OBSERVATION MAPPING AT A DOG SHOW

by Gini Graham Scott
(Copyright Gini Graham Scott 2003)

Introduction

             I conducted my observation and mapping on April 19, 2003 at the 33^rd Licensed All-Breeds Show and Obedience Trial sponsored by the Chief Solano Kennel Club at the Solano County Fairgrounds and at the Northern California Pomeranian Club’s Specialty Show and Sweepstakes which followed at the same location.  I observed at the All Breeds Show from 12:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. and at the Pomeranian Club from 6 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. The All Breeds show, with about 1600 entrants, was held both outside and inside the Exposition Hall at the County Fairgrounds, while the Pomeranian show, with about 75 entrants, was held inside the Exposition Hall.  Besides the entrants, at each show there were various AKC officials and spectators, generally family members, resulting in approximately 2500 attendees at the All Breeds Show and approximately 150 attendees at the Pomeranian show.

            Though two separate events, they are interconnected in that both were conducted under the American Kennel Club Rules and both provide a way for entrants to acquire points for their dog.   Some of the Pomeranian owners (hereafter called “Pom” for short, which is how the Pom owners refer to their breed) had entered dogs in the Toy Dog competition at the All Breeds Show, and by AKC rules, the Pom competition could not begin until one-half hour after the Best of Show competition at the All Breeds Show ended.   However, while the All Breeds Show was still going on in the outside main ring at 6:00 p.m., with the final competition for Best of Show and didn’t end until 6:30 p.m., by 6:00 p.m., most of the Pom owners had already gathered in the Exposition Hall and were just beginning their buffet.  Thus, I began my observation of the Pom event at 6:00 pm.

The Setting

            The Solano County Fairgrounds are located across the road from the Marine World Six Flags Amusement park, a huge complex featuring rides and a display of marine mammals.  The approach along Fairgrounds Road, just off the Redwood Road turnoff from 101, passes by a mix of small suburban homes, open fields, and a Holiday Inn and Motel 6 to the right as one nears the Fairgrounds.  In contrast to the highly commercial Marine World Park, the Fairgrounds have a folksy country character.  

I arrived shortly after 12:30 p.m. at the narrow access road where a small sign with an arrow pointed to the Fairgrounds. About 100 yards down the road, a hand-drawn sign by a small wooden-guard house announced: “$3 parking”, and a teenager, about 17 or 18, in jeans and T-shirt, stood by it talking to a similarly dressed friend.  After I asked: “Is this where the dog show is?” he pointed ahead and commented that: “The dog show is everywhere on the fairgrounds and you can park anywhere.”

            Inside, I found a vast open field parking lot filled up by a mix of SUVs, trailers, and ordinary passenger cars.  They were arranged in a series of haphazard rows, which allowed enough space to drive from row to row, and I found a place next to a trailer.  Between my car and the trailer, a man and woman had set up two folding chairs alongside a small pen for two yapping dogs, which looked like greyhounds.   “Okay to park here?” I asked, and they replied: “It’s fine.  You can park anyplace you can find a space, as long as you don’t block the road.” Then, they pointed to the large sign at the Fairgrounds entrance.   I put my camera bag, bag with my tape recorder, tapes, and notebook, and my pocketbook over my shoulder, and headed to the sign.   It was an open entryway with no further fee for entry, and I went right in.

            Inside, the show was set up like a small city.  Directly ahead two oval rings for judging were marked off by chains, which separated the contestants with dogs inside the ring from the spectators, though right now there weren’t any competitions in these rings.  To the left, across a narrow path were several more rings, and then the path led to a bazaar of concession stands to the left and in front of the large Exposition Hall.  The stands featured a wide range of products for dogs and dog owners, such as bedding, health care products, dog treats and toys, leashes, collars, signs, postcards, and magnets with pictures of dogs, and a stand for getting different varieties of hot and frozen coffee.  People milled around, most with one or two dogs on leashes.   Beyond the concession stands before the rings used to judge the obedience trials, a dozen or so groups of people had set up small-picnic like gatherings, where they were serving lunch on small tables.

            Immediately inside the Exposition Hall, there were some long tables where club representatives were seated in front of show catalogs and several dozen stacks of free literature on AKC procedures for running shows, guidelines for entering dogs, and booklets describing upcoming AKC shows in nearby locations.  In the center of the hall were a half-dozen more chain-enclosed rings for showing dogs, and at the far end of the hall was a food concession with sandwiches, chips, and sodas.  After I picked up two dozen different brochures, I went out of the Exposition Hall and turned left to explore the nearby overnight parking area.  It was filled with row after row of large RVs with names like Hurricane and Chieftain.   This was one of th two large parking areas, where most of the out-of-town entrants parked their vehicles for the $55 overnight parking fee.  They had such large vehicles, since they traveled and lived there while on the road with their dogs.   The other parking area was located on the other side of the Exposition Hall.

            The maps on the following pages show the exterior of the Fairgrounds and the interior of the Exposition Hall.   I also took several rolls of film of both areas, and these photos are included in the Appendix.   I have additionally included the map of the grounds that was included in the Judging Program, although there were some changes in the location of the main judging event.  It was held outdoors in the areas designated as Ring 7 and 8, rather than inside in Ring 1.

Fig. 1: Exterior of Fairgrounds

Fig. 2: Exterior of Fairgrounds: Official Program Map

Fig. 3: Interior of Exposition Hall During Dog Show

 
Fig. 4: Interior of Exposition Hall at Pom Show

Structure of the Event

          The two shows were highly structured according to a printed scheduled that marked the various phases, although the timing for the events was sometimes later than printed in the schedule. 

At the All Breeds Show, the judging events were divided into activities that went on at 15 different rings simultaneously, except for the judging for the Best of Group, Best of Show, and other final award winners which occurred only in one location.  At these concurrent events, attendees generally showed up only for the judging for their particular breed or if they were entered in the final events or a family member or friends of a particular entrant. Otherwise, people generally left the judging area with their dogs after their competition ended to return to their RVs or the informal picnic areas.  While about 200 spectators sat around the main ring during the final awards (though their numbers diminished as the judging for each group concluded), about 3 dozen spectators observed at the other competitions.  Within this framework, the major phases of the All Breeds Show were these:

·        8-8:30 a.m.          Opening of show

·        8:30-3:00 p.m.     Judging of Different Breeds in Rings 1-15

            (Judging of Toy Dogs in Rings 1-4 in the Exposition Hall;

            Judging of Obedience Trials in Rings 13-15; Judging of the

            individual breeds in the other rings)

·        3:00-6:30 p.m.     Judging of Best of Group and Best in Show

(Judging was according to the following order, each with its own

designated judge: 1) Terriers; 2) Non-Sporting Group;

3) Herding Group; 4) Hound Group; 5) Toy Group; 6) Working

Group; 7) Sporting Group; and finally Best Brace in Show (2

dogs),  Best Team in Show (4 dogs), and Best in Show.

At the Pom Show, though the event was supposed to start officially one-half hour after the All Breeds Show and everyone had to be out of the building by 11 p.m., the show hours in the program were listed as 4 p.m. to Midnight.  While some participants arrived early to groom their dogs and socialize, most participants and their family members didn’t gather until about 6 p.m.   The buffet began around 6:30 p.m. and then the judging, which began at 7:00 p.m., was structured into a series of phases in a single ring, followed by a raffle after the Best of Breed was announced.  More specifically, these events and the approximate times they occurred were these:

·        5:00-6:30 p.m.     Initial Gathering of Participants

·        6:30-7:00 p.m.     Buffet and Informal Socializing

·        7:00-8:00 p.m.     Sweepstakes Show for cash awards, featuring different types of dogs

(divided into competitions of puppies of different ages and

genders, followed by an award for the best in Sweepstakes and 

the best of the opposite sex in Sweepstakes)

·        8:00-10:00 p.m.   Specialty Show based on AKC standards (divided into

competitions of puppies of different age, genders, and type of

breeding, with an award for the Best of Breed, Best of Winners,

Best of Opposite Sex, and Best Puppy in Regular Class)

·        10:00-10:40 p.m. Raffle of Prizes

Rules of the Event

            The particular rules used for structuring and judging the event were those of the American Kennel Club, which was founded in 1884.  It is the governing body that licenses official AKC clubs, which sponsor events and give awards to entrants based on AKC rules. Winners seek to accumulate points for their dogs when they win in the Best of Breed, Best of Group, and Best of Show categories. 

            The AKC was founded as an independent, non-profit organization devoted to “the advancement and welfare of purebred dogs,” and it has become the principal registry of purebred dogs in the U.S., recording over 1 million dogs each year.  The organization consists of over 500 independent clubs around the U.S., which are governed by club delegates.  In addition, the AKC sanctions and licenses over 4500 clubs around the U.S., which hold events governed by its rules – over 15,000 competitions each year. 

The specific rules governing these events are outlined in detail through AKC literature, such as distributed at the All Breeds show, and available through the AKC Web site.  For example, as described in one booklet on the literature table: Rules Applying to Dog Shows, the following key rules governed these two shows I attended:

·        A member show is a show at which championship points may be awarded, given by a club or association which is a member of the American Kennel Association.

·        A specialty show is a show given by a club or association formed for the improvement of any one breed of pure-bred dogs, at which championship points may be awarded to said breed.

·        All clubs or associations holding dog shows under the rules of The American Kennel Club…shall use the following colors for their prize ribbons or rosettes, in the regular classes of The American Kennel Club and the regular group classes.

There are also rules governing the classifications of dogs by group and breed, the age of dogs that can be entered, and the classification of dogs into about a dozen categories, including: puppy, 12-18 month, novice, bred-by-exhibitor, American bred, open, and winner classes, divided by sex of the dog.  Other rules govern obedience trials, qualifications to be a judge, and exclusions when a member of a judge’s household is participating as an entrant, professional handler, or superintendent. 

The rules additionally govern the selection of show superintendents and secretaries who run the event, and there are eligibility rules for dogs to compete, such as the requirement that dogs have to be individually registered in the AKC Stud Book or be part of an AKC-registered litter.   All entered dogs also have to be entered in the name of the dog’s owner and the owner has to submit the entry on the appropriate entry form with the required fee, and any entries by kennels can only come from registered AKC kennels.  Additionally, rules govern the format and content of the show catalog, which is required at each show.  The catalog must contain certain required information, including the exact location and dates of the show, show hours, list of all officers and members of the event, names and addresses of all judges, the superintendent and show secretary, names and addresses of all exhibitors, and information on all entered dogs.    

Finally, at all AKC events, a series of rules govern the awarding of points to the winning dogs – the ultimate goal of the entrants. Dogs receive championship points for winning in various breed and sex categories, depending on the number of dogs entered in the competition, and they gain additional points for winning as the best of winners.   Eventually, after participating in a number of shows, if a dog wins 15 points, subject to certain qualifications (such as acquiring these points under two or more different judges), it becomes a Champion of Record 

In short, an AKC competition – whether an All Breeds or a Specialty Show -- is a highly structured, rule-governed event, and certain areas of the event are designated for officials involved in the event.  For instance, only the dog handlers and dogs are allowed in the ring along with the judge during a judging, and all the owners or the handlers showing the dog go through a series of specified procedures in showing their dogs.  Generally they walk around in a circle, line up with their dogs, take their dogs for a run around the ring, and then the judge picks the handlers with dogs for further consideration to step forward or remain in the ring, while the other handlers and their dogs leave the ring.  Then, the judge may inspect each of the remaining dogs more closely or ask the handler to again walk or run around the ring with his or her dog.  

Finally, after the judge winnows the field down to the winning dogs (generally three or four dogs), the judge gives out the appropriate ribbons. Often, an official AKC designated photographer will be called to take photographs of the winning dogs and owners, and no other photographer is allowed in the ring (as I discovered myself, when I stepped into the rings where the Dalmatians were being judged, soon after I arrived), although photographers are welcome to take photographs elsewhere at the show.  Then, after the winners receive their ribbons and any photography is finished, everyone leaves the ring, after which the winners are congratulated by their families and other well-wishers.  Soon after, the next group of handlers and dogs enter, until the competitions scheduled for that ring are over.   

Proxemics and Social Stratification

            There were no obvious social stratification markers at this show, since the participants were dressed in a wide range of clothing – from very casual levis and jackets to some owners and handlers who wore suits and dresses.  The choice seemed to be a matter of individual preference, although some informants at the Pom Specialty Show advised me that the owners of some breeds, especially the Toy breeds, tend to dress up more, since they have smaller, more easy to handle dogs, while the owners of other breeds, such as the hounds, working, and sporting dogs, tend to be more casually dressed, since they have to handle more active dogs.  The other major distinction in dress is that the judges tended to be more formally dressed than others to show their more formal role as show officials.  

            It was not possible to obtain any information about occupation, education, income, or wealth in this public context or to adequately estimate this given the large crowd at both events – around 2500 at the All Breeds Dog Show, around 150 at the Pom Specialty Show.   The wide range of cars in the parking lot also didn’t give much clue about these demographic factors. 

            The one main distinction in proxemics and stratification was between the officials who were putting on the show, the judges, and the other participants.   There were certain designated areas for the officials, who were at the registration and literature tables, and the judges had certain places to stand in the ring during the judging events.   Also, at the final judging of the winners in the main ring, a cordoned-off section was designated for the judges of all the competitions.  This section was located outside of the ring to the left of the judges seated in the ring.  (In this case, I discovered this reserved section, when I was taking photographs and sat down in one of the seats reserved for judges, and the judge I sat next to advised me that this area was for judges, so I quickly moved to a patch of grass a few feet away and took my photos there). 

Material Artifacts

            In keeping with the structured nature of both events, much of the literature available reflected this structure.  At the All Breeds Show, the literature included a catalog describing which competitions were being judged where, along with information on the judges, entrants and dogs, while the program included a summary of this information, plus a map of the grounds.  The catalog also included information about a second event with the same type of program, but with different judges, sponsored by the same local club.  The scheduling of these two separate events on consecutives days was common for many AKC clubs, since it was a way a club could sponsor two shows back-to-back at the same location in order to cut down the costs of putting on the event and the costs for dog owners, many of whom traveled a long distance, to attend, as some participants at the Pom Show later explained to me.

            In addition, the literature included a variety of AKC literature on rules for all AKC sponsored dog shows, rules for registering and disciplining dogs, obedience show regulations, tracking test regulations, and rules governing dog show judges and stewards who assist judges.  There were also rules for dealing with misconduct, such as arguments with officials or participants, bad language, and mistreatment of a dog.  Still other literature include programs for upcoming AKC events in the area, booklets with advice on selecting “The Right Dog for You,” on caring for and traveling with dogs, and a flyer on the AKC’s new website with show and entry information for different levels of Web site membership.  Plus there was official literature from the American Dog Owners Association, an organization promoting responsible dog ownership for pet owners, such as a membership flyer and brochures on “Selecting the Right Puppy,” “Training and Housebreaking Your Puppy,” “The Health and Care of Your Puppy,” and “Canine Travel Tips.”

            Aside from this official literature, some a few free magazines were also available.  One was the Dog News, a biweekly publication distributed by one of the concessionaires selling a supermarket of dog supplies, which featured news and ads about all of the breeds.  Another was The Pom Reader, devoted to winning Poms, available at the Pom Show registration desk.  These publications helped to support the competition focus at these shows through their photographs of show winners and ads from breeders who bred dogs from show champions. But other types of  commercial or promotional literature, such as for dog products or service, was not available, and there was no place for anyone to distribute or promote anything not related to dog shows, as I discovered, when I asked at the information table at the All Breeds Show, if I could put out some flyers about the “Do You Look Like Your Dog” website.  One of the women at the table immediately told me that I would need permission from an AKC official before putting out any literature, although I was able to personally give out the flyers when I took photos of owners and their dogs.

Conclusion

            In sum, the focus of these shows was on judging dogs in various breed categories and in honoring the winning owners and their dogs.   The layout of the event was dedicated to providing space to carry out this judging, with specified places and roles for the judges, other AKC officials, and entrants with their dogs.  The rules were well-known by the participants and were designed to describe and facilitate the judging process, too.   The literature available at the event provided further support for this goal, through the extensive AKC publications featuring rules and information related to AKC show activities. 

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