Wondering about getting involved with shows

[Tracey1017]

Hi, I have a beautiful 14 month old lab that is just amazing! She is full breed , I have paper work on her but Ive never "registered" her. Im not even sure if she has to be. I was reading up on shows and the things that a dog must fit in order to qualify. I am almost positive that she fits all the standards except for color. She is classified as a yellow lab but she never really turned " yellow" shes more a white or light cream clolor with light tan on the edges of her ears. I tell her her polar bear is showing when shes wet because she really does start to resemble that look lol. If her coloring is ok I would like to know more about how to get invovled and what kind of obedience she'll need. Shes trained very well now , but I'm sure they have a very specific way of doing things. I live in illinois around the chicagoland area (midway). If anyone could please give me information on how to go about this I would really be greatful!


Thank you,
Tracey

[nicole]

Nothing wrong with a light yellow dog, but yes she'll have to be registered...is it AKC? Your local labrador club's site can be found here... Winnebago Labrador Retriever Club, if you're truly interested in getting involved in the breed, I highly recommend joining the club. Where did you get your girl? If she came from a breeder who's active in showing, they'd be a wonderful resource to get you started locally.

[Tracey1017]

Thank you so so much!! As far as her registration Im pretty sure its CKC but ill have to look at the papers in the morning. She was actualy a rescue of sorts. A friend of mine has parents that think its cute when a dog is little and fluffy and adorable. Well they had no idea what it meant to have a lab and after being crated for 8-10 hours a day she got out and destroyed everything in her path( personally i dont blame her a bit, i would have done worse!) so after having her for about a month they decided they were just going to ship her to a shelter in the city ( its free if you take them to the inner city). They wacko thing is they paid 400 bucks for her and if she wasnt going to be adopted in 2 weeks they were going to put her to sleep. I couldnt bare the thought so I took her that night. I had never owned a lab before and we learned together I must say lol. But she truely is the light in the day for me. Shes with me EVERYEHERE I go and if I cant take her with me Im gone and back quickly. Im the lucky one because she really turned out to be the perfect dog for me. Every quality I dreamt about she has it . As far as where she came from I believe it was a pet store that deals only with reputable breeders. I dont think she came from a puppy because her dew claws were taken off and I have all the proper info on her parents and her blood line. I could be wrong but I dont think so.


Thank you again! Im going to look into that info you gave me asap

Tracey

[nicole]

Ok, youre probably not going to like this but the ckc is a puppymill registry and NO reputable breeder would sell their puppies through a store.

Anyway, there are many activities you can do with your girl besides conformation- agility, obedience, rally, dockdiving, hunt tests, etc. I still recommend checking out the lab club as that one is incredibly active in performance events so they can point you in the right direction for that stuff too!

[Tracey1017]

its ok, thank you for all the great info though. no matter where she really came from I love her and its that simple im going to look into it though. thank you again!!

[rayluckgoo]

Doesn't CKC just stand for the Canadian Kennel Club? I thought that Canadians register their dogs their to be eligible for Canadian Championships etc. I don't get the puppy mill stuff. But I do get that in general reputable breeders don't use pet stores.

I would also visit a couple of shows to get an idea of whats necessary...and besides its fun. You might find out that conformation isn't for you but obedience or rally might be.

[kaytris]

there's the continental kennel club, the puppy mill registry, and the Canadian KC, which of course is legit. Agree that there are TONS of other events that you can take part with.. ask around!

[Belles mom]

Good for you for rescuing your girl!! It sounds like she has a marvelous home!

If the registry is Continental Kennel Club, then yes, it is a puppymill puppy. No matter though, you still have a best friend! If it was the Canadian Kennel Club, then you could get into conformation once she was registered with the AKC (American Kennel Club).

In either case you can get involved with performance events, with the AKC or UKC (United Kennel Club), once registered (you will need to go to their websites to figure out what is needed, for regular registration or Limited registration-which means only that you can not enter conformation events, but can enter ANY performance events).

When I got my first Lab (Belle), I had no idea that there was a performance world out there for dogs. I only vaguely knew of Westminster. Once I discovered how much fun performance events are, I became a convert, and spend almost all my free time training and competing with my Labbies!

Good luck! Do you have any pictures you can share with us?

[Luvmydog2much]

I'm sure your girl is beautiful! Do post pictures!

I want to point out that for a fee, the AKC will register puppies born to the Continental K.C.

Full registration.

For a dog with papers from another domestic registry
AKC has a new program where we are researching pedigrees of dogs that do not have AKC paperwork to determine if the dog comes from AKC registrable stock.

In order to determine AKC registration eligibility, you will need to send AKC a copy of your dog’s pedigree, registration application and/or registration certificate from another registry. You can also submit documentation provided by the breeder such as a contract or bill of sale. The dog may qualify for registration if the pedigree shows no break in AKC lineage and the dogs in the pedigree originate from AKC registrable stock.

Should the dog be deemed registrable, AKC staff will register the dog in question for $30. All late fees will be waived.

When you submit your paperwork, please include your name and phone number. You can submit the paperwork in one of three ways:

Fax the information to 919-816-4232. Mark it attn: Registry Research.
Email images to [email protected]. Place Registry Research in the subject line
Mail to:
AKC Registry Research
Attn: Special Services
8051 Arco Corporate Drive Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27617

So if 6 generations back, the sire and dam are AKC registered, TA DA! AKC registration.

[LuvBrown]

The other side to this is that for as much as you love your dog and think she is the most beautiful thing, showing labs is HARD. And based on her history of how you got her and where she is registered, chances are, she's PET quality. You can learn HOW to show a dog on her, but you would probably be throwing your money away trying to actually put her in a real show.

If you really like the idea of labs and getting involved, join a club as mentioned. Train and compete with the dog in performance events. Get to know the lab folks in your area. And if in 2-4 years, you are still enamoured with the hobby, see if a reputable breeder will entrust you with a show potential puppy.