their dog "proven" in conformation without needing to go through the competitive and expensive route of pursuing a AKC CH.

As for how much value is in an Open show certificate of merit, that is a bit of an odd question. It's not intended to be a CH. To me, I have thought there was a need for a less competitive conformation title for years. Besides how much value is there in a AKC CH if you feel it's always about the handler?

For me conformation titles are what they are. It's extremely subjective and quite competitive. No matter how many quality dogs show up only one dog and one bitch of each breed at any show will get CH points. Generally speaking, most dogs being shown in AKC are well bred dog's who's breeders felt they were good enough to show. You may or may not agree but one can argue that "show quality" simply means the dog has no serious faults or DQs and looks like the breed it is. There's some outstanding AKc/UKC CHs and some which are mediocre at best. Of course, which are which is pretty subjective There are also some outstanding dogs that will never be finished because their owner doesn't want to devote the time and money into pursuing a CH. And there's breeders who feel weird about using a dog who's not shown in their breeding program. To me, this is a good alternative for those people.

I look at it more from a financial standpoint.. I'm not going to spend a ton of money & time traveling, etc. on something that isn't considered valuable (and I'm using that term because I can't think of a better one) among other show goers, breeders, etc. At least, not yet anyway.

Like I said, I've done match shows before (Sako actually won one), but only local ones (think 15min. away). I show UKC as well and greatly prefer it over AKC. So I guess if they had some of these open shows near me, I'd go, as long as entry prices weren't ridiculous.

This is what I'm talking about, mostly anyway. I have a good friend involved in Dobermans. She showed her male at show after show, never doing much at all with him (maybe a WD here and there, but never enough to finish him). And she's not a bad handler at all. Put a well known handler on him, boom, finishes his CH in one weekend.

There are definitely breeds who are "handler" breeds. I've had "handler judges" get me in the ring and not even TOUCH my dog, or any other dog, and just put up the Special (no, I don't show under them anymore!). Of course there's always an exception to the rule. I was talking with a very well known handler recently and he said some judges are starting to specifically put up handlers from the AOH class because they want them to continue showing. Told me "you gotta play the game to win!"