Dog showing started in the second half of the 19th century, when groups of men gathered in coffee houses and compared the merits of their various dogs. The fascination for this sport has continued unabated since then and it is one of the most popular of pastimes for dog lovers.
If you are interested, a good starting point is to join a Ringcraft Class, organised by a local Canine Society in your area. They will not only teach you how best to show your dog but will also have details and schedules of local shows coming up. These classes become extremely sociable affairs.
Alternatively details are published in two weekly specialist newspapers: Dog World and Our Dogs, both of which can be purchased from newsagents (it may need to be ordered specially) or by subscription. These publications give details of all the forthcoming shows. There are also some specialist companies providing details of the shows via their websites and enabling entries to be made online. With the exception of Companion shows, all shows have to be pre-booked some weeks in advance.
There are different types of shows licensed by the Kennel Club and held under its Rules & Regulations:
1. Championship: the highest level of show, and open to all exhibitors. The one exception to this is Crufts, entry to which requires a qualifying win in certain classes at another Championship Show during the preceding year.
2. Open: open to all exhibitors.
3. Limited: limited to the organising show Society's Members or residents within an area.
4. Matches: limited to Members of the Show Society.
5. Companion: for registered and unregistered dogs, provided the dog has not won a CC, an award that counts towards the Champion title; a Reserve CC or a Junior Warrant.
Due to their popularity, most Societies offer breed classes for Goldens Retrievers; although available classes may differ depending on the size of the show and the qualification of the Judge/s. The classes you can enter may be determined by the age of the dog or the class wins it has achieved.
Lists of Championship Shows with dates and names of Judges appointed to officiate at them may be found in the Downloads section.
Definitions for the many classes that may be scheduled may be found in the Kennel Club Show Regulations F (Annex A):
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/49543/show_regs_2016_final.pdf
