The vocabulary every beginner needs to know

At your first show, it can feel like you need a dictionary as well as a lead! Here are the essential words to help you understand the instructions and read the results.

Finding your bearings

Term	What it means
Ring	The marked-off area where dogs are shown to the judge.
Entry	Registering the dog for the show.
Catalogue	List of the dogs entered, with their numbers and categories.
Catalogue number	The number that identifies your dog during judging.
Class	Category of entry, determined mainly by age or by certain titles and results.

You will come across the Baby, Puppy, Junior, Intermediate, Open, Working, Champion and Veteran classes. Check their conditions before you enter: the name alone does not tell you whether your dog is eligible.

Understanding the presentation

Term	What it means
Standard	The official description of the characteristics sought in a breed.
Conformation	The dog’s shape and structure: outline, proportions, head, body and limbs.
Stack	Showing the dog standing still, usually on its feet, so that its construction can be observed.
Gaits	The way the dog moves.
Handler	The person who shows the dog; this may be the owner or someone else.

“Show me his gaits!” therefore means: show how your dog moves. Follow the judge’s instructions for the route and pace requested.

Recognising the team

Term	Role
Judge	Assesses the dogs and decides the grades and placings.
Ring steward	Helps organise the order of entry and gather the dogs.
Ring secretary	Is responsible, among other things, for writing up the critiques and for administrative follow-up.

The secretary’s and steward’s duties may be divided differently depending on the team.

Reading the results

Term	What it means
Grade	The assessment given to the dog: Excellent, Very Good, Good…
Placing	The position obtained among the competitors in the class.
EXC / TB	Usual abbreviations for Excellent and Very Good (Très Bon).
TP	Très Prometteur (Very Promising), a grade used in the youngest classes.
BOB	Best of Breed.
BOS	Best of Opposite Sex: the best of the sex opposite to the Best of Breed.
BIS	Best in Show: the best dog at the show.

Grade and placing are two different pieces of information. “2nd Excellent” means the dog received Excellent and finished second in its class.

Decoding the certificates

CACS: Certificat d’Aptitude de Conformité au Standard (French certificate of aptitude of conformity to the standard).
CACIB: the FCI’s Certificate of Aptitude for International Beauty Championship.
RCACS / RCACIB: reserves for these certificates, awarded according to the applicable rules.

A certificate can contribute towards a title. It does not automatically make the dog a champion.

And confirmation?

Confirmation is an examination separate from show placings. For a dog born in France and registered in the LOF (the French stud book) by descent, it allows the dog, once the procedures have been validated, to obtain its definitive pedigree.

Beginner: getting comfortable with the words

Start with five terms. Ring, class, stack, gaits and grade are enough to follow a first turn in the ring.
Keep this glossary within reach. Read it during a visit as a spectator.
Ask for it to be put another way. An unfamiliar instruction often becomes simple with an example.

Intermediate: understanding the results

Decode your judging sheet. Pick out the grade, the placing and any certificates separately.
Check the conditions for your class. Do this before every entry.
Link the words to what you see. Watch what the judge examines when talking about construction or gaits.

Advanced: gaining precision

Learn the terms specific to your breed. Use its official standard as your reference.
Tell a certificate from a confirmed title. Check the conditions of the championship you are aiming for.
Explain things simply to newcomers. “Stack: standing, without moving” helps more than a long technical definition.

These nine tips are practical suggestions.

Illustration caption: on the left, the stack; on the right, observation of the gaits.