Showing and Working
Whether or not you decide to show your Golden
Retriever obedience classes are of advantage to both you and your dog.
Obedience and Ring Craft classes are held in most areas and information on
these can be obtained from the Irish Kennel Club (I.K.C).
Once a puppy is fully inoculated he can be taken to these classes. The
younger he starts the better, as he will get used to mixing with people
and other dogs. These classes are great fun for both puppy and owner.
Once a puppy is registered in your name and over 6 months old you can
commence showing. Write to the I.K.C. requesting a list of shows for the
year.
Decide
which ones you might be interested in going to and contact the secretary
about 3 months before the show date for a schedule. There are varying
types of shows:- Championship, Open, Limited and Matches. Championship
shows are the largest so it might be advisable to gain experience at one
of the smaller type of shows first. All shows have
different classification and this will
be explained in the schedule, which should be read carefully. Choose the
class or classes most suited to your dog's age or previous wins (if any).
Always check the closing date for entries and make sure to post same, with
fee in plenty of time.
New Green Star System For 2007
(our thanks to
Irish Canine Press for their permission to reprint this information)
At the An Ard Chomhairle meeting in Dublin on
Friday, 3rd November, the delegates agreed to a change to the Green Star
system which has been in operation since January 1978, which in itself had
been the first major change since the formation of the Irish Kennel Club
in 1922. The new system will come into operation from January 2007 and
will be subject to review in 2009. The current points system will be
replaced with a simple numerical calculation of seven green stars won
under seven different judges. To ensure a smooth transition from old to
new, a conversion will be applied from points already gained under the old
system. Points won under the old system will be converted as follows – 1 -
5 points counts as 1 Green Star 6 – 11 points counts as 2 Green Stars 12 –
18 points counts as 3 Green Stars 19 – 24 points counts as 4 Green Stars
25 – 31 points counts as 5 Green Stars 32 points or more count as 6 Green
Stars Grading will also be introduced at all Championship shows and only
those dogs graded Excellent (or in the case of puppies-Very Promising)
will be allowed to compete for the green star. There would be a
stipulation that 1 Green Star must be won after the age of 15 months.
Champions will also be eligible to compete for the green star. There will
no longer be any enhancement for Group wins. The title of Annual Champion
in each breed will be awarded to the dog with the highest number of Green
Stars won in the calendar year. In the event of a tie, the award will be
made to the dog with the greater number of Best of Breed wins. These
changes come on the back of the decision to implement 10 groups at all
Championship shows from June 2007; these will mirror the FCI groupings and
will see some breeds move from their traditional home, eg. Dalmatians into
Group 6 along with Beagles and Bassets, an influx into Group 5 of the
Pomeranian, Siberian Husky and Samoyed and other Nordic and Spitz breeds,
the merging of the Toys and remaining Utility breeds into the Companion
Group 9 and the prospect of the Miniature Schnauzer and the Affenpinscher
taking on the mighty St Bernard in Group 2. Dachshund will have their own
group, Group 4 and the Gundogs will be split into two groups, Group 7 and
Group 8 which will include Golden Retrievers.
