About the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

04 Feb 2008 04:11 PM

If you had your eye on Animal Planet over the weekend, you probably saw the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship broadcast. I only managed to catch the "tail" end of the show, but I did get to see the lovely German shepherd win the working dog group and the Best in Show awarded to a Sealyham terrier with lots of personality.

Here are some things you might not know about the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship:

• The AKC (American Kennel Club) is the oldest and only not-for-profit purebred dog registry in the United States.
• The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship is by invitation only. The top twenty-five dogs in each AKC recognized breed are invited. Other invitees include every AKC Best in Show winner during the qualifying period. International competitors are also invited.
• Nearly four thousand dogs are invited to participate in the three competitions that go on: the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, the AKC National Agility Invitational, and the AKC National Obedience Invitational.
• As part of the celebration, the AKC gives seven people the Breeder of the Year award. This award is given to people who are dedicated to improving the health, temperament, and quality of purebred dogs.
• This is the ONLY all-breed qualifying show in America for entry into Crufts -- the world's largest dog show. Winners of Best in Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Best Bred-by-Exhibitor, and Awards of Merit are qualified to enter Crufts.
• More than two hundred thousand dollars in prize money is up for grabs.
• Junior Handlers between the ages of nine and eighteen are eligible to compete for scholarships if they achieve a specific grade point average and meet other criteria.

As a part of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, families are invited to the AKC Meet the Breeds showcase. Representatives from more than a hundred and fifty different breed clubs are on hand to give out educational information and introduce families to canine ambassadors.

All in all, the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship is more than just a dog show!

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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