Vegas – Dianne Allen

Perhaps you’ve watched the dogs and handlers on TV flying around the carpeted rings of Westminster Kennel Club and thought, “How can I do that with my Terv?”

Conformation shows judge how well an individual dog “conforms” to its breed standard based upon structure, movement, expression and coat. Dogs must be intact, i.e., not spayed or neutered and must be at least 6 months old on the day of the show to be entered in the regular classes.

The judge will examine each entry by looking at the dog standing or “stacked” in silhouette. He/she then approaches to check the bite, followed by running hands over the dog to feel the structure that lies beneath the coat and in males, determine that both testicles are present.

The judge then has the handler gait the dog both around the ring and on a diagonal to watch side movement as well as from the front and back. All the entries are taken around together and the winner chosen. The winner of each class vies for Winners Dog and Winners Bitch, who in turn compete for Best of Breed along with Champion entries. The Best of Breed winner advances to the Herding group and perhaps even on to Best in Show!

Dirk – Jim Johnston

The majority of Tervuren owners show their own dog and you will need to find a good conformation instructor or mentor to help you succeed. A good instructor will suggest the best leash and collar to use, the best way to move your dog around the ring and teach you the ins and outs of protocol in the ring. The instructor will also help you to learn what your dog’s strengths and weaknesses are so you can present your dog to his best advantage, show off his strengths and minimize his faults.

The AKC website will help guide you in entering a dog show and understanding what it takes to become a breed Champion. There are a multitude of classes to enter so talk to your instructor or a knowledgeable friend to guide you in getting started with your Terv’s show career.