Below you will find a brief description of how to get involved in Junior Showmanship.
Most Junior Handlers are born into the sport. When I say born, I do not mean physically birthed at the dog show!! What this term means is that their parents are either breeders or exhibitors in the sport of Dogs and therefore brought up with the influences surrounding them. If you live in Canada the Junior Showmanship classes start at the age of 4 and go up to 18. In the US the Junior Showmanship classes start at 9 and go up to 18. Both the Canadian Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club have resources on their websites to fully explain Junior Showmanship and the rules associated with them.
The next important step is to choose the right dog. Do you like small dogs or big? Long hair or short? Most Juniors show the same breed that their parents own. However, consideration needs to be given to their size and grooming. A dog that is too large can cause the Junior to be overpowered and lose control. This is greatly frowned upon. Also a dog that needs considerable skill in grooming might not suit a young child that does not yet know how to run a pair of scissors.
Click here to take a questionaire to find a dog that matches you.
As mentioned earlier, the Junior Handling rules are all posted on both the AKC and CKC sites.
Here's a quick recap. In Canada, Juniors are usually held only 1 day of the weekend. You have to enter the shows 1 hour prior to the posted show time and there usually are no fees attached to that entry. There are different classes based on your date of birth on Dec 31st of that year.
Pee Wee Class - This class is for handlers 4 years of age up to 6 years of age as of December 31st of the year preceding the competition year. This class is optional and non-competitive. No placements are to be awarded; only participant ribbons, rosettes and token trophies may be presented.
Junior Novice Class - This class is for handlers 7 to 10 years of age as of December 31st of the year preceding the competition year, who have not won 6 first places in the same class with competition.
Junior Open Class - This class is for handlers 7 to 10 years of age as of December 31st of the year preceding the competition year who have won 6 first places with competition.
Intermediate Novice Class – This class is for handlers 11 to 14 years of age as of December 31st of the year preceding the competition year, who have not won 6 first places in the same class with competition.
Intermediate Open Class – This class is for handlers 11 to 14 years of age as of December 31st of the year preceding the competition year, who have won 6 places with competition and for any handler who has progressed through the Junior Open Level and feels that he has enough experience to compete at this level.
Senior Novice Class - This class is for handlers 15 years of age as of December 31st of the year preceding the competition year and up to 18 years of age, who have not won 6 first places with competition in this class. Handlers from the Intermediate levels progress to this class.
Senior Open Class - This class is for handlers 15 years of age as of December 31st of the year preceding the competition year and up to 18 years of age, who have won 6 first places with competition, in the Senior Novice Class, and for any handler who has progressed through the Intermediate Open level and feels that he has enough experience to compete at this level.
In the United States, Juniors are held every show day. These shows need to be entered in advance and the closing date for entries is the same as the regular shows. Also the fees for these shows are the same as the regular classes. The classes are also based on your age.
Novice classes -For those children who, at the time entries close, have not won three (3) first-place awards in a Novice class at a licensed or member show. To qualify as a win, more than one child must be in competition in a class.
Open classes - For those children having three or more first-place wins; these are the more experienced Junior Handlers.
The classes may further be divided into:
Junior: At least 9 years old but under 12 years old on the day of the show.
Intermediate: At least 12 years old but under 15 years old on the day of the show.
Senior: At least 15 years old but under 18 years old on the day of the show.
Junior Showmanship offers our young people the opportunity learn about good sportsmanship, develop their handling skils and learn about dogs and dog shows.
Another reason, scholarships are offered to participants that are involved in the sport.
I hope this gives you the information needed to decide if Junior Showmanship is for you. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Please take a moment to read about Willow's Life
Please read before buying your new Juniors dog, Breeder vs The Pet Store.
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