A Breed Show is an event where dogs are examined according to the Breed Standard. Three specially trained judges conduct a careful examination of all the physical characteristics of the dog and will give a final score/rating of the dog's Conformation and Coat (also referred to as Form and Hair). As of 2012 a DD must be evaluated in a Breed Show before it can be certified for breeding.
The scoring in a Breed Show is based on the same 12-point system that is used in the Breed Tests (VJP and HZP). That is:
12 points = Excellent (vorzüglich, V)9-11 points = Very Good (sehr gut, SG)6-8 points = Good (gut, G)3-5 points = Sufficient (genügend)1-2 points = Deficient (mangelhaft)0 points is Insufficient. (ungenügend)
The requirements to enter a Breed Show are:
The dog must be a minimum of 15 months old.
The dog must have met all of the breeding requirements according to Article 9 of the VDD Breeding Regulations:
a) Has no breeding prohibited faults;b) Has been certified HD-free and OCD-free;c) Has received an HN certificate;d) Has successfully passed at least one of the following tests: VJP, HZP, VGP, VSWP, Vbre) Has not been evaluated gun sensitive or shy toward game in the field, or during water work at an HZP or VGP.
In order to qualify for entry in the Zucht-Register (Breed Registry), the dog also:
must receive at least a GOOD (6 points or more) in both conformation and coat at the Breed Show;
must clearly have a beard;
must have received at least a rating of GOOD (6 points or more) in Tracking and in Independent Search Behind the Duck;
must have passed an HZP or a VGP;
must not have been marked waidlaut (barking from excitement without the presence of game). If the dog has been marked as stumm (silent) in any of its Association testing, it must have demonstrated itself to hunt loud on scent or sight either before or after that time in the presence of judges.
A dog that that is entered into the Zucht-Register will receive a ZR number. This number will appear on the dog's pedigree and will look something like ZR 226/96 sg/g. This means that the dog was the 226th dog of those born in 1996 to be entered into the Breed Registry, and that it received a conformation rating of VERY GOOD (sg) and a coat rating of GOOD (g).
A dog does not have to be entered in the Breed Registry to be certified for breeding, but a dog that does have a ZR number is considered particularly suitable for breeding. A breeding where both the sire and dam have ZR numbers and have passed the VJP, HZP, and VGP is referred to as a Performance Breeding and puppies from such a litter are considered by some as particularly desirable.
Group Canada will schedule Breed Shows annually. These Breed Shows will be announced in the Drahthaar News and on the Group Canada website. Group Canada members can also enter their dogs in a Group North America Breed Show in the US. For more information about Group Canada Breed Show plans and for the GNA Breed Show schedule, contact the Breed Warden.
Dogs to be entered in the Hegewald or the Armbruster tests are required to have a preliminary examination of conformation and coat. This can be arranged through the Breed Warden.
The form for entering a dog in a Breed Show can be found in the Forms section of the website.
Some guidelines for preparing your dog for a Breed Show can be found in the Resources | Breeding Articles section of this website.