AKC or UKC?? which one?
 

Would you rather show AKC or UKC? is either better then the other? Why do some breeds choose to show UKC instead of AKC?

Very simple, ukc does not allow handlers, so if your starting out new, it is easier for you to show without the professionals to go up against. I show both and like the challange of AKC but love showing UKC/

oh wow, i had no idea you couldn't use handlers in UKC

I have found that UKC is not available in all states, so not many opportunities to show, especially in my state. For me there is only 1 UKC show in my state - actually close enough to go to, which is still awhile away. I think that UKC may be a good place to practice, but is not as well recognized or prestigous as AKC. UKC has made strides, from what I hear, in the last few years. If there were a UKC show near me, I would probably go to get my dogs experience and have fun. AKC Matches are also a great place to gain experience. Check with your clubs to find out when they will have one.

For me, I show AKC. JMO - It is also a lot harder to gain an AKC championship than UKC. I know someone that was able to get a UKC champion on her dog in one weekend. That cannot happen with AKC, unless a Speciality is attached within that weekend and still very rare! You have to have a lot of dogs entered to get majors - for AKC. To get majors - you need a lot of dogs entered to compete against and right now many of the majors have been breaking. So it is so much harder to get those AKC championships. But boy, when you get them - they are so celebrated. You can have fun at AKC shows too and we do!

I've never showed UKC, but it is my understanding if you're just starting out, the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed and easier to obtain a UKC Championship. Great training ground.

As Topknot says, AKC Championship is much more difficult to obtain.....competition is fierce. So, if you're new and don't have access to a mentor to give you all the help in training, grooming and presentation of a yorkie, be kind to yourself and do the UKC route. Now if you have a great speciman of the breed, you might want to send your dog out with handler.....

so if I were looking for that perfect puppy from championed parents i'd want them to be AKC champions instead of UKC chamions, right?

It seems like its easier to get a UKC championship then an AKC championship. like the UKC isn't as valuable as the AKC one. if something can be gotten in a weekend, instead of many weekends it can't be as valuable. Having both championships is great, but if you were to want one it would have to be the AKC one.

I've been on this site for 3 years now constantly reading and learning about the yorkie. I've seen numerous websites of breeders of all kinds, plus websites with just information on the breed. I've seen something on a few websites and mentioned by a few here that i always question. The majority of breeders on here all show AKC but there are a few that show only UKC even tho AKC is available to them. So these breeders show their dogs UKC and get them championed fairly young because its so easy. These young dogs aren't finished growing and changing (yorkies can continue to change up until 2 years old or later right?). So what happens if the dog becomes a champion at say 14 months old while its still growing and changing and then when its finished growing its not that perfect specimen of the breed? Now this person has this championed yorkie that she wanted to breed but this champion is no longer champion material? its no longer within standard for whatever reason. But she breeds it anyway and proclaims that the puppies are from a champion dam or sire. isn't this misleading to the buyer?

do you get what i'm saying or does this just not make sense at all. its just been in my head for a while so i thought i'd ask. i hope i'm not offending anyone cause that's not what i'm after.

There is some validity in what you are saying.

But, on the other side of the coin...I'll explain a bit further. There are many exhibitors that AKC Champion their dogs at a young age. However, most of these exhibitors are showing and breeding dogs from well established lines that have already set their type. In otherwords, experienced breeders that know yorkies and have an eye for a dog.

I've finished a few at the age of 14 months......however, my dogs come from a long line of Champions that are up front and throughout their pedigree, and from a breeder that has finished well over a hundred Champions herself. Not to mention those that have been sold to others and Championed.

Does that make sense.

yeah i can see that the young AKC champions are worth more. its harder to get there and if that dog is going to champion young then it must really be something. and i agree that most dogs that do champion that young with AKC are probably from more seasoned breeders who have many champions in their lines.

my issues are about the UKC ones since those are less likely to have the same background that the AKC ones do.

I understand what you're saying and for the most part agree you. But, UKC does serve it's purpose, in offering training ground for those that are not fortunate to have a mentor. UKC is more relaxed, it does build confidence when one is learning. AKC being intense can intimidate a newbie....

Then there is the other side, it could give a newbie a false sense of security, taking a dog in and obtaining a UKC Championship lickety split.....

I agree that the UKC does serve a purpose. i did not know about the handler thing until tonight. Its great that newbies can show UKC and gain experience in the ring. For anyone who is thinking big for the future it serves as a great jumping off point.

what do you think about this part i stated earlier:
"The majority of breeders on here all show AKC but there are a few that show only UKC even tho AKC is available to them. So these breeders show their dogs UKC and get them championed fairly young because its so easy. These young dogs aren't finished growing and changing (yorkies can continue to change up until 2 years old or later right?). So what happens if the dog becomes a champion at say 14 months old while its still growing and changing and then when its finished growing its not that perfect specimen of the breed? Now this person has this championed yorkie that she wanted to breed but this champion is no longer champion material? its no longer within standard for whatever reason. But she breeds it anyway and proclaims that the puppies are from a champion dam or sire. isn't this misleading to the buyer?"

I agree but, let me clarify my opinion. There are those breeders that only show UKC to use a Championship as a selling point, usually uneducated buyers are fooled by it. Then there are those that have attempted to break into AKC, however, did not have the patience to go the long but sure way to obtain a show dog from a reputable breeder. I understand that, it's just the American thing, we want things now. However, these people usually change their goals and end up taking the proven route and end up in AKC. And if they don't well some will continue to breed to fulfill a pet market and that's ok too, if they are doing it correctly.

are the yorkie standards of UKC different from AKC? for example, color wise - does UKC accept anything other then steel blue and tan?

The standard is the same. However, they adopted the color disqualification in May 2008, whereas, AKC had it in place on Oct 1, 2007. The one difference is in AKC yorkies are shown in the Toy Group and UKC it's in the Companion Group.

thank you for all the information. i appreciate it. I would like to hear others views on this as well. maybe tomorrow more people will be around. i know there are quite a few reputable breeders on here.

Kalina, I agree with Mardelin as I think UKC might be a way of training, but I also definitely feel it could give one a false sense of security. I'm afraid many people go out and excited that they have put a championship on a dog in a weekend or so in UKC, not realizing, it could never obtain an AKC title because the quality is just not there. This is not to offend or to say there aren't any UKC champions that are good representatives of the breed. Yes, there are handlers in AKC, and yes, now and again you will show under a judge that is, shall we say, a little political...Big deal! Such is everything in life. I truly feel if you don't have a good mentor, it is very possible to find one while showing in AKC. If you honestly want to learn the ropes, there are wonderful breeders and exhibitors out there that are more than willing to help you.

Mary Anna and Mary - I totally agree. I have only met a couple of people in all my years that were not helpful. Most everyone is very nice and will help, sometimes all you have to do is ask. In showing, we try to help the breed and by helping others we feel that we do.
I think that if you show UKC and want to do better, you really need to show in AKC shows too. You can beat handlers, you just need a good dog. So don't give the excuse you do not show at AKC shows due to the professional handlers, not a good excuse. They are just good at what they do, experts in grooming, and know how to handle - that is their profession. But anyone can do as good as they do, if they just try and practice. While I am at a show, I watch carefully and hopefully I learn.

Mary Ann - Thank you for your opinions. I appreciate it. The bold statement is the one i've been thinking about for a while that bothers me the most. Since its easier to get a UKC championship, some can go out and get one with their mediocre dog that would never achieve an AKC championship. Then people buying puppies are kinda fooled into paying for a champion sired dog that really isn't up to snuff. (what's the word for a champion mother cause i don't think the word in my head is right LOL)

So can handlers showing a less then perfect dog get theirs championed before a less experienced breeder showing a better dog? that doesn't seem right

You were trying to think of Champion dam..lol

Yes, that can happen .There are some handlers that can finish a door knob with hair.. They show so extensively that they know the judges to show under that will put them up. Like I said, it happens in all walks of life, not just dog shows and most of the time, anyone can win on any given day.

so a puppy would be champion damed? LOL still funny, but not as funny as what i was thinking.

anyway, your right, there's always gonna be some less then honest working going on in any part of life.

I'd still rather have an AKC champion over a UKC one. my yorkie came from neither but that's a whole different debate :rolleyes:. next time, even if the dog i choose isn't a yorkie, i know what i'll be looking for.

First of all there is not a perfect dog!!

You can beat a dog with a handler, but all depends on what happens in the ring and the competiton at the time.

When you are showing, you are competing against the dogs that are in the ring at the time competing against your dog - handlers or not. What does the judge likes out of the bunch? I have usually picked most times, what the judge has picked. Not always, but most. There are surprises at times, but not often. You can have a great dog - confirmation wise, but if there is one with better coat and well trained with great personality - that dog may get the win that day or not. It is all what happens in that few minutes as to which dog wins. That is why you can see one dog win the points one day and another the next day. But you can also see a dog go in and win everytime. So to win, you must have a nice dog with great qualities, good coat, movement, confirmation, color, well trained, out going personality, etc... to help raise your chances of winning. You never know who your competition is till ring time. You, as an exhibitor, must also be prepared and practice with your dog in order to have your dog ready and well trained. Grooming is also something that you must learn to do well, so the judge looking down the line in the ring will notice how nice your dog is. That is just how it is. It is like any competition - you must be ready. There is a lot to showing, but one can do well.
And yes, a less experienced exhibitor with a great dog can mess up the performance or coat of a great dog and not win. Reason one must practice and learn. That's life.

I should add, most handlers only take dogs that are great representatives of the breed. Their reputations are also on the line...Who wants to hear people laughing at them for the "dangling" an ugly dog on the end of the lead..lol

I also agree with you..For me, it's AKC or nothing!

Well said, Tina!

very true, no such thing as a perfect dog.

everything you said here is great and very well said. thank you you made excellent points.

I just want to add that handlers spend many, many hours refining their art and know what they are doing. They have more hours in training and grooming than I have or most people. They know how to work a dog and get them to preform at their best, reason people pay them to show their dogs. Their grooming is especially fantastic and they make getting a dog ring ready so easy. It is second nature to them. This is one reason why they get asked to do the videos on grooming, how to put a topknot up, how to show, etc... they are the experts. And I give them credit. It takes a lot of work and hours to do what they can do and yes, they also know what the judges like, and they can usually travel farther to go to all the shows. But it is nothing one cannot learn if put forth effort.

Good point. no good handler is going to want to tarnish their reputation by taking in a bad representation of the breed.

So true!! It is a very small world - the Show World! Reputation is everything!

One must remember that Handlers are professionals....they are well known and there are judges that won't look down the lead. Handlers are well trained in the art of presenting a dog and can take a mediocre dog and Champion it. It's what a handler is being payed for. So, it's up to the breeders to breed and show the best respresentations of the breed and only take those dogs to the judges or give them to a handler to show. If we don't do this then the only ones we're fooling is ourselves, our breeding program and hurting the breed.

Since I've never shown UKC, I have a question for those that do. How many yorkie entries are present at a UKC show?

No, it doesn't seem right, but it does happen.

I have no problem being in the ring and being beat by a better dog. But, when I'm beat by a visably lesser dog it is upsetting.

Showing a couple of weeks ago, there were only two of us in the bred by ring. Now this is going to sound strange but, the other dog in the ring was to die for, absolutely everything I like in a dog, leg, beautiful head, coat color, texture and length.....definately the better of the two dogs. He wouldn't show for his owner that day and that is the only reason CJ beat him.

I too have a question for UKC exhibitors. When selling puppies and giving pedigrees, do you list the dogs as UKC Champion or just Ch.?