AHhh Ed........now you really know how to hurt someone that recently bragged about a Best In Futurity! <G> Seriously.....I like Peggy's idea of younger puppy classes for the shows. She is right...there are hardly any Matches and it would be nice to show our pups younger just for the experience and it likely would increase entries to help A.K.C. Maybe just not count the really young puppy classes for points for the W.D. or W.B.......because technically that could make a lot of majors for dogs that hardly competed against any adults. <G> Interesting idea that I kind of like though!! I know at times we all have a young pup at the end of a show season and it would be nice to get it into a show for a learning experience....... without waiting for months before the shows start up again. Carolyn marhaven@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx www.Marhaven.com ----- Original Message ----- From: edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Forwarded for Peggy M. no one other than YOUÂ can take your joy away, I must admit that Peggy and I seldom agree, but then again very few folks and myself agree....however Peggy, who needs no defense from me stated some facts and background surrounding the award and gave her opinion about it...I saw nothing mean about it...you want GRAND CH points....God bless ya, I agree with Peggy on this one...whats next...Super Duper GRAND CH.....then SUPER SUPER DUPER DUPER GRAND CH?...and for the record....the way we do Futurites are a waste of time too!...FB From: "Cynthia VanDenBerge" <vande001@xxxxxxxxx> Well, I think that this post is just plain mean....considering that there are several on this list who have recently and proudly earned this title. What Peggy says may be true..to a degree, but why attempt to take away someone's joy? What's the point or reason for this? I just don't get people anymore. I am glad that my dogs have better character and sensitivity. Cynthia Original Message -- From: "Peggy Mickelson" <pmick12@xxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: AKC's Grand Champion title you have to start with the knowledge that this award was never ïintended to mean anything ... the idea was conceived as a way to bring more money into AKC. There was never any secret about that. As originally conceived, a dog who'd finished his or her championship could get to be a Grand Champion without ever beating another special. Nothing is required now in the way of wins best of breed win required, nothing). ..just keep going and going until some judges give you enough Select awards (that's what they call them...select awards) and somewhere along the way, get one of those when another champion in the ring doesn't get one...so you actually beat a dog. The points counted toward a GrCH are not accumulated until your dog is already a champion...the points garnered along that way don't count anymore. However, the amount of points awarded for a Grand does depend on how many points were awarded in the classes on that day. It's a rather stupid award, considering that it means nothing except you could afford to keep showing and showing your dog until it had enough GrCH points, and there are many, many people in this country who think the title is a joke. On the other hand, there are people who are trying like mad to get the title... even if it took them 3 years of constant showing to finish the dog in the first place. When it was a hot topic of discussion on the Judges' list, a fellow from New Zealand, where they claim to have instituted the original award,said, and he made no bones about it, that the Americans had made a mess of yet another thing.............it was quite funny. Anyway, it was supposed to make money for AKC by increasing entries... (they should have put 3-6 or 4-6 month old puppy classes in instead...that would probably really have increased entries, since matches are so rare these days). So, now, in addition to getting some kind of certificate, the first 10 dogs in each breed to attain the title will get another one of the AKC's chintzy medallions............ You should know, too, that if a judge doesn't make the Select awards, he or she will get a letter from AKC asking for a written explanation of why not. So much for it being discretionary..........what a joke. Peggy ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2010. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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