My little chappie is approaching 12 months and I can't decide if he's mature or not, so being indecisive I've already entered an open show in both puppy and junior, but am just about to enter a champ show, and wonder if its a good idea to do the same? Hypothetically, if he won one class but not the other could he still be in the final line up?

TIA! :-)

Only unbeaten dogs can be in the challenge for best of sex. (When the best of sex has been chosen, the judge can chose to call in the dog that stood second to the best of sex, but they don't have to.)

does this still apply to puppies, in that they challenge for Best Puppy?

If you are unbeaten by another puppy you can challenge for best puppy in sex but not enter the challenge if you have been beaten by an adult dog.

However it is IMO a good idea to start doing junior once your dog is over 11 months as you will have to move soon anyway so best to get the feel of it now.

If you enter both Puppy and Junior; win Puppy; but are beaten in Junior; then it doesn't really matter.  You've only been beaten by a dog that would have beaten you in the challenge anyway.  Even if the dog that wins Junior is a puppy you haven't lost anything as the judge is still comparing you both: but within a class rather than at the challenge later.  Does that make sense? 

I would usually stay within my age class unless I needed to qualify or was looking for points.  Even then I'd probably only do it at a Breed show and not a general champ show.  Can't quite put my finger on why but it makes me feel uncomfortable to enter more than one class...  (!!)

I would do both myself, 2 bites at the cherry so to spoke, and as others have said, whatever might beat you in the 2nd class would have beaten you anyway if you'd only entered one class, won it and gone in the challenge. If you've got any shows before the closing date, you could have a look at the 2 classes and compare the dogs in it to your boy?

I very rarely enter more than one class, as our breed(I think I'm right we have the same breed??) generally gets such good entries, particularly in bitches. Open shows arent quite so bad but personally I would stick to one class, at a champ show.

Thank you all. 

Thank you Lexy! - yes we are in the same breed :-)  I've tried to keep it 'up my jumper'!! as I'm not sure if we're allowed to fraternise on here???

Shall I stick to puppy and save playing out with the big junior boys until I have to?  I'm pondering on Boston...

Boston is anyones guess with a foreign judge but yes stay in the age classes for now :)

Thank you Lexy.  I'll do my online entry now before I forget - I've done that before!