Level 3Experienced
Keeping track of your dog’s results
Intermediate level — “I’m starting to get it”
Back from the show, you put away the lead, the rosette and the judging sheet… But a few weeks later, you can’t remember which judge liked your dog’s movement.
Simple record-keeping lets you hold on to its results and understand your progress. Here are three tips for building a useful record.
1. Note the full result, not just the placing
“It finished second” only tells part of the day. Tell these three pieces of information apart:
| Information | What it shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | The dog’s assessment against the regulatory criteria | Excellent, Very Good… |
| Placing | Its position among the dogs entered in its class | 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th |
| Certificate or distinction | An award given in the comparisons provided for | CACS (a French certificate), CACIB, Best of Breed… |
The FCI regulations define the grades and provide for placing the four best dogs in each class, provided they have received at least “Very Good”. A “1st Excellent” does not guarantee the CACIB.
For each show, keep the date, venue, judge’s name, class, grade, placing and any awards. Also photograph the documents you are given.
The practical tip: copy the exact wording. A reserve award and the corresponding certificate must stay clearly distinguished in your record.
2. Add what the judging teaches you
When you have written comments, keep their original wording. Then add your own observations in a separate section.
For example:
Judge’s comment: “Movement difficult to assess.” My observation: my dog was bouncing during the up-and-down. Next thing to work on: finding a speed that lets it trot steadily.
Over successive outings, look for the remarks that come up again. They can help you spot a quality that is regularly appreciated or a handling point to work on.
Also keep the context: the dog’s age, its condition on the day, its ease and the competitors present. A change in placing does not prove, on its own, that your dog has improved or got worse.
The practical tip: finish each record with two lines: “Our success of the day” and “Our next goal”.
3. Check that official results are recorded
Your personal notebook and the official databases complement each other.
On LOF Select (the database of the LOF, the French stud book), a result can take time to appear. The Société Centrale Canine (SCC, France) says the time it takes to be added varies by event and that the organiser has one month to submit the results. So this does not guarantee they will show up immediately.
For a show abroad, recording in the Société Centrale Canine database is not automatic.
MyDogShow tip: check in your personal online area whether you can add these results yourself.
For the CACIB, check the homologated (officially confirmed) results on the FCI website. A proposal still being processed does not appear in those lists. After homologation, you can print the certificate there.
The practical tip: track “Result obtained” and “Recording checked” separately. Keep the supporting documents, especially if you are preparing a title application.
Your little challenge
Take your last three shows. For each one, find:
The exact result — one quality noticed — one point to work on.
You will already have the first pages of a record that will help you prepare what comes next.