Why enter early?

Entering your dog early brings three advantages: you may benefit from a better rate, you keep time to sort out any problem and you can prepare for the day more calmly.

This guide is about shows in France. Check the dates and conditions specific to your event.

1. To get the first rate

Some shows offer a cheaper rate during the first entry period, then apply a surcharge.

MyDogShow tip: check whether the show has a first rate and then a later closing date at a higher rate. Waiting can raise the price of the entry, even if you are still within the deadline.

Note the date the rate changes: it can come well before the final closing date.

Not all shows offer this reduction. Check the fee table for your event before doing your sums.

2. To keep a margin in case of difficulty

A forgotten password, a missing piece of information, a declined payment… These small setbacks are easier to sort out a few days before the closing date than at the last minute.

On SCC Expo (the entry platform of the Société Centrale Canine, the French kennel club), payment must be confirmed for your dog to be entered. A completed form or a prepared basket is not enough.

MyDogShow tip: keep the payment confirmation you receive once you have paid somewhere safe.

Example: you start your entry a week before the closing date, but your payment fails. You still have time to work out the problem and contact support.

At FCI international shows, late entries after the closing date are not allowed. It is better to plan a margin than to count on an exception.

3. To check your choice of class

Entering early lets you calmly re-read the date of birth, the class selected and the supporting documents submitted.

But be careful: the age that counts at an FCI international show is the dog's age on the day it is shown. An early entry does not "lock in" its age.

The regulations also provide that, after the closing date, changing class is not allowed, except for an administrative error by the organiser.

Before paying, compare the summary with the dog's papers. A two-minute check can save a lot of back-and-forth later.

4. To organise the trip without rushing

Once the entry is made, you can get on with the preparations: journey, accommodation if needed, equipment and family arrangements.

It is also a chance to spread the dog's preparation over several short sessions: walking on the lead, standing in position for a few moments and accepting a calm examination.

The practical benefit is giving yourself time. Entering early does not, on its own, guarantee a better hotel or transport price.

5. To free up your attention

When the paperwork is done, you can focus more on your dog and on discovering the show.

However, the invitation does not necessarily arrive straight away.

MyDogShow tip: the invitation often arrives after the closing date, a few days before the event. If you can’t see it, look in your personal account on the entry platform.

So you may already have your payment receipt and still be waiting for your invitation: they are two different stages.

Beginner: three tips

1. Set your own deadline a few days before the closing date. You will keep a margin to finish the process.
2. Prepare the documents before you start. It makes entering simpler.
3. Check the payment receipt. File it with your show papers.

Intermediate: three tips

1. Note when the first rate ends. It deserves a separate reminder from the final closing date.
2. Re-read the entry after it is confirmed. Check the dog, the date and the class.
3. Spread out the preparations. One admin task and a few minutes of ring practice at a time are enough to make progress.

Advanced: three tips

1. Plan ahead for special supporting documents. Check the working or champion documents before selecting the class.
2. Plan your entries together. A shared calendar makes it easier to keep track of several dogs or shows.
3. Keep one folder per event. Put the regulations, supporting documents, receipt and invitation together so you can quickly find any information.

Sources

• SCC Expo: entry rules (in French)
• FCI: Dog Show Regulations (PDF)