Level 1Beginner
How do you read the catalogue?
The answer
Finding your dog without getting lost in the numbers
The catalogue is your guide to the show. To start, look up the breed, the sex, the class, then your dog’s official name. You can then find his number and the judging information.
The layout varies from one organiser to another: some information is in the catalogue, some in a separate schedule or plan.
Beginner — Finding your dog
- Start with the breed
Use the contents page, the breed index or the PDF search. Look for the official name: “Golden Retriever”, for example.
The tip: in a digital catalogue, search for a distinctive word from your dog’s name if you can’t find the breed straight away.
- Read the headings above his entry
Check the sex and the class: “Junior class dogs” and “Junior class bitches” are two different sections.
MyDogShow tip: work out how your catalogue is organised, often by breed, then by class and sex.
- Find his exhibitor number
This is the number linked to his entry, not his LOF number (from the French stud book) or his identification.
MyDogShow tip: check that the number worn during the presentation matches your dog’s entry in the catalogue.
An entry decoded
Fictional, simplified example: the wording may vary.
| What you read | What it means |
|---|---|
| 128 | The dog’s number in the catalogue |
| Milo des Collines Dorées | The dog’s official name |
| Junior class dogs | The category he is entered in |
| LOF: … | Number in the French stud book (Livre des origines français) |
| Identification: … | Microchip or tattoo number |
| Born on … | Date of birth |
| (Sire’s name × dam’s name) | The dog’s parents |
| Prod. | Producer: his breeder |
| Prop. | Owner |
MyDogShow tip: on your dog’s entry, look in particular for the number, name, pedigree, birth, breeder and owner.
Intermediate — Preparing for your turn
- Note the ring and the judge
Look for this information in the headers or in the allocation tables.
MyDogShow tip: use the catalogue to find, among other things, your ring and the competitors in your class.
The tip: write it on one line: “dog — class — number — ring”.
- Look at the dogs entered in your class
This lets you see which numbers are likely to be called with yours. However, the number of entries does not guarantee the number of dogs present.
- Check your details
Name, sex, class and identification: compare the catalogue entry with your show entry. If there is a discrepancy, ask the show secretary to check before judging starts.
Advanced — Understanding the details
- Tell the catalogue from the marked catalogue
A marked catalogue contains the results added after judging.
MyDogShow tip: in a marked catalogue, look for example for notes of placings, grades and absences.
- Don’t turn numbers into times
Number 128 doesn’t mean “128th turn of the day”. Rely on the announced schedule and the ring calls. The Royal Kennel Club recommends following the judging, particularly when several breeds follow one another or a ring changes.
- Keep the useful information to hand
Save your dog’s page and the plan on your phone, or use a bookmark in the paper version.
The tip: leave a little room to note the result and one point to work on after the show.
The five landmarks to find
- Breed
- Sex
- Class
- Exhibitor number
- Ring