Part 2 of our 3 part series on showing Italian Greyhounds.
Once you have been attending ring craft sessions and got to grips with the basics, you need to enter your Italian Greyhound/s into your chosen show. A few days after the entries close, you will be able to see the entry numbers, ring and judging orders for the day. If these are not available on the website you have entered on, have a look at the canine society/show’s Facebook Page or Group. You will be able to work out roughly when you can expect to be in the ring on the day, and when you need to arrive at the show.
Working out timings
As a very rough estimate, it takes approximately one hour to judge 20 dogs. So, if judging starts at 9am and you have 45 dogs in the ring before your class, you could probably expect the Italian Greyhound classes to start between 11am and 12pm. Look out for any stakes/handling classes you’ve entered. Sometimes they clash with your breed classes and you have to forgo the stakes/handling classes. Not every dog entered arrives in the ring on the day, so you have to allow some leeway for a smaller entry on the day. You will also need time to collect your catalogue (if you have booked one), to find space to set up your crate/stroller and chair, and get yourself and your Iggy settled before you go into the ring.
Preparing for the ring
Make sure you are ready in plenty of time. If you get flustered and stressed out, so will your dog. When showing Italian Greyhounds, it is a very good idea to get them settled, happy, and as confident as possible before you enter the ring. Ensure you have your ring clip on, your bait pouch loaded and on, and your Iggy set up in it’s show set. When the steward calls your class, start exhibiting your dog as you enter the ring. Approach the steward and collect your ring number and attach it to your number clip so it is clearly visible to the judge and steward/s. The steward will then direct you to the initial line up. You will have prepared for this in your ring craft lessons, and will have watched this before when you attended a show as a spectator, so it will not be alien to you.
Once you have your placings
If you are fortunate enough to be placed in a class, the steward will give you a prize card. You can choose to take this to the secretary’s table to collect your rosette. If you have won first prize in all of your breed classes, you will need to stay for the Challenge, where the judge will decide on the Best and Reserve Best of Breeds, and the Best and Reserve Best Puppy in Breed. You will hear the steward call all unbeaten dogs back into the ring for “the challenge”. If you have entered more than one breed class, you have to win all of your breed classes in order to be classed as an unbeaten dog. Stakes and Handling classes do not count towards this, only your Italian Greyhound breed classes. You cannot withdraw your winning dog from their subsequent breed classes in order to remain unbeaten; Kennel Club rules state that once you withdraw your dog from a class, you cannot exhibit that dog for the rest of the day, and that includes in the challenge!
If you win Best of Breed or Best Puppy in Breed
If you win either Best of Breed or Best Puppy in Breed you go on to the Toy Groups. The BoB/BPiB for each category in the Toy Group, including AVNSC, come together to compete for a spot in the Best In Show and Best Puppy in Show. Only the winner gets to go through, and competition is fierce. Four exhibitors are chosen, with placings referred to as Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4. Any of these placings is a big achievement. Only Group 1 goes through to the Best In Show ring. If the show is a Premier Show, everybody place Group 1-4 in the main groups and puppy groups qualify for Crufts!
Hopefully, no matter what happens, you will have had an enjoyable day out with your Italian Greyhound. Remember, no matter the outcome, you ALWAYS go home with the best dog!
If you are enjoying showing Italian Greyhounds, you might like to enter a Championship show. To learn more, click here.
