Doggie Dictionary

Categories: Breeding |  Competitions | Conformation Shows  | Dogs | Judging |

Breeding

Breeding age limits: According to AKC Rules, Chapter 3, Section 5, the dam must be at least 8 months but not more than 12 years old on the date of mating. The sire must be at least 7 months old but not more than 12 years old on the date of mating.

Chain of title: The complete sequence of ownership of a dog, including the date of transfer from litter owner (L/O) or recorded owner (R/O) to the new owner (N/O).

Dam: The female parent.

Date of whelping: Date of birth.

Entire: A dog whose reproductive system is complete.

Gestation Period: The time between mating and birth (it averages 63 days).

In whelp: Pregnant.

Nick: A breeding that produces desirable puppies.

Pedigree: The written record of a dog's genealogy of three generations or more.

Pen breeding: Unwitnessed mating that occurred because the sire and dam were confined to the same area.

Register: To record with the AKC a dog's breeding particulars.

Registration certificate: The document issued by the AKC to the owner of a dog when it is individually registered or transferred to a new owner.

Sire: The male parent.

Stud fee: Payment made for the services of a stud dog.

Stud Book: Monthly publication of the AKC. A listing of dogs that have sired or produced a litter that has been registered with the AKC. With this information, a person can use Stud Book volumes to trace a dog's lineage and to produce pedigrees.

Categories: Breeding |  Competitions | Conformation Shows  | Dogs | Judging |

Competitions

American Kennel Club: An organization, established under the laws of the State of New York, whose goals are to adopt and enforce uniform rules regulating and governing dog shows and field trials; to regulate the conduct of persons interested in exhibiting, running, breeding, registering, purchasing, and selling dogs; to detect, prevent, and punish frauds in connection therewith; to protect the interest of its members; to maintain and publish an official stud book and an official gazette; and generally to do everything to advance the study, breeding, exhibiting, running, and maintenance of the purity of purebred dogs.

Canine Good Citizen (CGC): Outreach program, put on by a club, which tests a dog's behavior.

Earth Dog events: Non-competitive tests that gauge the trained and natural abilities of Dachshunds and small terriers to follow game to ground.

Event Committee Committee: Group at an event that carries the powers of the AKC and the corresponding duty to use its authority to deal with any misconduct that may occur in connection with its event. The committee is comprised of five members of the club sponsoring the show, with one having the designation of Chairman. Also called Bench Show Committee, Obedience Trial Committee, or Field Trial Committee.

Event Committee hearing: A means for the Event Committee to deal with allegations concerning conduct deemed to be prejudicial to the interests of purebred dogs.

Herding Champion (HC): A prefix title conferred on dogs that have earned the required number of points and placements in the Herding Excellent class at AKC herding trials.

Herding Tested (HT): A suffix title conferred on dogs that have passed the requisite number of AKC herding tests.

Hunting tests: Non-competitive field events for flushing breeds, retrieving breeds, and pointing breeds.

Grand Nite Champion (GNC): A prefix title conferred on dogs that have acquired a Nite Championship title and have won the requisite number of first places at AKC Coonhound night hunts.

Master Courser (MC): A suffix title conferred on dogs that have acquired the Senior Courser title and have qualified the required number of additional times in either Open or Special stakes at AKC lure coursing trials.

National Amateur Field Championship: Annual field trial event held open to dogs that qualify for entry. Professional handlers cannot participate.

Triple Champion (TC): A dog that has won conformation show, field trial, and obedience trial championships.

Categories: Breeding |  Competitions | Conformation Shows  | Dogs | Judging |

Conformation Shows

Bait: The food or object that an exhibitor uses to get a dog's attention or to have it look alert in the ring. The term bait or baiting can also be used to describe the action of getting the dog's attention using food or an object.

Bench show: A dog show at which the dogs are kept on assigned benches when not being shown in competition so that interested people can view and learn more about them.

Best in Show: At an All-Breed show, the only dog left undefeated at the end of all judging on that day.

Best of Breed: Dog selected by the judge as the best representative of a particular breed on that day.

Best of Opposite Sex: The best dog that is of the opposite sex to the Best of Breed winner.

Best of Variety: At an All-Breed show, the award that is given in lieu of Best of Breed for those breeds divided by varieties. At specialty shows, the Best of Variety winners are judged in the Best of Breed competition. There are nine breeds that are divided into varieties: Cockers, Beagles, Collies, Dachshunds, Bull Terriers, Manchester Terriers, Chihuahuas, English Toy Spaniels, and Poodles.

Best of Winners: The dog judged as best between the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch.

Bitch: A female dog.

Breed standard: A word picture describing how the perfect dog of a breed should look, move, and behave. The breed standard is owned by the parent club, with full use extended to the AKC.

Championship AKC: title conferred on dogs after meeting requirements. Conformation Champion is noted as a Ch. In front of the dogs formal AKC registered name.

Conformation show: Dog show where the dogs are judged on how closely they adhere to the breeds standard. Also known as All-Breed, Group, or Specialty shows.

Fancier: A person especially interested and active in some phase of the sport of purebred dog shows.

Judge's book: Book in which the judge records the results from the event being officiated.

Junior Showmanship: AKC-sponsored class that evaluates the abilities of the young handler, not the quality of the dog.

Miscellaneous class: Transitory class for breeds desiring to advance to full AKC recognition.

Wicket: Device used to measure the height of a dog at the withers.

Categories: Breeding |  Competitions | Conformation Shows  | Dogs | Judging |

Dogs

Flushing breeds: Term commonly applied to those spaniel breeds that typically flush or force a bird from cover.

Flying trot: A fast gait in which all four feet are off the ground for a brief second during each half stride. Because of the long reach, the oncoming hind feet step beyond the imprint left by the front. Also called suspension trot.

Gun dog: A dog trained to find or pursue game.

Hard-mouthed: A dog that crushes or renders game unfit for consumption.

Heel: Command to a dog to keep close beside its handler.

Landseer: The black and white Newfoundland dog, so-called from the name of the famous painter who used such dogs as models.

Microchip: A rice-sized device encoded with a unique and unalterable number. The chip is implanted just under the skin in the scruff of the neck and is read by a scanner.

Retrieving breeds: Term commonly applied to those sporting breeds that typically return birds to hand from water or over land.

Sighthound: A hound that runs or courses game by sight rather than scent.

Tattoo: A method of on-dog identification.

Training collar: A collar made of nylon, leather, or chain, fitted to the dog's neck in such a manner that the degree of tension exerted by the hand tightens or loosens it. Also called choke collar or slip collar.

Categories: Breeding |  Competitions | Conformation Shows  | Dogs | Judging |

Judging

Bad mouth: Crooked teeth; when the mouth is closed, upper and lower teeth do not line up according to the standard of the breed.

Balance: When all the parts of the dog, moving or standing, produce a harmonious image.

Brushing: A gaiting fault, when parallel pasterns are so close that the legs brush in passing.

Covering ground: The distance traveled by a dog with each stride as it gaits.

Double handling: The act of someone, other than the handler, getting a dog's attention in the ring to help the dog to show or look better.

Foul color: A color or marking not characteristic for the breed. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Height: Vertical measurement from the withers to the ground; usually called shoulder height.

Measure out: Measured height at withers was determined to be outside the limits for that breed as set forth in the breed standard.

Reach of front: Length of forward stride taken by forelegs.

Scissors bite: A bite in which the outer side of the lower incisors touches the inner side of the upper incisors.