Just doing my entry for my first champ show (its too late to ring breeder now and really need to get entered).

My pup will be 2 weeks short of 9 months old on the date of this show, she will only have done one other show at that point...my question is- which class to enter her in...minor puppy or puppy or both?

If your breed gets big entries then one, but if less than five in a class I'd enter both.

Have a look at results from Higham Press and Fossedata for recent shows for the breed.

Thanks, entries are usually around 5, think I will enter just the one class.

Asyour pup will very soon be out of minor puppy I'd enter both.

> Asyour pup will very soon be out of minor puppy I'd enter both.

I don't show, so I'm no very clued up on this, but if the puppy won one class then was beaten in the other, it won't be considered for Best Puppy. Wouldn't it be better to enter just the one, which is enough for a debut, or is the aim NOT to go any further as this might be too much for the pup's first time?

If the pup is beaten in its second class, the puppy class, it was going to be beaten for best puppy anyway :)

Having said that, I only ever enter in one class ...

> If the pup is beaten in its second class, the puppy class, it was going to be beaten for best puppy anyway :-)

Yes, that's what I meant :)
I can see a reason TO get beaten on purpose and go home, rather than wait around for BP, which might be too much for a first outing.

Depends on why you are going - if it is to get to be BP you will have to beat the winner of Puppy anyway so what difference does it make if you are beaten in the Puppy class or the challenge or if you win both are automatic best puppy in sex unless someone enters a puppy in a later class.

Very few Championship shows have a puppy group and that would probably be too much for the second show anyway unless the handler is very experienced which in this case they are not.

If classes in the breed are small there is more satisfaction in placing in two classes and beating more dogs, especially if your shortly going into the higher class against those exhibits anyway.

We have small classes due to small numbers being bred in our breed and I feel more satisfaction being well placed in a higher class (even if I don't win the class) than winning a class of one or two in puppy or Junior.

Also if numbers are small going in more than one class can give your dog a chance to get it's act together in higher class, and therefore perhaps doing better in the challenge.

My first CC won at our club championship show (where it is very usual to enter several classes), with my Junior bitch I won 5 classes.  She was a pratt in the first age class, a little better in the next, but then really got her act together for the higher classes she was in.

She went onto win the CC and RBIS, and of course there were fewer exhibits left unbeaten for the challenge.  I doubt she would have done so well based on her performance in Junior.

I always enter for the age, in this case minor puppy.

if you would like to qualify for crufts i would enter both

But surely if I don't come anywhere in MP then I'm not going to come anywhere in puppy... So it wouldn't make a difference to my chances of qualifying- of course, I would like to but I'm not expecting to.

You could be against completely different dogs in the second class and the judge might like them less than yours so you could certainly get a better place. :)

I always say breed matters a lot. In my main breed I'd be VERY reluctant to enter a puppy in two classes, as one will be quite enough experience for them, and I don't want to risk putting them off. If they have coped with one class without getting scared by anything (which then may ruin their entire future show career), then it has been a very good day and I can look forward to the next show. I don't want to double the risk of something happening. That's despite our puppy classes usually only having one or two entries -it's the judge's approach we have to worry about. Other breeds are so outgoing they will enjoy jumping all over the judge more than once. But my main breed starts their spooky phase at 6 months and I have seen too many dogs ruined for life by being shown a lot as puppies. Including one of my own.  In many ways I wish we could either start showing them at FOUR months (as you often can abroad), as it would be a much safer age, or not at all until adult.

For the same reason I seldom go in the group after winning BP. I will want to have shown the pup several times first and KNOW it's absolutely fine. In fact one of my toydogs (so my other breed, not usually as spooky at all) had a good few shows, happy and winning, then at one show we took her in the puppygroup after winning BP, she was scared by another pup in it (Pug, a breed she'd never seen before and which probably looked odd to her) and we've not been able to show her since.

I would enter both, as your pup is so close to the line between them. 2 shots at qualifying, with different dogs for the most part to beat. And like others have said, if you're going to win Best Puppy, you'll have to beat the winner of PD, so you might as well go in both and hopefully win both! :-D

Ok, I think I will enter the second class too... Means amending my entry at £5 a go though!
Edit- actually have just spoken to my breeder who has recommended to just enter MP, so will stick with that I think.

Thanks for all the replies.

> You could be against completely different dogs in the second class and the judge might like them less than yours so you could certainly get a better place. :-)

Yes been there, been third in a lower class and won a higher one with same numbers of dogs.

May be it does change with breeds but I would go for both, a pup that is only two weeks off being too old for MP may well look too mature on the day when it will be up against six month olds but you can hedge your bets by entering both. Pups of this sort of age can change so much from day to day and at the time of entry you have no idea what the pup will look like in a couple of months, could well go through a growth spurt making the judge think it will be too big if it towers above the others in the class. And at this time of year it doubles the chance of qualifying for Crufts if you have not already.

I'm so confused! My breed is gsp, it was a really quick call to my breeder and she said I could enter both but she is only entering mp with her pup (who is not from the same litter so a little bit younger).
The thing making me doubt just entering mp is as said she will be close to the limit and also she is a little apprehensive at first being gone over at ringcraft but does settle, so the chances are she will be a lot more at ease in the second class...

Don't worry drover, what ever you do it is not the end of the world - I think you should stop stressing and enjoy your pup.

I entered my Japanese chin into puppy and junior class at a champ show he got no where in puppy but 3rd in junior. It up to you but I would enter the 2 classes.

Which show have you entered ? I have GSP's and am at most shows, I am sure everything will be just fine in MP. I rarely enter two classes but if you feel the need to add a second class I would just fill in anther postal entry OR open a new account, add details and just enter the second class and bingo no £5.00 fee :) hope to see you ringside

If you've made your entry I wouldn't change it, it will cost to amend it I think. Just enjoy your last MP and then go into Puppy the next time. When she's nearly a year old, you can play with Puppy & Junior!

Thanks I didn't think of that!

I am doing midland counties and gundog society of Wales.

I hope to get to Midland Counties so hopefully I will see you there :)

Hopefully! I'll be easy to spot... The one that clearly hasn't got a clue what they are doing!