AKC Eukaneuba Dog Show - Facts

1.     Type of Competition:

AKC Eukaneuba Dog Show is an annual dog competition conducted by the American Kennel Club in association with famous the dog food brand, Eukaneuba.

2.     Location:

This show was previously conducted either in Florida or California. The event for 2006 is will be held in Long Beach, California in December. Previously on January 14 and 15, 2006, Tampa, Florida hosted this event.

3.     History:

This prestigious show was started in December 2001. The event is draws one of the largest participant and audience attendance, with people flocking from all parts of the globe to be a part of this show. 'Meet the breeds' is one of the most popular categories in the event.

4.     Sanctioned:

This show is sanctioned and conducted by American Kennel Club.

5.     Entrance Procedure:

The participating dog must be recognized by and registered with the AKC. Spayed or neutered dogs are disqualified. The dog should not be less than 6-months-old and should participate and be judged in any one of the seven groups under AKC regulations.

6.     Classes:

There are seven confirmation classes which the participating dogs can compete. The seven groups are: Sporting Group, which includes breeds such as Retrievers, Setters, Pointers, Brittany, Pointing Griffon, Vizla, Weimaraner; Hound Group, which includes Greyhound, Foxhound, Beagle, Borzoi, Otter hound, Basset hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Whippet, Dachshund, Bloodhound; Working Group, which includes Rottweiler, Alaskan Malamute, Boxer, Russian Terrier, Mastiff, Great Dane, Kvass, Newfoundland, Schnauzer, Siberian Husky, Neapolitan Mastiff, Saint Bernard, Doberman Pinscher; Terrier Group, made up of Airedale Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Airedale, Bull Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Miniature Schnauzers; Toy Group, comprised of Chihuahua, Affenpinscher, Manchester Terrier, Chinese Crested, Maltese, Japanese Chin, Pug, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Papillion; Non-sporting Group, with Bulldog, Bichon Frise, Eskimo Dog, French Bulldog, Lhasa Apso, Tibetan Spaniel, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Terrier, Chow Chow, Lowchen, Boston Terrier; and Herding Group, including German Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Collie, Belgian Tervuren, Briard, Bouvier des Flandres, Australian Cattle Dog, Shetland Sheepdog, Puli, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Belgian Sheepdog.

7.     Judging:

Judging conducted done distinctly for each class - Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding. All judging standards included in the AKC standard for each breed includes breed appearance, physical attributes, gait, and temperament. Based on its standards, the AKC will award points for a dog's size and weight. The winner of the show is the dog that has the highest cumulative points. In other words, winning this show event means that the dog is the closest in confirmation to the breed standard. There are also agility and obedience events. While the dogs are judged according to their age group, they are also judged on their gender.

8.     Awards:

All seven groups are awarded individually. Two awards presented are the breed standard award and best in-group award. The ultimate and most coveted award is the Best in Show award.