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My pup will be a year and eight months when the show rolls around, so I assume he will be classed as Am-Bred. I also expect he will be one of the only, if not the only, Samoyed there, as there is only one breeder local to the area (about 70 miles away from the host city) and I don't believe she shows her dogs. So I'm not sure how, if at all, it will affect anything if he's the only member of his breed attending?
First, there has been lots of great advice given so far; so I won't repeat. Just a few things to add.
At 20 months, you can enter your dog in three classes, it's really your call.
1) NOVICE - Never won a blue ribbon in any of the other classes, or has won less than three ribbons in the novice class.
2) AMERICAN-BRED - Dog's parents mated in America and the dog was born in America
3) OPEN - Any dog of that breed.
Also, the local population of a breed does not necessarily dictate if that breed will be present for shows. Many people travel far to shows, based on judges. I'm assuming the shows you are entering are the ones in Knoxville at the end of October? If so, there were no Samoyed entries in 2014, 2 entries in 2013, and 14 in 2012.
...., all-breed dog show coming up this October. ........My pup will be a year and eight months when the show rolls around, so I assume he will be classed as Am-Bred. ....... Samoyed ....... have also been working on gaiting and stacking, and he is beginning to figure out how to free stack .......
You've received some excellent advice. The only things I have to add is to start conditioning coat right now. If you aren't already working on his coat, you are lagging behind everyone else. A white dog has to be bathed frequently and then coat conditioners used to replace the oil stripped out by the bathing.
Samoyeds free stack. Get that perfected. If you must hand stack, don't hesitate to do so. Don't keep fussing, trying to get him to free stack, if he won't. But much better to have him rock solid on his stacking.
Lots of people will tell you that you can't finish a champion out of American bred. That's not true. I've finished champions out of American bred, but I only enter that class if I already have an open dog, the dog is no longer novice, and isn't eligible for bred-by-exhibitor. American bred is my very last option. The only plus for American bred is that you are likely to have the only entry in the class, so you will go on to the Winners competition.
Personally, I never leave my dogs unattended at a dog show. I meet with friends and we take turns sitting with the dogs. That way teh dogs aren't unattended during bathroom breaks, shopping, and meals.
Oh yeah. Take plenty of money to spend at the vender's booths.
You've received some excellent advice. The only things I have to add is to start conditioning coat right now. If you aren't already working on his coat, you are lagging behind everyone else. A white dog has to be bathed frequently and then coat conditioners used to replace the oil stripped out by the bathing.
Samoyeds free stack. Get that perfected. If you must hand stack, don't hesitate to do so. Don't keep fussing, trying to get him to free stack, if he won't. But much better to have him rock solid on his stacking.
Lots of people will tell you that you can't finish a champion out of American bred. That's not true. I've finished champions out of American bred, but I only enter that class if I already have an open dog, the dog is no longer novice, and isn't eligible for bred-by-exhibitor. American bred is my very last option. The only plus for American bred is that you are likely to have the only entry in the class, so you will go on to the Winners competition.
Personally, I never leave my dogs unattended at a dog show. I meet with friends and we take turns sitting with the dogs. That way teh dogs aren't unattended during bathroom breaks, shopping, and meals.
Oh yeah. Take plenty of money to spend at the vender's booths.
I knew there was a reason Am Bred was ringing a bell but I couldn't remember why. I was always told not to enter in that class unless you had no other choice but as you said the plus is you might be the only dog in the class and advance to winners
Let me second the comment about vendor's booths. I managed to spend plenty this weekend at the show even though I'm not actively showing any dogs.
Check with your local Kennel Club and see if they offer "conformation handling classes". They'll teach you all about handling and ring procedure. Each class is like a practice dog show. You'll learn the different gaiting patterns a judge could ask for, the proper speed to gait your dog, ring procedure, etc. Your dog will get used to being examined by the judge, gaiting in the ring with other dogs and not getting too excited over everything.
You also might check the websites of UKC (United Kennel Club), ICE (International Canine Events), IABCA (International All Breed Canine Association), and ICKC. The shows offered by these organizations are somewhat more relaxed than AKC and a good place to start out. A lot of AKC people go to these shows as well, but unlike AKC, there is less pressure, and the pace is slow enough that people actually have some time to socialize.
Grooming - there is always more than meets the eye. Samoyeds have lots of coat, and you want that coat in excellent condition and properly groomed. This is where having a mentor within your breed is invaluable. Some breed clubs have a listing of people who have volunteered to be a mentor. You can check with the parent club and any nearby local breed clubs. Check out YouTube for grooming videos - the ones by SamoyedMoms look good (but my breed is corgi, so I don't know for sure).
Have fun, don't worry, and just enjoy the time with your dog. Avoid the negative folks, the ones who complain about the judging, the fact that so-and-so's dog won because it has a pro handler, etc. There'll be times when you lose when you should've won, and there'll be times that you win when you should've lost.
There is plenty not to like about showing dogs. The days are long, the show venues are noisy and crowded, you'll stay in some crappy motels, eat some crappy food, get sore feet, lose more than you win, people everywhere bitching and moaning, and your dog will make a fool of you many times. Yet it can become an addiction, and you'll be counting down the days until the next show!
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