# AKC Grand Champions



## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

WonderPup said:


> Just curious if any of you are very familiar with this program yet? I was kind of excited to see they were going to do this in AKC. Sometimes I am just not interested in seriously specialing a particular dog but would like to continue to show it, and now I have an excuse. Any plans to chase a title with any of your current poodles?



I have no interest in Specialing a Standard Poodle. Once mine are finished, they get the big shave down because I want to move onto performance.

However, I think the Grand Champion is fun for folks who want to concentrate on Conformation only.


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## frostfirestandards (Jun 18, 2009)

I have heard about it, but I was really confused as to the rules. im still a long way off from any of my guys being finished, so its a pipe dream right now


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

cbrand said:


> I have no interest in Specialing a Standard Poodle. Once mine are finished, they get the big shave down because I want to move onto performance.
> 
> However, I think the Grand Champion is fun for folks who want to concentrate on Conformation only.


I suppose I can understand that since coat care is such a big part of the ring. I do performance and conformation with all my guys and can do it at the same time pretty much b/c the coats are easier. It *could* be done with a poodle but would take a lot more dedication than just doing one or the other. I can't show either of my poodles at all in conformation which is a bummer (not that I have time for it at the moment anyhow).


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## Vibrant (Dec 7, 2009)

CKC has had a Grand Champion title for about three years now. The requirements are a Best in Show, and a 'performance' title. It's a little disappointing to me, though, that, although I think the title is important, CKC considers a CGN (same as CGC) a 'performance' title. I'd have liked to have seen a more challenging title as a requirement for a Grand Ch.
Does the AKC Grand Ch require anything other than success in conformation?


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Vibrant said:


> CKC has had a Grand Champion title for about three years now. The requirements are a Best in Show, and a 'performance' title. It's a little disappointing to me, though, that, although I think the title is important, CKC considers a CGN (same as CGC) a 'performance' title. I'd have liked to have seen a more challenging title as a requirement for a Grand Ch.
> Does the AKC Grand Ch require anything other than success in conformation?


No, it's a conformation only title so far as I know. You earn points in the breed ring just as you would for a regular championship. I might need to re-read it again. I think they probably elected to do it that way because not everyone wants to do performance events and there are so many titles to be earned in performance yet only one really for conformation. I think AKC was just sticking another conformation title for those type of people to shoot for. Kind of way to not run out of something to do I suppose. 

I agree with you on the CGC/CGN thing. Haha, the club for tibbies has a versatility title that requries conformation title and two 'other" titles and therapy dog certs and CGC's count.


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## Harley_chik (Nov 7, 2008)

Vibrant said:


> CKC has had a Grand Champion title for about three years now. The requirements are a Best in Show, and a 'performance' title. It's a little disappointing to me, though, that, although I think the title is important, CKC considers a CGN (same as CGC) a 'performance' title. I'd have liked to have seen a more challenging title as a requirement for a Grand Ch.
> Does the AKC Grand Ch require anything other than success in conformation?



I like the Canadian version better. I agree w/ you about the CGN thing though. I've lost a lot of faith in the CGC test recently. I really wish AKC or the parent clubs would off some sort of title for those dogs that have conformation/performance/and health testing or even just a CH and health testing. Breeders who do both should be recognized, IMO. The health testing part would certainly silence a lot of critics too.


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## Vibrant (Dec 7, 2009)

I agree with you on the CGC/CGN thing. Haha, the club for tibbies has a versatility title that requries conformation title and two 'other" titles and therapy dog certs and CGC's count.[/QUOTE]


I'm the Chair for the Poodle Club of Canada Versatility Awards, which were set up to reward poodles with performance titles (with or without conformation titles). I've had to specify on our website that CGN is not considered a performance title for the purpose of our awards. I can see how people would think that if it's good enough for a Grand Champion title, why not for our Versatility awards! However, it is our intention to recognize poodles which have spent time in training and overcome challenges to obtain their titles. That's not to say I don't think the CGN is valuable...to me it's more of a temperament test than a performance test.


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

Harley_chik said:


> I really wish AKC or the parent clubs would off some sort of title for those dogs that have conformation/performance/and health testing or even just a CH and health testing. Breeders who do both should be recognized, IMO. The health testing part would certainly silence a lot of critics too.


Versatility in Poodles does just this. They award a Versatility Title and Versatility Excellent Title based on a point system. You can gain points through Conformation, Performance, Service work and health testing. Pretty Cool!

Versatility In Poodles - Certificates


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## Vibrant (Dec 7, 2009)

You have to be a member of VIP to apply for and receive their awards.
Cheers received her VIP VC last year and we're working hard on the VCX.


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

cbrand said:


> Versatility in Poodles does just this. They award a Versatility Title and Versatility Excellent Title based on a point system. You can gain points through Conformation, Performance, Service work and health testing. Pretty Cool!
> 
> Versatility In Poodles - Certificates


I wish the tibbies would go to something like that. But it's such a small-ish club and the 'big breeders" who seem to attempt to control it don't want any additional tasks to complete for bragging rights. :rolffleyes: Kind of makes the whole thing pointless. Howie got his while we were working on his rally title and I didn't even know it. My mom I guess made sure his name was in b/c I wasn't thinking about it. I kind of laughed when I heard the requirements but sooooo many tibbie people are all about how they can't be trained and how difficult they are to work with blah blah blah.... basicly they are really down on a lot of obedience and such. I actually had a breeder tell me as a junior handler who was dabbling in Novice Obedience at the time that I was wasting my time and stuff like Obedience was for people who didn't have dogs good enough for the show ring. I must have been ummmm 15 or so at the time. I wasn't sure I saw the purpose of showing in conformation having done obedience in 4-H with my schnauzer for the previous 6 or 7 years. Oh well, I'm sure every breed has crazies involved with it but some of the tibbie people are... ummmm... a little extra 'special'.


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