Windward Hawaiian Dog Fanciers Association Dog Show

Ask 5 people what they think a dog show is and you will get 5 different answers. And, in actuality there are a number of different types of dog shows including confirmation, obedience, and rally shows.
The Windward Hawaiian Dog Fanciers Association’s bi-​annual show is a confirmation show. This means no dogs sitting, staying, heeling, or other obedience tricks. And no running through obstacle courses. A confirmation show is for pure-​bred, intact dogs that are registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). Confirmation shows involve dogs being judged to see how well they conform the the standard for the breed.
Different «classes» of dogs (puppies, adult, bred-​by-​exhibitor, open, etc…) compete with one another to see which dog in each class best represents their breed. The winner of each class then competes for the best male or female dog.
The winners «dog» and winners «bitch» then compete with dogs that already have their champion status for best of breed and best-​opposite-​sex. Frankly, it is a bit complicated, but if you are watching you can always ask someone standing nearby to explain to you what is going on.
For each show (the Saturday show and the Sunday show) the breed judging starts usually at 8:30am and goes until about lunch. The winners of each «best of breed» competition complete against dogs in their own classification (or group) and then ultimately for Best In Show in the afternoon.
If you are a dog person, watching a dog show for a while can be a lot of fun. You will get see some great examples of your favorite breeds and maybe even some breeds you were not familiar with. As long as a handler or owner is not frantically trying to get their dog ready to show, they are usually happy to talk to you about their breed and about the shows.
The biannual shows usually occur in the spring (usually late April) and fall (late September), but you can find schedules for upcoming shows on the
web site also.