hi guys need advice again i'v just recieved the schedule for our very first show and was wondering should i put in the one class,minor puppy or for the ring experience enter her in another one if so which one would you advice.it is for the champ show for southern counties sbt thanks in advance for all your opinions nessa and tilly x

I would stick to just the one unless they have stake classes at the end.  Minor puppy is definately the right class for her assuming she is 6-9 months on the day of the show.  I'm assuming champ classes for sbt are pretty sizeable, I wouldn't ask a baby on her first outing to stand through two in a row (minor puppy then puppy), it could be too much for her.  However I dont see any harm in putting her in puppy stakes at the end of the other classes if they have classes such as that.  That way she would have a nice long break between classes for a snooze and a game.
If it was an open show I'd say go for it, but her in 2 or 3 classes, but champ shows involve alot of waiting for young pups!

Going into 2 or more classes is not necessarily going to give your pup any extra ring experience anyway, as a seen dog you will probably just have to stand to  one side while the new dogs are gone over and moved, you may then be asked to move again birefly, or just lined up again and placed from the line.  Only time it is really worth it is if you are chasing Junior Warrant points, and for a first couple of shows I dont' think it is worth it.

Now I disagree with the others and like to enter about 3 classes.

Especially if your breed will not have large classes, even with numerically large breeds the puppy classes are likely to be low in numbers at an average non championship show.

An easy way to check if it is a champ show is look at last years results and see how large the classes were.

So if it was an Open show I would enter the lowest of the breed classes (puppy Junior or whatever).  Then Av Group puppy and say Puppy stakes.

At a championship show again lowest bred class and the stakes, if classes in breed tending to be ones and two's then I would enter two breed classes.

I go middle of the road and generally enter 2, breed puppy if available and AV Puppy. However if there isn't an AV Puppy for just your group, I probably wouldn't enter the big AV Puppy class as that's usually got 30 dogs in and is a bit much for a first show.

thanks for all your replies i'm defiantly entering her in minor but wonder if it was worth my while to put her in puppy she will be seven and half mths at time of show i'v looked at schedule it doesn't mention stakes.thanks brainless i will have a look at last years show results.Thanks again await your replies sorry if i sound stupid but am trying to remember everything but can't keep it in my head lol thanks again nessa x       

there is no av groups and just noticed on schedule it's a breed championship show

> there is no av groups and just noticed on schedule it's a breed championship show

As it is a championship show & i imagine you have good numbers in your classes I would only stick to one class. Just being there is good experience for a baby

I would never consider entering a puppy in more than one class (of any sort) for the very first show. You want the puppy to have a good experience and until you are AT the show, in the ring, you will have no idea of how it will react. If you find she is unsure the last thing you want is to have to go into a class again. It's very tiring as well.

Having looked at the low entries for SBT in recent general champ shows, I'd certainly enter Minor Puppy and Puppy. If it's a breed club show (only SBTs) you'd need to check past entries to see what size the classes are likely to be.

This is another one which provokes all different responses. Personally I only enter one class for a first show, you want them to have a happy experience and not get bored. For my boy's first show it was at the NEC and he wasn't too keen going through the tunnel so when I got in I decided if he didn't look keen I wouldn't bother taking him in the ring. He settled, went in, won and wasn't fazed- a good result.

I might enter a stakes class and see how your baby coped with breed class, you don't have to take them in tot he stakes. You might not find a stakes class if it's a breed show. Whatever you decide I hope you both have fun!!!!

I would probably go for just minor puppy then unless they are likely to be pretty small classes. A second class under a different judge would be good experience, but no point in entering (for example in my breed) two classes of 25 dogs in each class, the second class will just be half an hour standing around while your baby gets bored.

I will agree with those who say one class only for the first show..you are both new to showing and I would imagine with the entries that SBT's get at champ shows there will be alot in your class. There is plenty of time later on, once you have done a few shows, to up it to 2 classes...& that would be the maximum for me particularly with your breed who get similar..if not more entries than my breed.

>I would imagine with the entries that SBT's get at champ shows there will be alot in your class.

Having looked at the SBT entries at general champ shows, minor puppy and puppy classes seem to only have about 6 entries, especially those in the south of the country.  (Bath had 5 in MPB and 6 in PB, for instance.)  Leeds was an exception with double figures.

>> I would imagine with the entries that SBT's get at champ shows there will be alot in your class.
> Having looked at the SBT entries at general champ shows, minor puppy and puppy classes seem to only have about 6 entries, especiallythose in the south of the country.  Leeds was an exception.

But if it's a club show there will be more...Crufts had 352 dogs making 394, with there being 20 in the special puppy bitch class. I understand crufts is slightly different but there is likely to be around the 15 mark in minor puppy bitch...although I could be wrong??

I don't think entry figures makes any difference -a first show is a first show no matter what, and it's too much and unfair to expect a puppy to go in more than one class.

> I don't think entry figures makes any difference -a first show is a first show no matter what, and it's too much and unfair to expect a puppy to go in more than one class.

I am agreeing with you but others will not..

thank you for all your replies i think you are right in thinking that i should stick to the one class,getting ahead of myself,will take my time and ask more question,thanks for your opinions i now know it's right as don't feel so nervous lol nessa and tilly :)

In my breed the young classes have very few,a nd only going in one class means the pup hardly knows what has happened before it is all over.

By doing  couple of classes they can be unsure/naughty in the first one, then much better in the next one, and really enjoying things by the third.

In our breed we have classes like special newcomers and special beginners that cater for people and dogs that are totally new to the game.  ~These are often at the end, so someone can enter Minor puppy and puppy, then the pup can have a rest and at the end of sex judging do the special classes, all useful experience.

Of course a lot depends on the breed.

Youngsters in my breed generally need settling down as full of beans, rarely apprehensive.

We had our PBGV out for her first show recently - it was raining and it was moved inside which she hated at puppy training. I was going to enter her for 3 classes but changed my mind and went for just MP (she was 7 months). She won her class and had to come back for BIS and BPIS so ended up in the ring 3 times anyway. Fortunately we managed to take her away for a couple of hours in between so she wasn't in a hall crowded with other dogs but she was actually very good.

thanks for your opinion if we were that lucky what with nerves lol but that would be the best out come ever lol thanks guys :)

Have to add she didn't win BIS or BPIS - handler (me :-( ) let her down, she won her class when OH was handling but we were over the moon that she did :-D