Showtime -- The Catalog

The premium was sent out March 1 and entries trickled in -- until the closing date. Then all the entries came at once! Putting together an official show catalog isn't easy.

Dogs (male) or bitches (females) are entered into a specific class. This year our club offered the following classes:

• PUPPY DOGS (6 months to under 9 months)
• PUPPY DOGS (9 months to under 12 months)
• DOGS (12 months to under 18 months)
• NOVICE DOGS
• BRED-BY-EXHIBITOR DOGS
• AMERICAN BRED DOGS
• OPEN DOGS
• PUPPY BITCHES (6 months to under 9 months)
• PUPPY BITCHES (9 months to under 12 months)
• BITCHES (12 months to under 18 months)
• NOVICE BITCHES
• BRED-BY-EXHIBITOR BITCHES
• AMERICAN BRED BITCHES
• OPEN BITCHES
• BEST OF BREED

The entrants are listed in the catalog by class with a whole lot of information. The specified listing required by the AKC is:

Our catalog!

DOG'S FULL REGISTERED NAME. Registration number. Date of birth. Breeder's name by sire's full registered name -- dam's full registered name. Owner's name, full address. (Hired agent, handler)

It looks something like this:

ROLLING STONES' JUMPIN JACK FLASH. DN12345678. 07/04/15. Breeder: John Lennon by GCH Hard Daze Knight -- CH Strawberry Fields V Yesterday, TC. Owners: Mickey and Minnie Mouse, 123 Disney World Dr, Orlando, FL 32830. (Harry Potter, Handler)

Trust me, that's quite the task. First of all, not all handwriting is legible. I had to email several people for clarification. Also, some registered names are outrageous -- hyphens, apostrophes, alternative spellings. Ugh. The Show Secretary's job is to ensure every jot and tittle is correct. I ended up going to breeders' websites and calling owners to confirm the proper spelling of over a dozen dogs.

Once it's determined that every dog is in the right class, each entrant is assigned a number/arm band. The numbers are listed in the catalog with the corresponding dog. To keep things as objective as possible, dogs are judged anonymously. The judge only knows the dog by number until after the show is over.

The AKC requires a number of other things be listed in the catalog as well. The cover or title page must include:

• Date or dates of the event
• Name of the show-giving club
• Notice that the event is held under American Kennel Club rules
• American Kennel Club logo
• The event's exact location and time of opening and closing
• List of the club's officers
• List of the members of the Event Committee
• The Show Chair’s address
• Name and address of the Superintendent and/or Show Secretary
• Name, complete address, and assignment of each judge
• Name of the veterinarian or veterinary clinic, and whether the veterinarian will be in attendance or on-call

The catalog must also contain a list of prizes and trophies, the AKC Schedule of Points for the region and a copy of the judging program.

Over-achiever that I am, our catalog included much, much more. I was given carte blanche to write the catalog that I would have wanted to see as a newbie. I included:

• The AKC Code of Sportsmanship
• Our club history, Facebook and web addresses
• 2017 Club Member awards
• The Official AKC breed standard
• A Disaster and Emergency plan
• … and puzzles about anatomy & terminology!

I easily put 80 hours into the catalog. It is beautiful! And now we have a template for next year. I think we're about ready the Big Day. -- K