Specialty Show Guidelines

NOTE: In this document, capitalized “Dog” will refer to competing males, “Bitch” will refer to competing females, and “Dog/s”, “dog/s “, “dog” or “dogs” will refer to dogs in general and no specific gender.

SPECIALTY:  An ISSDC Specialty Show is a Shiloh-only event, which includes Regular Classes in conformation as well as Special Classes as defined by the ISSDC BOD. The top award in the Regular Classes at an ISSDC Specialty is Best of Breed. Awards are also given in the Special Classes sponsored in the event.

REGULAR CLASSES:  Dog/s must be intact (not spayed or neutered) in order to compete in the Regular Classes of the conformation show. Points toward Breed Championships, Grand Victor (GV) awards, National Select (NS) awards, and Puppy of The Year (POTY) awards may be earned in Regular Classes.

Note: a dog’s date of birth (and, therefore, age) will be defined as the date appointed by the breeder on litter registration

  • 2-6 Month Baby Puppy – Dog/s must be at least 2 months old but less than 6 months old on the date of the show. Dog/s in this class may compete for Puppy of the Year (POTY) awards, but cannot earn points toward their Breed Championship or toward GV/NS awards. Dog/s in this class will not compete against dog/s in any other class.
  • 6-9 Month Junior Puppy – Dog/s must be at least 6 months old but less than 9 months old on the date of the show. Dog/s in this class may compete for Junior Puppy awards as well as adult awards in the regular conformation show and can earn points toward both POTY and GV/NS.
  • 9-12 Month Junior Puppy – Dog/s must be at least 9 months old but less than 12 months old on the date of the show. Dog/s in this class may compete for Junior Puppy awards as well as adult awards in the regular conformation show and can earn points toward both POTY and GV/NS.
  • 12-18 Months – Dog/s must be at least 12 months old but less than 18 months old on the date of the show.
  • Novice – Dog/s that are at least 6 months of age and over, who have not, prior to the date of closing of entries, earned any points toward their ISSDC Breed Championship.
  • Bred by Exhibitor – The handler of the dog is also its breeder. Breeder does not include stud owner. Dog/s under 12 months old which are entered in this class will not be included in the Junior Puppy awards competition.  
  • Open – Dog/s at least 6 months of age that are not ISSDC Breed Champions. Dog/s under 12 months old which are entered in this class will not be included in the Junior Puppy awards competition.
  • Breed Champions – Dog/s that have ISSDC Breed Championships. Dog/s with Breed Championships from a Shiloh registry may also show as a Champion, but may need additional points to obtain their ISSDC Championship and be eligible for ISSDC awards.

SPECIAL CLASSES:  No points toward Breed Championships or any other awards are earned in these shows. Winners do not move forward into the Breed competition. Intact dog/s competing in the Special Classes may also be entered in the Regular Classes with a separate entry.

  • Junior Handler – Person under 18 years of age and capable of controlling the dog in the show ring. In this class, the person’s knowledge and ability to show the dog is judged, and not the dog itself. The dog shown in this class may be altered or intact.
  • Veteran – Dog/s intact AND 7 years of age or older on the date of the show who are either Breed Champions or who have earned points toward their Breed Championship.
  • Companion – Dog/s which have been altered (spayed or neutered). This is a single specialty class. The order of contestants will be called in standard conformation catalog order: specials (champions) and followed by non-championed dogs. No professional handlers are permitted.
  • Progeny – Dog/s (sire or dam) are shown with at least two of their first generation progeny. Dog/s may be altered or intact. In this class, the sire and dam of each litter represented must both have a Shiloh Shepherd registry breeding certificate. They will be judged based on the quality and consistency of their progeny.

note: The order of the special classes may be changed at the discretion of the ring steward.

SHOW PROCESS AND FLOW:  

The ring steward(s) are responsible for the order and flow of the show. The ring steward will announce the start time, usually 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the show, so that handlers can prepare their dogs. Before the show begins, the steward will discuss the Show Tally Sheet with the judge. The Tally Sheet lists all the dogs registered for each class and must be updated after each competition with the winning results. Some judges like to mark the sheet themselves, while others prefer the steward to keep track of which dogs earn ribbons.   

When the judge is ready for dogs to enter the ring, the ring steward will notify the judge of how many dogs are registered in that particular class and will then call out the class, gender, and armband number of each dog competing. For example: “Open males, numbers 101, 105, and 113.” Handlers and dogs are NOT to be identified by name. It is the steward’s responsibility to ensure all dogs enter the ring, are lined up numerically, and that the armband numbers match the Tally Sheet list. Unless otherwise directed by the judge, the dogs and handlers are to line up in ascending catalog order. A request must be made for any individual deviations and they must be approved by the judge. If a dog is missing, the steward will cross that dog off on the Tally Sheet and alert the judge to the change. A dog’s armband number will be called three times. If the dog and handler do not appear after three calls, they will be crossed off the Tally Sheet. After the dogs for the current class have been called, the ring steward has the option of calling out the class, gender, and armband numbers for the next class to be judged to assemble “on deck,” i.e. close to the ring in order to be ready for the next class, but not so close as to cause a disturbance to the class currently being judged.

When the judge makes the final decision on which dogs win in a class, the steward should have the trophies/ribbons/rosettes on hand. The steward passes the first place item to the judge, who will present it to the first place winner. Then the judge will return for the second item to present, then the third and the fourth. Each exhibitor should present their armband number to the steward to record their win prior to exiting the ring.

All Dog classes compete first, followed by the Bitch classes, except for 3-6 month puppies.

SHOW ORDER OF REGULAR CLASSES:

  • 2-6 Month Baby Puppy Males – Best Baby Puppy Male and 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • 2-6 Month Baby Puppy Females – Best Baby Puppy Female and 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Best Baby Puppy – Best Baby Puppy Male & Best Baby Puppy Female compete.  Best Baby Puppy is awarded.
  • 6-9 Month Junior Puppy Males – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • 9-12 Month Junior Puppy Males – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • 12-18 Month Males – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Novice Males – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Bred by Exhibitor Males – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Open Males – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Winners Dog – The 1st place winner of each male class 6 months and above competes.  The classes are called into the ring in reverse order to which they were shown.  Winners Dog is awarded, then the second place dog from the class the Winners Dog was in is called into the ring and Reserve Winners Dog is awarded.  If Winners Dog is awarded to a Dog from either the 6-9 month or 9-12 month class, then that Dog will automatically earn the Best Junior Puppy Male award and there will be no competition for that award after the Best of Breed class.
  • 6-9 Month Junior Puppy Females – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • 9-12 Month Junior Puppy Females – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • 12-18 Month Females – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Novice Females – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Bred by Exhibitor Females – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Open Females – 1st through 4th places are awarded.
  • Winners Bitch – The 1st place winner of each female class competes.  The classes are called into the ring in reverse order to which they were shown. Winners Bitch is awarded, then the second place female from the class the Winners Bitch was in is called into the ring and Reserve Winners Bitch is awarded.  If Winners Bitch is awarded to a Bitch from either the 6-9 month or 9-12 month class, then that Bitch will automatically earn the Best Junior Puppy Female award and there will be no competition for that award after the Best of Breed class.

Breed Champions – Unless the judge asks for a different line-up, the ring steward will call all Breed Champion males in numerical order, then the females, then the Winners Dog and the Winners Bitch. As there are often many dogs in the Best of Breed ring, the steward will assist the judge in keeping everyone properly lined up and accounted for. In order to make more room in the ring, the judge may decide to split the ring and ask some of the dogs to leave while other dogs are being assessed. The exhibitors leaving the ring should stay close and listen for the judge’s next instructions. After all dogs have been judged, Best of Breed (BOB), Best of Opposite Sex (BOS), and Best of Winners (BOW) are awarded. Best of Winners can only be awarded if both a Winners Dog and Winners Bitch are competing. The Best of Winners can also be Best of Breed or Best Opposite Sex. If Best of Winners is awarded to a Dog/Bitch from either the 6-9 month or 9-12 month class, then that Dog/Bitch will automatically earn the Best Junior Puppy award and there will be no competition for that award after the Best of Breed class. Breed Select(s) may also be awarded at the judge’s discretion.

  • Breed Select Awards:  Breed Select awards may be given at the judge’s discretion in order to recognize excellence in particular dog/s in addition to the Best of Breed, Best of Opposite, and Best of Winners. For every ten ISSDC Champions showing, two Breed Selects may be awarded. For every five dogs, or fraction thereof, in excess of 10, one additional Breed Select may be awarded. No points of any kind shall be awarded to Breed Select winners.
  • Best Junior Puppy Male – 1st place 6-9 month male and 1st place 9-12 month male compete.  Best Junior Puppy Male is awarded.
  • Best Junior Puppy Female – 1st place 6-9 month female and 1st place 9-12 month female compete.  Best Junior Puppy Female is awarded.
  • Best Junior Puppy – Best Junior Puppy Male & Best Junior Puppy Female compete.  Best Junior Puppy is awarded.

SHOW ORDER OF SPECIAL CLASSES:

  • Junior Handler – All junior handlers show together.  Best Junior Handler and Reserve Junior Handler are awarded.
  • Veteran – All veteran males and females compete together. Best Veteran and Best of Opposite Sex Veteran are awarded.
  • Companion – All companion males and females compete together. Best Companion and Best of Opposite Sex Companion are awarded.
  • Sire Progeny – All sires are shown with at least two of their first generation progeny.  Progeny Best Sire is awarded.
  • Dam Progeny – All dams are shown with at least two of their first generation progeny.  Progeny Best Dam is awarded.
  • Best Progeny – The Progeny Best Sire and his progeny & Progeny Best Dam and her progeny compete.  Best Progeny is awarded.

note: The order of the special classes may be changed at the discretion of the ring steward.

JUDGING STANDARDS:  Each dog is assessed according to the ISSDC Shiloh breed standard as the judge understands and interprets it. Judging can be quite subjective, as one judge may be partial to dogs with small ears and proper tail set, while another judge may prefer tall dogs with great movement. The judge evaluates each dog on four factors which are outlined in the breed standard:

  1. Conformation – the dog’s body structure, how it is “put together”
  2. Physical Characteristics – e.g. ear shape and height, tail carriage, skin pigment, eye shape, plus many others
  3. Temperament – the dog’s personality and attitude
  4. Movement – the dog’s gait and foot placement when it trots

Note: In the event a venue appoints a panel of judges for a show, the panel shall be considered one entity (i.e. one judge) for that show and not separate judges.

Note:  Any dog whose physical appearance has been affected by surgery as a result of a medical necessity must be accompanied by a letter from the veterinarian who performed the procedure with a clear explanation of the repair and why it was required.  A copy of this letter must be presented to the Ring Steward before the judging begins. Explain to Ring Steward to keep the letter in file for reference to judge if their is a question; however, do not call it to judge’s attention prior to judging.

ABBREVIATIONS:

Winners Dog – WD  Winners Bitch – WB
Reserve Winners Dog – RWD Reserve Winners Bitch – RWB
Best of Breed – BOB Best of Opposite Sex – BOS
Best of Winners – BOW Champion – CH
Grand Victor/Grand Victrix – GV National Select – NS

VISITORS: The ISSDC is delighted to welcome visitors to the show. Well-behaved dogs are also welcome on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Retractable leads are not allowed. Visiting dogs must maintain a distance of 20 feet from the show rings and steward’s table so as not to impede handlers and dogs moving to and from the rings. Dogs must be under control by their owners at all times. If loud or aggressive, you may be asked to leave the show grounds.

REFERENCES:

 

v.20240101