Level 3Experienced
How do placings work at a dog show?
The answer
"My dog got Excellent… but it isn't first!" A common surprise for beginners. To understand the result, you need to separate the grading, the placing and the awards.
The grading: an assessment of your dog
The judge examines your dog against its breed standard, looking at construction, movement and temperament. It then receives a grading: Excellent, Very Good, Good or Sufficient. Several dogs can therefore get Excellent in the same class.
The placing: a comparison between entrants
Placings are decided within the same class, with males and females judged separately, in the breed or variety concerned. A male in open class does not compete for his class placing against a female in junior class.
The judge ranks the dogs and awards up to four places. In classes using the usual gradings, only dogs graded at least Very Good can be placed. So fewer than four dogs may be placed.
An example to make it clear
Five dogs get Excellent in the same class:
- Oslo: 1st Excellent
- Nala: 2nd Excellent
- Rio: 3rd Excellent
- Una: 4th Excellent
- Paco: Excellent, unplaced
Paco keeps his Excellent! He just isn't in the top four. Conversely, a dog alone in its class is not guaranteed a placing: if graded Good, it cannot be first.
First in class… and then?
Winning the class may qualify the dog for further comparisons, depending on the class, the result and the rules. But 1st Excellent does not automatically mean a CAC or CACIB, and does not make the dog a champion.
The CACS is the French national certificate; each country has its own (CAC in Spain and Italy, Anwartschaft in Germany, CC in the UK outside the FCI). The CACIB belongs to FCI international shows: it has precise conditions and remains at the judge's discretion. Best of Breed, Best in Group and Best in Show are further steps.
And for puppies?
Baby and Puppy classes use age-appropriate assessments such as Very Promising. Read their results with the rules specific to those classes.
Three tips to progress
- Beginner: learn to read the full result. "2nd Excellent" holds two pieces of information: second in class, graded Excellent.
- Intermediate: also note the number of entries. A result means more in context. Keep the judge's comments.
- Advanced: be ready for call-backs. After a class win, check with the ring steward whether your dog must return for another comparison.