Building a dog show season

A calendar that makes you want to go out again

At first, you open the calendar “just to have a look”. Then you spot a show nearby, a national breed show, an unmissable event… and the weekends start filling up!

Building a season means giving a place to each outing, to preparation and to breaks. The best programme is the one that serves your goal while respecting your dog and your daily life.

1. Choose the thread running through the season

Before selecting dates, write down your priority:

• Discovering shows and finding your feet.
• Improving your handling.
• Gathering assessments of your dog.
• Moving towards a specific title.
• Meeting the people involved in your breed.

You can have several wishes. But a clear priority will help you decide when you have to choose between two events.

Example: “This season, I want to become more at ease in the ring.” You can then favour easy journeys and keep time for training between outings.

2. Select the useful events

Every show you consider should answer this question: “What can this outing bring me?”

In France, national and regional breed shows are reserved for the breeds managed by the organising club; the eligible breeds are listed on the entry form.

To find international shows, consult the FCI’s official calendar. It does not, on its own, cover every national or club event.

3. Make room for breaks

In your diary, also mark the periods without a show.

They let you get back to your normal routine, see how your dog recovers and calmly work on one aspect of presentation.

There is no ideal frequency that suits all dogs. Adapt your programme to his ease, the journeys, your availability and his recovery.

If he becomes less responsive, has trouble settling or seems worn out after travelling, rethink the pace. At FCI international shows with CACIB, health and welfare must remain the priority.

4. Work out the cost of a whole outing

The entry fee is only part of the budget.

Add transport, tolls, parking, any accommodation and meals. Also think about the time spent travelling and organising.

Set a budget for the season and keep a margin for the unexpected.

A useful little habit: before entering, look at what it leaves in the budget for the events that matter most to you.

5. Plan a calendar that can change

For each show you choose, note down:

• The date and place.
• Your goal.
• The entry closing date.
• The class you have in mind and the conditions to check.
• The estimated budget.
• The preparation needed.
• The review after the outing.

Check the information with the organiser before you enter. A date spotted in a calendar is no substitute for reading the schedule and the entry conditions.

Beginner: three tips to get started

1. Start with a few events that are easy to organise. A first outing close to home will let you see how things work without adding a long journey to everything you are learning.
2. Review before you multiply entries. After your first show, ask yourself what you liked, what was missing and how your dog experienced the day.
3. Put the preparation in your diary. Short, regular sessions will help you more than a rushed rehearsal the day before you leave.

Intermediate: three tips to progress

1. Give each outing a mission. Working on your gait, managing the wait better or gathering an assessment: choose one observable priority.
2. Leave time to put what you learn to use. If a difficulty keeps coming back, plan a period of work before looking for another chance to test it.
3. Reassess your programme halfway through. Compare your progress, your spending and your dog’s comfort. You can keep some dates and drop others.

Advanced: three tips to fine-tune the season

1. Build the route from the title’s regulations. Check the certificates, countries, judges, deadlines and any working tests required. The conditions differ depending on the title you are aiming for.
2. Think in full days. For two shows in a row, count the journeys, the waiting, the accommodation and the recovery as much as the time spent in the ring.
3. Keep a fallback. A break, a closer outing or a goal put off lets you adapt the season if your dog, your budget or your availability change.

An example season for discovering and progressing

This model is a suggestion for how to organise things, not a recommended frequency.

The little exercise before you fill in the diary

Choose three events that appeal to you, then for each one write:

“I’d like to take part because…”

If the answer is only “because it’s in the calendar”, keep that date in reserve. Your season deserves outings that you want to give meaning to.

Sources

• FCI: Dog Show Regulations (PDF)
• FCI: Regulations for the FCI International Championship (PDF)
• Société Centrale Canine: conditions for entering a dog show (in French)