Walk ringside at an American Kennel Club (AKC) conformation show, and you’ll hear terms such as Best of Breed, Champion, Grand Champion, and Select Dog bandied about throughout the day. Newcomers to the sport, however, often get confused by one specific phrase – select conformation dog show class. Their misunderstanding is partly understandable, because it does sound like another class to enter, along with Puppy, Bred-by-Exhibitor, and Open.
In fact, it’s not a class at all. A select conformation dog show class refers to an award given during Best of Breed competition to particularly impressive champion dogs that finish just short of the top two honors. It may not sound as glamorous as Best of Breed, but a Select Dog or Bitch award can be right up there in value, helping a dog work toward its Grand Champion title.
Whether you’re campaigning your first champion or just want to understand conformation shows better, let’s explore what a select conformation dog show class is and what it means.
A Primer on AKC Conformation Shows
Before diving into the select conformation dog show class, let’s briefly cover how conformation shows work. Dogs compete within their own divisions, with puppies, novices, and regulars each having their own class. Winners of these classes, as well as those that finish in the top positions despite not winning, then go on to the Winners Dog or Winners Bitch ring, where they earn points toward their championship titles.
Once a dog has earned its championship, however, it moves up to competing in Best of Breed, where it faces off against other champions and class winners. That’s where the select conformation dog show class comes in. Many new exhibitors spend hours searching the premium list for a Select Class entry, only to find that it doesn’t exist.
What some people don’t realize is that Select is actually an award given during Best of Breed competition, and it’s up to the judge to decide whether to grant it. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding select conformation dog show classes – that it’s a class you can enter.
What Is the Select Conformation Dog Show Class?
Now that you know what the select conformation dog show class is not, let’s examine what it actually is. The easiest way to think of the select conformation dog show class is as an award given to the best male and female champions, respectively, that didn’t place in the top two during Best of Breed competition. These awards are given at the judge’s discretion and are meant to showcase particularly impressive specimens.
After the judge selects their Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex, they often have additional outstanding dogs among the champions and class winners that they want to reward. The next-best male and female champions receive the Select Dog and Select Bitch awards, respectively.
These dogs are typically of such high quality that they have the potential to contend for Best of Breed honors in future shows, should their exhibitors have the opportunity to enter them again. Unlike class winners, who are often puppies or novice exhibitors, select dogs and bitches have had to pass through the rigorous trials of Best of Breed competition and place just short of the top honors. For many breeders, having a dog that places in the top few at multiple shows – even if it doesn’t win Best of Breed – is still incredibly desirable.
Why the Phrase ‘Select Conformation Dog Show Class’ Is So Misleading
One reason why the phrase ‘select conformation dog show class’ is so misleading is because it makes you think of other entry classes, such as Puppy, Novice, Open, and Amateurs. These are specific classes you can enter at a conformation show, and the awards given to their winners are well-known. What most people don’t realize is that Select is not an entry class – it’s an award given solely to champion dogs that finish just short of Best of Breed.
Many newcomers to conformation shows search online for information about the Select Class, only to find little to no useful information. Hopefully, this guide has dispelled some of the mystery behind it for you!
What the Judges Look for in a Select Dog
Winning a select conformation dog show class award is by no means easy. Some breeds are notoriously tight, with the judging being razor-thin between Best of Breed and the select honors. In addition, judges look at more than just how pretty the dogs are – they evaluate them based on the standard for their breed.
For many judges, balance is the most important quality in a conformation dog, as it speaks to how well the animal is put together as a whole. Dogs should have good movement that showcases their athleticism without sacrificing the breed characteristics. Judges also look for dogs that hold up well throughout the competition.
Many seasoned judges will tell you that a dog’s movement can often tell you how good it is – while some dogs can look fantastic in the ring, their movement can turn out to be quite poor upon closer inspection. This frequently happens when the dogs are not in optimal condition or are not used to competing, so it’s important to take care of your dog and get it used to showing.
Lastly, dogs need to have good temperament, as the ability to calmly wait their turn in the ring can be the difference between winning and losing when two evenly matched dogs go head-to-head.
The Significance of Select Awards in Conformation Shows
Some exhibitors make the mistake of thinking of select conformation dog show class awards as consolation prizes for not placing in the top two honors. This is actually the opposite of the truth – when it comes to Best of Breed competition, Select awards are extremely difficult to earn. The difference between a Best of Breed and a Select Dog or Bitch can be incredibly fine, with many breeds having extremely tight judging.
As such, dogs that earn Select honors have had to go through the same scrutiny as the winners and perform just as impressively. Another reason why exhibitors should not dismiss Select awards outright is because they count toward Grand Champion points. Grand Champion awards are some of the most prestigious honors in conformation showing, and they require massive campaigns that can last throughout an entire show season.
Earning a Best of Breed or even a Select award can significantly boost your dog’s points, helping it inch closer to Grand Champion status. Perhaps more importantly, select conformation dog show class awards are often indicative of an animal’s overall quality. While a dog can have a spectacular Best of Breed performance, it only takes one exceptional show to achieve that.
On the other hand, a dog that consistently finishes in the top three across various show seasons and judges is much more reliable and likely to win Best of Breed on a regular basis. This makes dogs with multiple Select honors desirable to breeders looking to improve their bloodlines.
How a Dog Actually Earns a Select Award
If you’re showing your dog for a championship for the first time, you may think that once you’ve earned your first Champion dog title, your next goal should be to show in a class called Select. However, many people who haven’t actually experienced showing their dogs at a championship level misunderstand how the awards work at this level.
This is because so many exhibitors are eager to learn what classes are available to them the moment they see a premium list or hear the announcer call for the next set of winners. What most exhibitors fail to realize is that there is no such thing as a select class. The next goal for exhibitors who have earned their dog a full championship is to compete in the Best of Breed rings with the rest of the champions.
At this point, dogs compete for Best of Breed awards. Best of Breed is where your dog’s journey to the top really begins. Once a dog has earned their Championship, they will compete for Best of Breed against a field of other champions. Once a dog has reached this level, they can no longer compete against novice and amateur dogs in the conformation rings.
This is where their journey toward the top really begins. The competition is stiff as all of these dogs have met the standard for being champions. Now the judge must determine which dog has the best overall form and fits the ideal requirements for their breed most closely. The judge will announce Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex awards first, then move on to the select awards.
The judge may give out a select dog and bitch award for the most outstanding male and female, respectively. The select awards are given out for dogs that were close to being the best but took second place. To everyday observers, this difference between best and second best may seem insignificant, however, to exhibitors, breeders, and handlers, it is very important.
Why a Select Award is Actually Pretty Great Award
The select award is very often mistaken to be second best in the competition. Many people will tell you this, including very seasoned show dog exhibitors. Although some exhibitors may not like this, most experienced exhibitors realize that the select award is a sign that they have done a good job preparing their dog for the show.
For example, in some dog breeds such as the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, and Poodle, some Best of Breed rings are chock-full of national champions. For this reason, many handlers find that when it comes to showing dogs in Best of Breed rings, everything comes down to the fine details.
The slightest difference in the dog’s movement or fitness can be the deciding factor in whether they win Best of Breed or just take home a select award. Similarly, some dogs may actually perform better under some judges than under others depending on which qualities they are looking for in a particular dog. This is why many handlers will say something like, “you’re not competing against bad dogs anymore. You’re competing with good dogs.”
When it comes to a select award, it is important to remember that this is a great achievement because this means that your dog was close to taking first place. It was just a matter of a few more years of training and breeding for the exhibitor to achieve a higher award. This is because most exhibitors who compete in the higher levels of dog shows have realized that the select award is an indication that their breeding and training programs are working and the dogs they are exhibiting are all of very good quality and almost good enough to take first place.
What Judges Actually Look For When Judging Dogs
One thing many exhibitors fail to realize when first learning about conformation shows is that judges are not looking for the most beautiful dog in the ring. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, conformation judges are looking for dogs that fit the ideal standard for their breed.
This means that a dog’s movement, stacking, stance, and temperament are all taken into consideration when determining which dog takes first place. Movement is one thing that many first-time exhibitors overlook. Stacking is important, however, it is not as important as a dog’s movement.
It may seem that a dog moves beautifully when stacked, but as soon as they move around the ring, it is much easier to see any weaknesses in their movement such as a low hocks, restricted movement in their front legs, poor rear drive, and weakness in their topline. This is why some experienced handlers will say that the real judging doesn’t begin until the dogs are unstacked and begin moving around the ring.
Conditioning is also very important as a well-conditioned dog who is in the best shape possible will almost always perform better than another dog who is equally well-bred but is not in the best condition. This means that they may be slightly overweight or don’t have the same muscle tone as another competitor or their coat isn’t as clean as the other dogs in the ring.
Another thing many first-time exhibitors fail to realize is that temperament plays a very important role in judging. The best show dogs are the ones that seem to take to showing the most naturally. These dogs have a good attitude and work ethic. They aren’t overly excitable or distracted by things around them and are able to be calm and focused enough to allow a person to perform a hands-on examination of them.
This helps the judge determine the dog’s level of biddability, trainability, and temperament. This allows the judge to visualize just how well this dog fits the ideal standard for their breed.
