By Gretchen Bernardi

Nearly ten years ago I began to discuss the possibility of a rule change that would allow dogs to be moved from the Bred-by Exhibitor class to the Open class on the day of the show. This request came as a result of situations that arose at national specialties for which I had served as chairman. One example: an exhibitor with a dog and a bitch entered in the Bred-by-Exhibitor classes drove over 1700 miles to the show site, stepped out of her motor home and broke her ankle. Certainly situations such as this are not common, but neither are they rare.

My question at that time and my question today is the same: what possible harm would be done by allowing an exhibitor to move a dog from a class in which it was correctly entered, but in which the dog was now rendered ineligible? There are two possible scenarios in such a situation. The dog is moved into the Open class and shown by another handler/exhibitor. The dog does not compete in any class. Which of these two is more beneficial to the sport and its participants?

For many years, the rule was firm. From Chapter 11 of the Rules Applying to Dog Shows: “No entry may be changed or canceled unless notice of the change or cancellation is received in writing or by telegram by the Superintendent or Show Secretary named in the premium list to receive entries, prior to the closing date and hour for entries.” Then the rule was changed to allow for correction in the sex of the dog, presumably because there were enough mistakes made in that regard to warrant such a change. The rule was again changed to allow the dog to be moved from “one division of the Puppy Class to another or between the Puppy and Twelve-to-Eighteen Month Class at a show prior to the judging.” And, of course, we may also move our finished dogs into the Best of Breed or Best of Variety classes on the day of the show.

I suspect the resistance to change in the case of the Bred-by-Exhibitor class stemmed from the reverence afforded this class by most breeder/delegates, so even the suggestion of any change to that class was seen as an attack on the class itself. And, of course, change has never come easily to the AKC. But a more enlightened Dog Show Rules Committee has introduced and supported several initiatives to clarify and improve the rules under which dog shows operate, some more successfully than others.

Now comes a proposed rule change “presented by a licensed dog show superintendent and agreed upon by the Dog Show Superintendents Association” and approved by the AKC Board of Directors, that would expand the class-changing possibilities: “A dog determined to be ineligible, by its owner/agent, for the class in which it has been entered may be transferred to an eligible open class at a show prior to the judging of any regular conformation class within the sex of that breed or variety,” reads the worksheet given to the delegates at their most recent meeting. I applaud this proposal and hope it is passed and implemented quickly and easily.

The worksheet explains that the change “is for the benefit of exhibitors by permitting incorrectly entered dogs to be moved into the open class. This is not only a benefit for the exhibitor of the incorrectly entered dog, but for all of those entered in the competition by providing the opportunity to maintain the number of the dogs eligible to compete in the classes and thereby the number of dogs counted in the computation of Championship points.”

As I understand this rule change and how it has been interpreted for me by AKC staff is that, if passed, any dog can be transferred from any class to any other class for which it is eligible, regardless of the reason or the circumstances requiring such a change. For example, dogs that have one or more championship points cannot be moved from a Puppy Class into the Novice Class, because it is ineligible for the Novice Class. Dogs that have not garnered the requisite championship points cannot move from any class into the Best of Breed or Best of Variety class.

It is ironic that we have allowed changes on the day of the show if the person entering the dog confused the sex of the dog or the age of the dog, pure human error, but not if the person entering the dog encountered an unforeseen or unexpected incident that precluded that person from showing the dog in the class in which it was entered. Many rules have been changed for the simple reason that they were too much trouble to enforce. Remember when an entered dog on the show grounds had to be shown unless excused by a veterinarian? Remember when a dog was considered present if someone picked up its armband. Now it is acceptable within the rules to pick up the armband, stand ringside with the dog and still not go into the ring and compete.

There will undoubtedly be objections to this rule change. Already I have heard descriptions of what will happen. The exhibitor of a dog arrives at the show, sees the competition and suddenly feels the overwhelming need for a professional handler. The dog can now be moved out of its original class into the Open class and shown by a recently hired handler. So what? If there is a problem in this scenario, it is either with the handling skills of the breeder/ exhibitor or the integrity of the judge who is obligated to find the best dog regardless of the class or the exhibitor.

There will surely be questions about the time by which changes must be made. Changes due to the incorrect sex or age may be made, according to existing rules, “at a show prior to the judging.” The change inserted into the rule states that dogs may be “transferred to an eligible open class at a show prior to the judging of any regular conformation class within the sex of that breed or variety.” However, a dog that has completed its championship can be transferred to the Best of Breed or Best of Variety competition “provided this transfer is made by the Superintendent or Show Secretary at least one half-hour prior to the scheduled start of any regular conformation judging at the show.”

Is this confusing? Perhaps it is, but if so, the change can be amended in the interest of clarity.

Complaints will be made that such a change, involving last minute adjustments to the judge’s book, will be burdensome for the superintendents and show secretaries. Since the change was recommended by the superintendents themselves, we should trust that they are willing to undertake any added trouble. And show secretaries should not be unduly affected, since the number of entries and hence the number of changes will probably be small.

These complaints seem minor indeed when considered alongside the benefits to exhibitors. This is a sound proposal and I hope that we all put aside our mostly unfounded fears and our natural resistance to change and adopt this rule. And then, having ventured bravely into the waters of change and found them not so dangerous, let’s consider some others: eliminating Best of Winners altogether, replacing Best of Oppose Sex with Reserve Best of Breed and changing the order of the awards to Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex (to Best of Breed), Best of Winners.

Gretchen Bernardi •  berwyck@ezl.com