Champion dog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Champion (disambiguation).
A champion dog most often refers to a dog who has earned the Champion title at conformation dog shows, but it can also refer to a dog who has earned a Champion title in various dog sports.
[edit] Champion conformation dog
Conformation dog shows evaluate how well a dog conforms to the breed standards for its breed. Each kennel club has its own criteria for establishing a Champion dog. At the championship level, competition is extremely strong and dogs that win regularly are of the type sought by judges. To become a Champion in the United Kingdom a show dog must have been awarded three Challenge Certificates under different judges, with at least one of the certificates being awarded after the dog has reached the age of twelve months. The United States Champions are gained under a points system with points awarded in different fields: breed, obedience, field and herding.
[edit] Championship titles and registered names
A dog that has earned the Champion title for conformation is entitled to use the designation "Champion" (or "Ch") in front of his name, for example, Ch. Emerald's Brightest Sparkle.
Show dogs have a registered name, that is, the name under which they are registered as a purebred with the appropriate kennel club, and a call name, which is how their owners talk to them.
The registered name often refers directly or indirectly to the kennel where the dog was bred; kennel clubs often require that the breeder's kennel prefix form the first part of the dog's registered name. See registered name for a discussion of dogs' names.
