Showing - how do I do it?

As a member of the GRCB, you will read in the Club magazine or on the website: there is a Young Dog Day or (Championship) Club match. A call to everyone who has a Golden retriever to participate in this. But why participate and what can you expect?

If you have a golden retriever, with a pedigree, you can participate. At a show, you can have your dog "tested" or judged by a judge. How does a judge do that? For every breed of dog, there is a breed standard. A blueprint of what the breed should look like. A judge who judges dogs does so based on that breed standard. He/she looks to see if the dog presented meets breed-specific requirements. Now no dog is perfect, there is always something left to be desired. Judging looks for the qualities of the dog. The dog that most closely meets the breed standard becomes the winner.

Other things also play a role here. For example, condition. Do you feed your golden the right food and does he go for walks every day? If your dog does not get enough exercise and you give him too many sweets, his chances of a positive assessment are slimmer.

His coat should also be treated properly. If it is well groomed then you can feel free to join in. Also make sure his teeth are clean.

Then there is another piece of behaviour. If you have a free, happy golden with which you have practised, for example during ring training at a dog club, then bringing him into the ring will go well. If you do nothing with your dog and then put him in the middle of the show ring, he will look at you with a look like: "how do I get out of here as quickly as possible?". Or the dog will pull on its leash, preventing the judge from seeing or judging the movement. This will not help the outcome of the judging.

Now what happens when you win?

• You are happy.
• You get a prize.
• You get a nice judging report. You can pick this up at the secretariat after the judgements, or you get it online in your mailbox.
• You are congratulated.
• You can proudly tell everyone you have a beautiful dog.
• You participate again next time.

What happens if you don't win?

• You are happy because you still have a nice dog.
• You might not get a prize, but buy some goodies for your dog.
• You get a judging report telling you why you didn't win. 
• You congratulate the winner.
• You can proudly tell everyone that you participated and still have a nice golden.
• You participate again next time.