How do you determine which to enter in? I am a newbie with a girl who has taken several RWB from the Am bred class. Would I have more chance of going WB if I entered her in the Open class?

Need a lttle advice in put as to why people enter in which class. Thanks.

Most will say Winners come from Open or BBE, but I know of several bitches who finished out of the AmBred Class.

Venture into Open and see how you do, and stack up against more competition. Finishing a Labrador is more of a career than a sport, lol.

I tend to think of it more as "sport" :)

If the judge believes your dog is the best on the day, it doesn't matter what class you enter her in, the judge will find her.

Good luck!

If you are showing at an all breed show to all breed judges then if you want to win enter the open class. It isn's suppose to matter which class you are in but some judges only look at open for their winners. To a breeder judge I would take my best into the bred-by class. To a foreign judge I would enter American Bred. If you have a puppy or jr dog enter it in the proper age group and not an adult class. JMO

yes I was always told to enter open if the judge was an all breed judge, but it was because some them don't know a decent Labrador if it bit them on the bum and they tend to think that if the dog is in open and still being shown it must be a CH and there fore they can place it first without looking like an idiot

It really sucks it's like this. We're getting more disgusted with the judging year by year and it doesn't matter if it's an all rounder judge, breeder judge or the type of show. All but the dog is looked at often and we're not sour grapes. We stopped showing our dogs to be spectators for a while.

If the dog is in open, it still needs points to finish its championship. Therefore, the dogs competing in open are NOT champions. The AKC Rulebook explains all these things. You can read it on line, download a PDF, or order a hard copy. When you enter any dog show, you sign the form certifying that you are familiar with these rules and regulations and agree to follow them.

The reason you should enter your dog in any of the classes is not because you think the judge is going to pick it because it is in open class rather than am bred class. The dog should be entered in the class where the dog is the most competitive because of it's type, age and level of maturity. You need to make the decision on what class is best for your dog based on the dog itself and not on what you think the judge will pick it's winners from. If your dog or bitch is not ready for open she/he will not win from that class and it should be in am bred until the dog becomes more mature. If the dog is over 18 months and is looking mature and performs in the ring as an experienced adult then show it in the open class.

Not in the country I live in,

The topic was about AKC classes.

I read that to mean that the dog was of championship quality, or is a potential champion.

Agreed, you pick the class you think you have the best chance of winning, the object is to get into winners. I have had dogs who were still eligible for 12-18 that I showed in open and won since they were more mature. I have a nice bitch I just entered in a show in Ambred because she is not quite back in full coat yet and without all her coat she looks a bit puppyish and since the classes are going to be big I am thinking she will be more competitive in Ambred right now. If the dog is right for the judge they will find them no matter the class. I had a bitch who was put up by the same judge 3 times, each time she was in a different class from puppy on up, but the judge always found her and did not realize it was the same dog. If it is a judge who only looks at open then I would not enter under them again. But I do not think that is the norm.

I don't think I have ever seen that happen in 32 years of showing.

I find that overall, a good dog will be found regardless of the class. Are mediocre dogs put up? It happens, but I think most judges try to judge to the standard and pick the best dog on the day. My girl was primarily shown in BBE (finished at a specialty) but had a major out of the puppy classes and a few wins in Open. She finished very quickly (was not shown much but was consistently in the ribbons when shown).

When showing multiple dogs, it is nice to have a variety of classes available. Many people show in Am Bred when they have another dog to show in Open or the dog has aged out of the puppy classes and is not quite mature enough for Open. Some dogs mature very early (I have seen 90+ lb puppies (per the owner) in the 6-9 class and others come into themselves between 3 and 5. The variety of classes accommodates this, although I rarely show at all until my dogs are competitive.

I have seen it, but only when the dog finished the day before and the major would not have held otherwise.

I also would be considered a new exhibitor. i was considering either am bred class or amateur owner handler. my dog isn't mature enuf for open. is there any difference between am bred & am own hand classes?

The differences are clearly explained in the AKC Rule Book.

See specifically Section 7 page 14, and Section 9 page 15.

http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/RREGS3.pdf

If you and your dog are newer, by all means try the amateur owner handler class. I've seen long time, larger kennels in that class too. There's no reason you shouldn't go with that class. Ultimately, it's your decision as you know your dog and yourself.

I know you are talking about your bitch being in Am. Bred vs. Open, but time for my opinion... Our 5 turning 6 year old boy was entered in Am. Bred his first time in the show ring last July (2011). He is very old style labrador and is not as big as the specialty winning dogs today. He went WD/BOW for 2 points (as the major broke and he was the filler dog). Since then he has gotten 12 points and both majors. I had started switching him to Open and he was not put up as much as he was in the Am. Bred class. Just recently he went WD/BOW/BOS over 4 specials at the WKC Badger LRC Supported Entry for a 4 point major. That was from the Am. Bred class. The judge was here from Australia. I did not expect that to happen but I am sticking with Am. Bred because that is the class that he works well in. I would stick with Am. Bred if you feel that your bitch is working well in that class. She is obviously doing well coming out with RWB.

I was always taught to utilize other classes especially in a "major" setting. I don't remember where I heard it, I actually think it came from a judge, but I was told that if you utilize the non-typical classes (Am. Bred, Am. Owner-Handler) then you have a better chance of being in the Winner's Class and the judge may decide that out of all they put up yours is what they prefer as opposed to being 2nd in a class and going RWB/RWD to the dog that was first in your class. That may not be the case all the time but it was advise that I was told and I keep it close when I plan shows....

Hope this helps :)