From The Publisher

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10 – July, 2025

By Tom Grabe

Remember the tongue twister that began with, “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” Maybe we need a couple of variations on that old saw such as, “How many times can a judge judge shows if a judge could judge each day?” Or “How many shows can a show dog show at if shows are held numerous times throughout the day?” I know, not nearly as catchy, but you get the drift.

Things have changed since the days when I was a professional handler. I?was also a show chairman, so I have a bit of experience on that side of the fence, too. I am going to sound old here, but the rules were more simple then. There were no back-to-back shows for the same kennel club, only a few clusters existed; and specialties were either held on a separate day or, if they were held the day of the all breed show within 200 miles of it, there was no competition for that breed at the show. We never had Bulldogs at our show due to this rule. NOHS competition was not even on the radar at that time.

So, fast-forward over 30 years and, as we all know, the rules have changed, and changed again, and again. Now, we have five-day clusters made up by two clubs with back-to-back shows plus a single day show for another club. There are specialty shows–designated or concurrent–held during or within hours of the all breed show. We have NOHS breed, group, and Best In Show competition at most shows. And we can’t forget the group shows–shows for a specific group–that are now being held during the show. Finally, we have non-regular classes and special attractions i.e. Best Bred-by, Best Puppy, Best Veteran, and sweepstakes.

Click here to read the complete article
10 – July, 2025

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