The Affenpinscher Club UK

‘Breed Specialists’ consist of people who have a dedicated love and often life-long interest in the welfare of a specific breed. They are members of the appropriate Breed Club being required to have owned, shown and bred over a number of years before being eligible to go on a Club’s Approved Judges List. ‘Breed Specialist’ judges attend seminars about the breed and participate in any club training programmes to enable them to develop an in-depth knowledge of the breed.

‘Non-Specialists’ consist of people who have judging experience in any breed but do not meet the specific criteria laid down by a Breed Club to enable them to go on a ‘Breed Specialist’ list.

All aspiring judges are required to attend Kennel Club seminars and pass the examinations on Judging and Stewarding Procedures, Confirmation and Movement, and Hands on Assessment. The Kennel Club also requires judges to have stewarded at 12 shows before awarding Challenge Certificates.

Progression up a judging list from Open Show level to Championship Show level takes a considerable number of years.

General Championship Shows
At Championship Shows where Kennel Club Challenge Certificates are on offer a proposed judge can only be appointed following the approval of the Kennel Club.

In Affenpinschers where CC’s are being awarded classes for dogs and bitches are judged separately, with the dog classes going first in the ring. The class classifications vary slightly from show to show but usually include the following - Minor puppy and/or Puppy, Junior, Graduate, Post Graduate, Limit and Open classes. Five places are awarded in each class – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Reserve and VHC (Very Highly Commended). Dogs to be given awards must be placed in the centre of the ring in descending order from the judge’s left to right and the judge must mark and sign the Judge’s book. When all the dog classes have been judged all the unbeaten class winners return to the ring for the judge to award the Dog Challenge Certificate, then the Dog Reserve Challenge Certificate and finally the Best Puppy Dog.

The bitch classes are then judged and the same procedure takes place with all the class winners returning to the ring for the judge to award the Bitch Challenge Certificate, the Bitch Reserve Challenge Certificate and the Best Puppy Bitch. A puppy is also eligible for consideration of the CC or the Reserve CC award. The Dog CC and Bitch CC winners then challenge for Best of Breed. The Best Puppy Dog and Bitch challenge for Best Puppy afterwards.

The Best of Breed goes forward to represent the breed in the Toy Group judging.

If the Best of Breed is fortunate enough to win the Toy Group they can then go forward to compete for Best in Show.

In order for a dog to become a UK Champion it has to win three Challenge Certificates under three different judges at three separate Championship Shows.

Not all Champion Shows award Challenge Certificates. Where they are not on offer a smaller class classification is usually listed in the show schedule. Appointed judges at Championship Shows without CC’s must be taken from a Breed Club A or B List.

Judges are required to do written critiques on the first two placings in each class and then submit them to the Dog World and Our Dogs newspapers.

Open Shows
Open shows vary considerable in the number of classes offered for each breed. The more popular breeds often having more classes scheduled and possibly some divided into separate dog and bitch classes. The numerically smaller breeds, including Affenpinschers, have less classes scheduled with dogs and bitches combined in each class. Five places are awarded in each class – 1st 2nd, 3rd, Reserve & VHC (the same as Championship Shows) and all the unbeaten class winners return to the ring for the judge to award Best of Breed and Best Puppy.

The Best of Breed and Best Puppy then go forward to compete for Best in Show and Best Puppy in Show, unless the show in judged on the Group System.

If more than three classes are scheduled for any breed, the appointed judge must be taken from a Breed Club A or B List. In Affenpinschers and the majority of breeds, Judges on the Breed Club’s C list can only judge up to three classes.