.gif)
Championship (dog)
Encyclopedia
Championships are awarded to dogs who have passed through a process of selection at dog shows. Traditionally, a championship was received at a conformation show
, but championships are now offered for dogs who have attained a high degree of perfection in other dog sports as well.
show (UK), for example, was a Giant Schnauzer
, Ch. Jafrak Philippe Olivier, call name Philip. Winner of the 2008 Westminster
show (US) was a Beagle
, Ch. K-Run's Park Me In First
, call name Uno.
See registered name for a discussion of dogs' registered names; there is no championship requirement for any particular sort of registered name. Registered names typically only reflect an individual kennel's recordkeeping system.
Abbreviations of the name of the country or countries where the championship was earned are often added before the Ch. An international Fédération Cynologique Internationale championship is written as Int. Ch. (or ICh.). Other combinations are possible, such as the Miniature Schnauzer
, ICh. Mex.Ch Rice's Its Snow Tea Party (International and Mexican Championships). Winners of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale World Show have World Ch. or World-V## (World Championship and the year won) also placed before their registered name.
Traditionally, only one major kennel club in a country offered championships (two in the US), so no confusion arose from this system. Today there are many small internet based registries and companies that offer titles; to prevent deception, the name of the minor registry should be appended to the title.
A dog that completes a championship (called a finished champion) may continue to be entered in shows to compete for Group (winner of its group) or Best In Show (BIS) honors. A finished dog that continues to compete is called a special. Owners of Best in Show winners may add BIS or Multi BIS (multiple best in show winners) to their dog's name, as in the Siberian Husky
Multi BIS/Ch Phoebe Run To Phoebus. Many prestigious shows only accept entries from dogs that have finished their championships.
A dog earns a championship with wins at a specified number of conformation show
s, where a judge evaluates a dog's breed type
and how closely the dog approaches the ideal represented in its breed's standard
. Often there are requirements as to the number of dogs of the same breed that must be in competition at a show for championship requirements to be met. Each kennel club
has its own criteria to follow in qualifying for a championship.
Examples:
The above are representative of the policies of the major show-giving bodies, but any individual or group may offer championships and devise their own requirements.
The National Grouse Dog Championship was first offered in 1913 in Pennsylvania, US. Numerous other championships are offered by the American Kennel Club for hunting dog
s in particular types of hunting, such as Water Race Champion and Nite Champion.
The Australian National Kennel Council has the T Ch
and others. Also see articles about individual dog breeds for more on the health, breeding, and use issues of individual breeds.
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
, but championships are now offered for dogs who have attained a high degree of perfection in other dog sports as well.
The conformation championship title
A dog qualifying for a championship at a conformation show has the designation Champion or "Ch." added as a prefix to its registered name (but not to its call name, the name by which the dog is actually called.) The Best in Show winner of the 2008 CruftsCrufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...
show (UK), for example, was a Giant Schnauzer
Giant Schnauzer
The Giant Schnauzer is a large, powerful, and compact breed of dog. It is one of the three Schnauzer breeds. Like most large breeds, the Giant Schnauzer needs a fair amount of exercise.-Appearance:...
, Ch. Jafrak Philippe Olivier, call name Philip. Winner of the 2008 Westminster
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day, all-breed benched conformation show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. The first Westminster show was held in 1877....
show (US) was a Beagle
Beagle
The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...
, Ch. K-Run's Park Me In First
K-Run's Park Me In First
Ch. K-Run's Park Me In First, aka "Uno" is a 15" beagle from Belleville, Illinois, who won Best in Show in the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club dog show...
, call name Uno.
See registered name for a discussion of dogs' registered names; there is no championship requirement for any particular sort of registered name. Registered names typically only reflect an individual kennel's recordkeeping system.
Abbreviations of the name of the country or countries where the championship was earned are often added before the Ch. An international Fédération Cynologique Internationale championship is written as Int. Ch. (or ICh.). Other combinations are possible, such as the Miniature Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzer
The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers developed from crosses between the Standard Schnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle and Affenpinscher.The breed remains one of...
, ICh. Mex.Ch Rice's Its Snow Tea Party (International and Mexican Championships). Winners of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale World Show have World Ch. or World-V## (World Championship and the year won) also placed before their registered name.
Traditionally, only one major kennel club in a country offered championships (two in the US), so no confusion arose from this system. Today there are many small internet based registries and companies that offer titles; to prevent deception, the name of the minor registry should be appended to the title.
A dog that completes a championship (called a finished champion) may continue to be entered in shows to compete for Group (winner of its group) or Best In Show (BIS) honors. A finished dog that continues to compete is called a special. Owners of Best in Show winners may add BIS or Multi BIS (multiple best in show winners) to their dog's name, as in the Siberian Husky
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in north-eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
Multi BIS/Ch Phoebe Run To Phoebus. Many prestigious shows only accept entries from dogs that have finished their championships.
Conformation championship requirements
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
s, where a judge evaluates a dog's breed type
Breed type (dog)
Breed type in the parlance of dog fanciers refers to the qualities that define a dog breed and separate it from all other dog breeds. Breed type is outlined in the written standard for each breed, and breed type is the basis of judging in conformation dog shows.-Qualities that define a breed:Breed...
and how closely the dog approaches the ideal represented in its breed's standard
Breed standard
A breed standard in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed....
. Often there are requirements as to the number of dogs of the same breed that must be in competition at a show for championship requirements to be met. Each kennel club
Kennel club
A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog...
has its own criteria to follow in qualifying for a championship.
Examples:
- For the Kennel ClubThe Kennel ClubThe Kennel Club is a kennel club based in London and Aylesbury, United Kingdom.The Kennel Club registration system divides dogs into seven breed groups. The Kennel Club Groups are: Hound, Working, Terrier, Gundog, Pastoral, Utility and Toy...
(UK) championship, a dog must gain 3 Challenge Certificates (CCs) from three different judges, one of which must be awarded when the dog is over 12 month old. There must be a sufficient entry of the breed at a Championship Show for the CC to be awarded.
- In Australia, dogs must accumulate 100 points, the maximum earned at any one time is 25 and the minimum is 6, according to the Australian National Kennel CouncilAustralian National Kennel CouncilThe Australian National Kennel Council is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by individuals across Australia. It was formed in...
- For the Canadian Kennel ClubCanadian Kennel ClubThe Canadian Kennel Club is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. Beyond maintaining the pedigree registry, the C.K.C...
championship (Can. Ch), 10 points are needed for a championship, with wins under at least three different judges, and at least one "major" (a win over a specified number of dogs of that breed), totaling at least 2 points. The point schedule is the same across the country.
- For the American Kennel ClubAmerican Kennel ClubThe American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...
championship (Am. Ch), a dog attains its championship (Champion of Record) after earning fifteen points. Included in the fifteen points must be two "majors."
- For the United Kennel ClubUnited Kennel ClubThe United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
(US) (UKC Ch), a combination of points (for example, winning the class earns 10 points in non-variety breeds, 5 in variety breeds) and competition wins (including group placements and Best In Show/Reserve Best in Multi-Breed Show) are required. It is possible to earn a UKC championship without competition. A UKC Grand Champion (GRCh) title is earned by winning in competition with other champions of the breed in at least five shows under at least three different judges.
- The Fédération Cynologique InternationaleFédération Cynologique InternationaleFédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...
sponsors international shows that differ from other shows in that dogs first receive individual written descriptions of positive and negative qualities from the judge, and only dogs with high ratings go on to compete against other dogs in the class. A dog must receive four international Certificat d'Aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté to qualify for a championship; one must be won in the dog's own country, and at least two in two other countries under at least three different judges.
The above are representative of the policies of the major show-giving bodies, but any individual or group may offer championships and devise their own requirements.
Performance championships
Championships are also offered in performance events; these differ from breed ring (conformation show) championships and are usually written with additional abbreviations indicating the nature of the championship.Obedience Trial championships
In the American Kennel Club, an Obedience Trial Championship (OTCH) is awarded to a dog and handler team receiving 100 points by placing first, second, third or fourth in the Open B or Utility B class and a first place in Utility B and/or Open B three times. In addition, a National Obedience Championship title (NOC) is awarded to one dog each year. Obedience Trial championships offered by the United Kennel Club (US) are prefixed with U: U-OTCH. United Kennel Club requirements are similar to those of the American Kennel Club. The Canadian Kennel Club OTCH title has less stringent requirements than the American Kennel Club OTCH. However, the CKC also offers several titles beyond the OTCH. These include Obedience Trial Champion Excellent (O.T.Ch.X), Master Obedience Trial Champion (M.O.T.Ch.) and Grand Master Obedience Trial Champion (G.M.O.T.Ch.).Agility championships
Teams sponsored by a country's national kennel club compete for the Fédération Cynologique Internationale's World Agility Championships. Individual championships are offered by a large number of organizations worldwide, reflecting an ever higher perfection in precision and running time. ADCH is the prefix used for a championship earned in the USDAA; NATCH is the prefix used for a championship earned in the NADAC. The United Kennel Club (US) agility championship title is recognized by the prefix U-ACH. The highest level championship awarded by CPE is the C-ATE.Weight Pull championships
The United Kennel Club (US) offers championships in weight pulling; the title WPCh or WPCH is added as a prefix to the dog's registered name.Hunting trial championships
The United Kennel Club (US) offers hunting retriever championships (HRCH) for dogs who have earned one hundred Championship Points; points are earned at hunt tests, with an increasing number of points awarded based on the dog's level and the tests passed.The National Grouse Dog Championship was first offered in 1913 in Pennsylvania, US. Numerous other championships are offered by the American Kennel Club for hunting dog
Hunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
s in particular types of hunting, such as Water Race Champion and Nite Champion.
Tracking championships
A tracking championship is offered by the American Kennel Club. The prefix used is TD or TDX Tracking Dog or Tracking Dog championThe Australian National Kennel Council has the T Ch
Coursing championships
Various coursing clubs offer championships. In the US, these include the North American Open Field Association, which offers the Coursing Champion (CC) title; the North American Coursing Association, offering the NACA Coursing Champion (NACC) title; and the American Sighthound Field Association, which offers the Field Champion (F.Ch.) title. The American Kennel Club also offeres a F.Ch. title in coursing.Herding championships
The prefix WTCH (Working Trial Champion) is used for the championship offered by the Australian Shepherd Club of America.Disc Dog championships
The Frisbee Dog World Championship offered the first championships for the sport of Disc Dog.Multiple event championships
For the VCC, Versatile Companion Champion (AKC prefix), the dog completes OTCH, MACH and CT championships.Other titles
Dogs also earn other titles that are usually added as suffixes to the dog's registered name, leading to the saying the "A well balanced dog has titles at both ends" (of its name.) Examples would be the Kennel Club Agility Warrant, or the American Kennel Club's TD (Tracking Dog) title. The United Kennel Club (US) are differentiated from the American Kennel Club (US) titles with the added U, as in U-CD (Companion Dog), and that all titles are used as prefixes. Schutzhund titles are given in three phases as requirements are completed. Other dog sport clubs offer certification or titles in their sport such as carting or water rescue dog, and are usually added as suffixes to the dog's registered name.Health problems
Health issues with purebred dogs and objections to dog sports and dog showing have been extensively covered in these articles - Criticism of dog showing | Genetic disease | List of dog diseases | Canine reproduction | InbreedingInbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
and others. Also see articles about individual dog breeds for more on the health, breeding, and use issues of individual breeds.