Mom's a Ch.!!!

Ch. LLandian's Talkin' Bout My Girl (Chanel)

Chanel, Phoebe's Mom

Blogger Phoebe here today,

Lillian and Don are busy working on their book, so I have taken over the blog. I have a news flash, my mom, Chanel, won at a dog show yesterday and got her championship. Yeah, way to go mom!! You are now, officially, "Champion (Ch.) LLandian's Talkin' Bout My Girl."

To become a champion, you have to earn points at AKC (American Kennel Club) sanctioned dog shows. According to the AKC, a dog must get 15 points, including two majors (wins of three, four or five points) awarded by at least three different judges, to become an American Kennel Club "Champion of Record." The amount of points you get at a show is based on how many dogs of your breed are competing at that show. The more dogs that are entered, the more points you get if you win. As I said, in order for a dog to become an AKC Champion two of their wins must be major wins, this is a show that is a 3, 4, or 5 points in value. This rule is in place to make sure that every Champion has been chosen from a large cross section of the breed, making each Champion pretty close to the breed standard. As you can see it's not easy for a dog to achieve an AKC Champion of Record but a very rewarding one when it is achieved.

The Judge has the ultimate say, at a show, of what dogs win. Spayed or neutered dogs are not eligible to compete in conformation classes at a dog show, because the purpose of a dog show is to evaluate breeding stock.

At a dog show, a judge examines each and every dog in the breed they are judging, and then gives awards according to how closely each dog compares to the judge's mental image of the "perfect" dog described in the breed's official standard. It is very important to understand here that one judge may have a different mental image of the perfect dog so, judging is subjective. Yes, there is a standard for each and every breed and the judge is very familiar with the standard. According to the AKC, the standard describes the characteristics that allow the breed to perform the function for which it was bred. These standards include specifications for structure, temperament and movement. We are Pembroke Welsh Corgis and are herding dogs so our breed standard says we should be....
"Low-set, strong, sturdily built and active, giving an impression of substance and stamina in a small space. .... Outlook bold, but kindly. Expression intelligent and interested.... Correct type, including general balance and outline, attractiveness of headpiece, intelligent outlook and correct temperament is of primary importance. Movement is especially important, particularly as viewed from the side. A dog with smooth and free gait has to be reasonably sound and must be highly regarded....."
To see the rest of our breed standard, click here.

My mom did her part to win by standing pretty in the ring, moving well and just being her usual charming self. As I told you many times before, I'm perfect. Now you can see where I get some of my perfection from— my perfect mom.
I love my Mom, she's my best friend. She lives with my breeder, Dianne, but sometimes she comes to stay with me, just for fun.
Until later, this is Blogger Phoebe signing off. Woof!