Amateur Owner Handler class?

I've had good and bad experiences in the ring.  The first two times in the ring for us we got BOW (2 pts both days)... which made me think.. oh, this is easy!  lol then the VERY next show a Judge, I was told, thought I was more experienced than I truly was (due to what I was wearing), and thought I was being lazy (essentially, there is more story to it than that, of course)... so we were dumped.  She later found out how novice I really was... and came over to tell me my dog was really nice.  WTH?  Anyway.   

He's in puppy, getting ready to start 12-18.  From there it has to be Open, he's from Canada. My options are limited. But I've decided to put him with a handler at the bigger shows, I just can't compete as a novice and I know it.  So, unless he finishes prior to the Amateur class, I think we'll go in.  At least they KNOW for a fact that I'm a novice then! LOL

 

 That's special. Your clothes were judged instead of your dog, LOL. Sometimes, I think it's insane that I love showing so much..... Pfft. My whole social life is related to showing, so I can't stop!

LOL good point Jennie! ... I didn't even think of it like that.  Well I apparently looked better than I should have! hahahaha  Novices should look like caca, I guess? 

samshine

I agree that the novice class should be dropped, nobody used it. I hope people will use this class more.

I don't agree with open being the class you need to be in. In my breed, bred-by wins just as much.

I agree... I have dogs in puppy classes, bred by and open and I take points in all of them and I am a very mediocre handler at best. I have friends who insist you can not win in bred by but  I do....

Bonita of Bwana

 I think I will be wearing my dirty jeans from yesterday's obedience trial, the first time I show Ena That would set me apart, as a novice. Then, I can ask Ena to sit when the judge approaches her, LMBO.

I plan on dressing to set off my dog when I show her.... How're novices supposed to dress? LOL

I saw this and am wondering something......

I am in a co owner situation. I own the dog, the breeder is the co owner. I have exclusively handled the dog myself. I have never received any sort of compensation for handling a dog. I had at times handled someone elses dog as a favor. Say they had more than one dog go through to winners dog or best of winners. I have handled one dog and the owner handled the other. But I have never received payment for it.

I am entering a specialty in January and thought about entering in this class to keep from being out handled by the professional handlers...

But with the co ownership thing, I am not sure I am eligible.

Hmm! I'm not sure.  I would think that would make the class nearly useless if co-ownership can void eligibility (considering how many people co-own dogs).  ... but just because it would make the class practically useless, that doesn't mean much!  Look at Novice, talk about a nearly useless class. lol

Is there a specific part of the rules that states something that makes it ambiguous?  Or does it just not address co-ownership?

Sera_J

Hmm! I'm not sure.  I would think that would make the class nearly useless if co-ownership can void eligibility (considering how many people co-own dogs).  ... but just because it would make the class practically useless, that doesn't mean much!  Look at Novice, talk about a nearly useless class. lol

Is there a specific part of the rules that states something that makes it ambiguous?  Or does it just not address co-ownership?

Doesn't address co ownership. In thinking about it, I don't think I am going to enter in that class.  The conformation thing is fairly new to me. This is my first dog I have shown in conformation. We have taken some licks but we have some points. We took Best of Breed on Sunday a few weeks back in Ocala.  (would have been a major but two bitches got excused)  That was his last show in 12-18 month puppy. Last Sunday we took second in open dogs behind a Very nice dog. We went back in to take reserve winners. No points but not bad.

I think I am going to just keep entering him in open dog.

I think you'd be fine in the Amateur Owner class:

<< here, from the AKC website:


Amateur-Owner-Handler – For dogs that are at least six months of age that

are not champions.  Dogs must be handled in the class by the registered

owner of the dog and is limited to exhibitors who have not, at any point in

time, been a professional dog handler, AKC approved conformation judge, or

employed as an assistant to a professional handler (effective January 1,

2009) (optional class).

But, whatever you pick I'm sure you'll do fine!  Congratulations on your BOB and other wins... owner handled, that's a big accomplishment!!  I tried it myself for a bit, but I gave up quickly and hired a handler to finish my weim.

Welcome to forum.dog.com I hope you enjoy it here! :)

mrv

I think it may be nice way to dip your toe in the water.... I don't expect lots of points out of that class.  You are gonna have to move out to Open to finish a dog IMHO

I agree. Judges are most likely to give the points to the winner of Open and Bred Bys can also be competive for the points depending on the breed. Otherwise, getting points from the Puppy Classes will depend on the judge, it is rare to see dogs in the American Bred get WD/WB and even less common for the points to go to the winner of the Novice class. It shouldn't be that way - the judge should be looking at each dog on their own merits, not ruling out a dog because of the class entered. There are actually a lot of things wrong with the AKC style of showing though, if you are looking for "fair" judging.

 MRV - Have you ever shown the Belgians in UKC? I didn't realize you had a Terv as well until I looked at your profile. A very, very nice Mal won BOB at the UKC BSD National this year :)

I used to show A LOT in conformation, and one thing everybody seems to forget is that no matter what class you win in, you still have to beat the Open winner. Points can be won from  every class if you have the best dog. The Open class is for the more experienced dogs and handlers and as a result most winners come from that class.

With big entries, sometimes an inexperienced handler can get lost in a big Open class. Then it's better to show in the smaller classes if you're elegible. In small shows, be confident and enter Open. Sometimes in a class of three our four your dog will have enough time to settle down and relax and show his stuff. If you're a novice and are by yourself in the ring, it's in and out, with really no time to get your feet wet.