Showing dogs was nothing for me, of that I was  pretty sure.
But I became somewhat reluctantly, still dragged  into the  wonderful world of exhibition .

My debut was in Öland 2006 with Zorro. When I stood there with a lot of colored ribbon in my hand,  I was so shaken  that I did not know what had happened. My friend though seemed very happy, jumping up and down declaring that Zorro had got both CAC and BOB!
Since then, it has become a series of exhibitions, both in Sweden and abroad. I am still a happy amateur, and will always equal childishly be happy when things are going well for my dogs!

What happends at a show? Well it begins at home. You have to pack collars, leashes, dog candy, food, cages, tents, chairs, and not to forget the dogs! It tends to be quite full in the car when traveling away from home!
Then it is important to get a good seat at the ring, which the exhibition place is called. If it's  outdoors,  the tent must up, and you make it so cozy as possible for both dogs and humans!

Dog Shows are organized primarily to assess the breeding results in the race. This happens in both quality and in the contest form. It is fun and exciting to exhibit dogs, many people explores that. There are many who do not have that interest from the beginning. But, as after the first exhibition finds it exciting. When you show the dog, you should have trained the dog a little before the exhibition. The dog will learn to accept the judge looking at the teeth (lifting the dog's lips) and familiar to the judge touching the dog's body. When the judge examines the dog, the dog shall stand still  (preferably).

Then you shall run around in the ring (in trotting) so the judge can be able to see the dog's movements. Finally, the dog stands still in front of the judgments table, and the judge gives his final critique of the dog. When the dog has been judged you get a written critique consisting just this judge's opinion on the dog.

You do not need not be nervous for making mistakes. There is a ring secretary in the exhibition ring, which gives help to the exhibitor. Furthermore, the judge tells you what to do. You can't  require all this from a puppy of course. It must be learned, slowly and at play. The dog must find it fun. This is very important.

   
The presentation is as follows. The dogs compete in different classes, and after sex. All males are always sentenced before the females. The classes look like this:

Junior Class: 9-15 months.

  Youngster Class: 15-24 months.

Open Class: Dogs older than 24 months. (Not including the Champions).

Champion Class: Dogs who have become Champions.

Veteran Class: All dogs over 7 years.

The dog will compete first in their class where the quality is assessed. It can get 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th prize. If the dog is completely atypical (the judge does not think the dog looks like a Xoloitzcuintle, or may have been disqualified), or are aggressive gets zero-0 . If the dog is content, or do not want to show up, it can get a KEP. (Can not receive a prize).

The dogs that received first prize, then compete against each other in their class. They are located from NR1 - No. 4.

The dogs that received first prize with the honorary prize, in the junior or youngster class, and the dogs who received a first prize in the open class, compete in something called winners class.

Here they are competing about the desirable certificate as the winner in this class is rewarded, if the judge thinks that the dog is of championship quality. The judge also puts the other dogs  from the No 1-4 and one as a reserve. If the judge believes that more dogs in this class are of championship quality they can get a CK. This stands for Quality Champion. However, it is only one dog in the class who receives the certificate.

The dogs in Champion Class and Veteran class also compete among themselves in their classes. The dogs which had CK competes with the other dogs who had CK from the other classes.

They then compete in BHKL (Best Class Males) or BTKL (Best Class Females). Best male and best female then compete against each other. One dog is BOB (Best of Breed) and the other is then BIM (Best In the Opposite Sex).

The BOB dog continues forward in the group with other BOB winners from the breeds in the same group as the Xolo.

The Group Winner will then compete with winners from the other groups to become Best in Show. The dog who becomes the BIS dog, is the best and most typical dog comparing with it's breed standard at just this exhibition.

The world's most prestigious exhibition takes place in Birmingham, England annually and it's called Cruft's.
I have had the pleasure of visiting the exhibition 2 times, without the dogs. It is a Mecca for dog lovers, and there are everything to buy in terms of accessories.
If you have the opportunity, I really recommend a visit!