Premium List is now available:
http://res.ukcdogs.com/pdf/2014PREMIERPL.pdf
Entries open March 31, 2014. Entries close May 7, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. EDT or when entry limits are reached.
There is so many things you can compete in at the Premier.
- Conformation (show) open to any dog over 6 months of age
- Weight Pull – Gavin and I will be there!
- Dock Diving
- Barn Hunts
- Lure Coursing
- Agility
- Obedience
- Rally Obedience
- Nosework
- Terrier Races
- Flying Disc competition (frisbee)
They are also offering health screenings at a discounted rate. This year they are offering: OFA/CERF Eye Certifications and OFA Cardiac
Certification (auscultation only); Saturday March 14th, clinics will run from 10am to 4pm, first come, first served. Location: Inside the Expo Center, next door to the Hospitality Suite. Cost: $40 per dog, per exam.
Last year I did the Lure coursing with Bailey and Gavin and they each earned one leg toward their CA Coursing Aptitude title. They loved it! I loved it because they had so much fun, the people holding the event were wonderful.
The show part…well that is hit and miss. When you show your dog in conformation you are paying a person to give their opinion of your dog. I do not know of a single UKC judge I would pay to give an opinion of my dogs. I must be a masochist, because I still enter. If I know the judge favors the American GSD type, then no entry for them from me. Then there are judges whom you never know what they will do from class to class let alone show to show…sometimes I give them an entry. Then there are judges I have no idea what they will do I will give them an entry one time. My goal for conformation showing in 2014: Idiot judging…just laugh. I believe many (not all) of these judges know what a good dog is, but they judge based on what they have been told is a correct GSD and that causes them to judge poorly.
I plan on checking out the “Barn Hunt” Friday they have “Intro Clinic” and two “Rat N Go” sessions. Saturday and Sunday are actual competitions. I think it should be fun. Oh they promise that “No rats will be harmed during this event”
I would like to try dock diving but the advice I got for Gavin last year was the wrong advice for him and did not work out well. I think Gavin’s Dock diving days are over before they ever started. I may try it with another dog and use a different approach. Maybe I need to find someone with a dock were we can practice first!?!
You do need to UKC register your dog and this is how you do it:
http://res.ukcdogs.com/pdf/fo6adm.pdf
I’d love to be up there to watch this event. Sounds like a lot of fun. Julie, your dogs have plenty of prey drive for the “Barn Hunt” or “Rat n Go”—I’ve been to similar when I lived in CA. The rat(s) are in a little cage to prevent injury. Ha!
I’ve already taken that Friday off to take Ember. I’m going to try for total dog, possibly in rally or obedience. Not sure about nose work and I’d love to try out barn hunt and lure coursing. I don’t think she will be quite ready for agility yet, but you never know. Ember is game for anything.
The only discouraging thing about Barn Hunt is you have to register the dog with the Barn Hunt organization in addition to UKC.
boo
Well that sucks.