Level 3Experienced
Administrative mistakes to avoid: a file ready for the ring
The answer
Your dog is ready, the trip is organised… and you discover the entry is for the wrong class. A surprise we'd all happily do without!
Administrative procedures mostly require attention and a little forward planning. Here are three tips per level to avoid the most awkward mistakes, especially when showing abroad.
Beginner: checking the basics
- Copy the information from the official documents
Use the pedigree or the stud book registration document to fill in the official name, date of birth and registration number. Also check the identification number.
Beware of old saved records: the owner, contact details or the dog's information may have changed.
Practical tip: re-read each field before submitting, even if the form filled it in automatically.
- Complete the entry before the closing date
For FCI international shows, the entry form must be complete, sent before the closing date and accompanied by a correctly recorded payment. Late entries are not allowed.
Don't wait until the last minutes: a rejected file or an interrupted payment can complicate things.
A form that has been started is not necessarily an entry that has been completed!
- Check the confirmation you receive
Check the dog, class, sex, show and date. Keep the confirmation and the proof of payment.
If you receive no confirmation, check your exhibitor account or contact the secretary's office. Avoid immediately entering again: you could create a duplicate.
This check is a practical precaution, particularly useful when several shows are held at the same venue.
Intermediate: securing the class and the supporting documents
- Calculate the age on the date set by the regulations
For an FCI international show, the age used is the dog's age on the day it is shown.
So don't calculate only its age at the time you fill in the form. Abroad, also check the reference date of the system concerned.
Example: a dog can change category between the opening of entries and the day of judging.
- Attach the right supporting document
Within the FCI framework, the working class requires a copy of the WCC. The champion class requires an eligible title confirmed no later than the closing date, with a supporting copy.
A trial report or a latest win does not automatically replace the document expected.
Before sending, check that the file is legible, complete and relates to the dog you are entering.
- Don't assume a foreign class is open to you
Some British classes take show record into account. Certificates won abroad, notably CACs and CACIBs, can affect eligibility.
Your dog doesn't become a “novice” simply because it is competing for the first time in that country.
Compare its results with the official definitions and ask the secretary's office a specific question if in doubt.
Advanced: anticipating particular obstacles
- Check the country's own procedures
A pedigree and a show entry do not replace all local formalities.
In the United Kingdom, where an Authority to Compete (ATC) is required, the Royal Kennel Club (the UK kennel club) states that you must have the number before entering the dog and give it on the entry forms. An application in progress is not enough.
Start these procedures as soon as you choose the show.
- Check the travel documents separately
The show entry does not validate the health formalities for the trip.
Check the passport, identification, the validity of the rabies vaccination and any treatments required. For a destination outside the European Union, also prepare the conditions for coming back.
Have your vet check the dates: a document in the bag can still be incomplete or no longer valid.
- Report a mistake as soon as you discover it
Write to the secretary's office with the entry number, the incorrect information, the correction requested and any useful supporting document.
Within the FCI framework, after the closing date, changing class is prohibited except in the case of an administrative error by the organising committee. A mistake made by the exhibitor therefore does not automatically benefit from this exception.
If your dog is missing from the catalogue, present your proof of entry: the regulations provide an exception where the omission is the organiser's responsibility.
The final read-through
Before closing your file, check:
- Identity: right dog, right numbers and right contact details.
- Entry: right show, right date and right class.
- Supporting documents: suitable, legible and sent.
- Validation: confirmation kept and payment checked.
- Travel: outbound, transit and return formalities checked.
The reflex to remember
Re-read before you submit, then re-read the confirmation. These two checks take little time and can save you a lot of paperwork.
The tips on filing and re-reading are practical recommendations. The consequences of a mistake depend on the applicable regulations and on its nature.