Hi all!

I've got Louis whippet entered in Puppy class already, but his brother (who I own) is looking quite tasty but is not as unflappable a character as his bro. 

I'd try him in puppy too but I can't handle two at the same time, so wondered about special beginners which is a stakes (does stakes mean that any variety can enter?)

I don't want to overwhelm him if it is going to be a popular/large class.  Is special beginners a novice type of class? Is it likely to have lots of dogs in it?

TIA :)

Special beginners can have any age of dog in, so personally I would say it's way too high for a puppy. There was a dog in a breed special beginners recently, who had won a CC but obviously was entitled to go in, as he hadn't won it at time of entry.
As Whippets get such a high entry(normally) I would just stick with the breed class at a champ show, at least for the time being.

For some reason the hound group results for the special beginners stakes at Driffied last year are not on Higham's website, but they are for the other breed groups, and there the classes (one for dogs, one for bitches per group) averaged 20 to 30 per class. Stakes classes of any sort are usually huge.

Thank you!
that confirms my decision - I'll put him on hold for a while and look around for an open show for his first go.

Have you got a junior class? That might be worth a try if he's not too puppyish?

Yes, I think that would be an idea..we always have junior in our breed at a champ show...not sure if there is but a Novice class would be ok.
Saffronsmith dont forget that you have to enter a breed class with a puppy if there is a class provided for dogs under 12 months, so you would not have been able to just enter the stakes class.