My pup will be 6 months and have her first open show in january..

I am not a regular show go er but have been with friends that actually know what they are doing!! This is my first go alone and im a bit mixed up with the classes...

Minor puppy is 6 - 9 months it says in the booklet... and the other puppy class is 6 - 12 months... am i allowed to enter her into both? What should i do

also can i enter her and her mother in brace? what kind of things do they do in that class? is it the serious breeders and showers that enter that class like open? Or is it a bit more layed back? Also would 2 people take the two dogs in or is it just one person?

Also in the booklet there is a class for maiden.... is that for adult dogs or puppies???

sorry for all the questions haha

they are labradors

Yes you can enter both minor puppy and puppy... you can also enter into maiden... but if she is just 6months and her 1st show.. youngsters can get quite tired after the 1st couple of classes.. and begin to wain a little.. It really depends on how you think she will cope... I have often enter pups into maiden and novice ...

Maiden is for any age of dog, so you could be standing against more mature dogs.. but if conformation and movement is fine.. then the judge should be a little forgiving with some puppy behaviour..

You can also enter mum and daughter into brace... assuming that the brace is at the end of the classes, make sure she is not overtired and has a good rest...

In the brace.. you are handling both dogs.. usually lined up side by side in the normal show stance... exactly the same as if you were standing with a single dog... you run them together, and hopefully they will trot in unison etc...

If they are used to walking together at heel when out on a walk..its much easier..  

just out of curiosity.. which show is this ?

Oh.. and all the very best of luck to you... have fun :-)

Just to add -personally I wouldn't enter brace with a 6 months old pup and an adult as it won't look right, one being very much a baby and the other fully mature.

At a champ show no.. I wouldnt enter a baby with an adult.. at an open show... I would risk it.. I have done this on more than one occassion.. and taken 1st or 2nds.. I have also entered brace with different coloured Labs...which can be very distracting (only at open level, strictly same colour at champ) and did well... 

this is still October.. you have another 3 months at least.. and since Brace doesnt could towards any awards, you could enter, and withdraw on the day if you feel pup wasn't mature enough... (only if brace class is after all your breed classes (which they normally are)

If you can.. PM me which show.. and Judge.. (is the judge a breed specialist or all rounder)

The Brace class is for dogs that match each other for size,colour etc. they need to move in unison with one handler, normally on a single lead that branches into two when attached to dogs ( rather like an upside down capital Y).

You can enter your Minor  Puppy(up to 9months) in any class you want, but personally I would suggest only the 1 class(unless you don't have access to a training class) If there is not a Minor Puppy class, then enter Puppy. If you find as some shows do, that the classes start with Junior, then enter that, but be aware that unless you are beaten in that class by another puppy, then you can compete for Best Puppy in breed.
This does not apply if you have entered a puppy class first & are in Junior (or any other class) as a seen dog!!

I honestly feel that to push a young pup into too many classes can be detrimental to its future enjoyment in the ring, at my classes I see too many bored dogs at 15/18 months that have benn campaigned much too hard, then we have to try and get the sparkle back. But that is just my opinion, you will have to decide how you feel Your pup will react, don't let anyone tell you "You must do this or that".
There is no one way to show your dog, it is up to you to find the method that suits you and your dog best with the help of experienced trainers.

Most important is that You and Puppy enjoy it. Have Fun. GOOD LUCK.

> normally on a single lead that branches into two when attached to dogs ( rather like an upside down capital Y).

Labradors are braced on individual slip leads.. never on a single lead

Must admit I always thought the single lead was cheating

lol we would be hung drawn and quartered if we used anything but individual slip leads.. even when entering teams of 3 or more dogs,  all Labradors are shown on individual slips... and these also ideally should be loosely hung when standing, and ideally run on a loose lead..

I've only done brace at companion shows as my Cavs are different colours though quite similarly marked. I would always use the brace chain if I had it with me, thought that was the point of it?

Ok i have entered

the puppy into minor puppy
and the mum into Graduate..

i also put them in brace but i think it will be a bit too much to handle so may change my mind...

am i making a big mistake with graduate? Whats that class like?

I know in my breed some of the "top" people bypass graduate and go straight into post grad or even limit so you might be ok, it depends on the age of your bitch and what she is like, I pulled my boy out of graduate when he hit 3 years old as he was looking too mature and with such a numerically strong breed its difficult to win out (I think we got 1 win - and loads of 2nds, same with post grad )

I did not intend for anyone to think it was neccesary for everyone to use the 'Brace lead', not knowing which breed was being discussed the comment was general not breed specific.

No probs.. but it does say Labradors in OP;s original post..  ;-)  easy to miss

Try her on Graduate this time and see how you feel after.............I started off in Graduate I think it was with my "late starter" ( she was 4.5 years old for her 1st show!) I now put her in Open or Open Bitch as her Daughter is most often in PG at open shows these days :-) and I can't show them both at the same time ;-)