Dog Showing or exhibiting takes place in different rings at a dog show, where each pedigree dog is judged against the official Kennel Club Breed Standard. The Breed Standard is a blueprint for the perfect characteristics for each breed and covers every aspect of the dog, including health and temperament. The dogs which conform most closely to the Breed Standard will receive the top awards. It is a fun and great time to spend with your dog and with others that share your same love of the breed. Come out to local shows and see what it is all about.
Specialty/Confirmation Shows
What is a Specialty?
A specialty is a dog show which only a single breed is judged. For example, a Great Dane Specialty will only feature Great Danes. There are also “all breed” confirmation shows where any breed recognized by the sponsoring kennel club, such as the Canadian Kennel Club, can be entered.
Every year the Western Great Dane Club of BC hosts a Great Dane Specialty Champion Show Sweepstakes and Obedience Trial. The show is normally held in the Spring in Chilliwack Heritage Building. Please check the website regularly for updates regarding this years specialty.
What is the Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C)?
It is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. They maintain the pedigree registry for purebred dogs within Canada. They also promote events such as confirmation shows and obedience trials for purebred dogs.
CKC is a national, member-based, non-profit organization. It provides registry services for the 175 dog breed it currently recognizes. They provide guidance for all CKC approved shows, trials, and events. The CKC provides new and information to its memberships through its association with Dogs in Canada monthly magazine.
How does my dog become registered?
For a dog to be registered with the CKC, the dog’s parents must be registered with the CKC as the same breed, and the litter the dog was born in must be registered with the CKC. Foreign-born dogs are registered as imports by the CKC, provided that they are registered with a CKC approved and recognized foreign registry and identified in accordance with CKC regulations.
Registry Limitations
The CKC registration specifies only that the dog is purely of one recognized breed. It does NOT guarantee that the dog comes from healthy or show-quality bloodlines. Neither is it a reflection on the quality of the breeder or how the puppy was raised. Please see our Breeder page for more information. Registration basically provides tracking for known canine ancestry as stated by the breeder of each dog registered. Purebred pedigrees can often be followed back for as much as a century and for perhaps thirty or more generation of registered ancestry.
Can I enter a show?
It is necessary that your dog is registered in order to participate in a purebred confirmation show.