16th Annual Dog Show June 12, 13 & 14, 2009

All events held at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center & Fairgrounds 2900 Lake Street, Kalamazoo MI 49048 Hosted by United Kennel Club, Inc. Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan for over 100 years CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR DISCOUNT COUPON

2009 PREMIER Schedule of Events is now available.


Looking for your favorite breed ...
Check out our Index of Breeds for each day ....

Friday ..... Saturday ..... Sunday

Please note the times in these indexes are approximate, please check at the appropriate ring for exact time and order of judging.

SPECTATOR NOTE: We, at United Kennel Club, love all dogs and encourage everyone to spend time with theirs; however, we ask that when attending PREMIER as a spectator, you please leave your dog at home. This is a national UKC licensed event, all dogs here are competitors.

What will you see at the UKC Premier dog show?

Dog Shows at UKC are more than just beauty contests for canines. At UKC, we embrace our "Total Dog" philosophy. Simply stated, this means that dogs should be sociable and trainable to allow them to easily adapt to their homes and their owners' lifestyle, possess the instincts that enable them to do the work for which they were bred and the physical traits that identify them as a member of a distinct breed. There is something for every dog and every dog owner at a UKC Dog Show!




Conformation Events are what most people think of when the hear the term "dog show." They are competitive events for purebreds where a judge evaluates a dog's structure as it compares to a written description of the perfect specimen of that breed, called a standard. While it may appear that dogs are being judged against one another, each dog is actually being compared to the judge's mental image of the perfect dog of that breed. The judges must be familiar with not only the standards of the breeds they judge, but with the Conformation rules and regulations as well. Each dog is examined by the judge in a posed position and must also gait in a pattern to allow the judge to evaluate its efficiency of movement. Dog shows may be held for one breed, several breeds or all breeds, depending on the experience of the club in managing such events.

Agility competition is probably best described as an obstacle course for dogs. If you ever attend a dog event and see a group of people walking around what looks like a playground of some sort and talking to themselves, you're probably watching the handler walk-through portion of an Agility competition. These people will be handling dogs in this event and they are actually formulating the fastest, most efficient way to complete the course. Agility Events are fast-paced exercises in which the handler directs the dog through a course involving tunnels, a sway bridge, jumps and other obstacles in a race against the clock. Speed is important, but control and accuracy are as well. The dogs are scored on the manner in which they negotiate these obstacles and the time elapsed to complete the course.

Dog Sports are what we call our new Protection Dog program. For centuries, dogs have acted as companions and as guardians over home, family and livestock. These natural tendencies are channeled and focused in our Dog Sport events. Starting with the most basic Family Obedience program and advancing through more difficult levels of training, dogs are evaluated as companions and as protectors of home and hearth. Training and stability of temperament are the key traits of the dogs participating in this newest of UKC events.

Obedience Events test the training of dogs as they perform a series of exercises at the command of their handler. There are several levels of competition, ranging from basic commands such as "sit," "come" and "heel" to scent discrimination and directed retrieves over jumps. The classes are further divided by the experience of the handler as well. All dogs start their competition with a perfect score of 200, and points are deducted according to the performance of dog and handler. Obedience events offer an opportunity for the handler and dog to form a special bond of trust unequaled in other events.

If you hear a lot of cheering and shouting coming from a corner of the dog show grounds, it probably means Terrier Races are being held nearby. Open to many Terrier breeds as well as Dachshunds, these speedsters charge out of the gate, down a track in pursuit of a lure, through a chute into the arms of their owners. Nothing too complicated here; the first dog across the finish wins!

Does your dog pull you along the sidewalk every time you take him for a walk? Does your shoulder ache from your dog's constant straining at his leash? Well, your dog might be a star at Weight Pull! Weight Pull Events give dogs an opportunity to perform a function that comes naturally to many dogs, one that they obviously enjoy. Dogs are placed in a harness and pull a weighted cart a prescribed distance. The weight vehicles operate either on wheels, on snow or on a rail system. The dogs are scored based on how much weight they can pull and by the proportion of their body weight to the amount of weight pulled. From the smallest of breeds to the largest, all dogs can compete. Never count out even the tiniest of dogs in this exciting competition!

The purpose of the UKC® Junior Program is to encourage young handlers to become fully involved with the world of dogs, by encouraging participation in conformation and performance events, breeding dogs, and promoting responsible dog ownership. The unofficial UKC motto is "Our Dogs Do Stuff™." One very important goal of this program is to encourage UKC® Juniors to embrace this philosophy.

Dock jumping is a simple, yet exciting sport that has been exploding all over the country. UKC is excited to add it as another performance event, through Ultimate Air Dogs; yet another way to have fun with your dog! There are two different forms of jumping that UKC dogs will be able to obtain titles in: Ultimate Air or Distance Jumping, and Ultimate Vertical.

Ultimate Air is the basic form of competition that started dock jumping. Dogs run down the dock and handlers try to get them to fly as far as they can after a toy. It’s a thrilling, adrenaline-driven event that is a blast for handlers and crowds alike. Ultimate Vertical is a newer twist on the sport that started as a training tool to get more distance out of dogs. It’s a form of high jumping. A training bumper is held 8’ out over the water by an extender. A starting height is set and dogs must bring the bumper down (by either a knock or a catch) for that height to count, then the bumper is moved up two inches and the dog progresses until the next round. This repeats until there is only one dog still soaring, and crowd excitement builds the higher and higher the dogs fly.

Flyball Relays, Agility Racing, Frisbee Dogs, World Record High Jumping, Dancing Dogs, Trick Dogs, and more. Top dogs and trainers from all over the USA and Canada come to compete and entertain at fairs and events. The show is choreographed to music and mixed with comedy and special effects.

The Classic K-9 Show is known internationally as the most memorable and enjoyable canine arena show for audiences of all ages. Massive live show experience since 1989 produces the greatest show of its kind!

To learn more about the Classic K-9 Show, visit their website at www.classicK9.com

So come to the show early and plan to stay late! Be sure to check out your spectator bag at the gate, this will give you complete details of this event, including a map of the grounds and an Index of Breeds so you know when your breed will be judged in the Conformation Rings. There's something different going on every minute, events that will appeal to people of all ages. Just remember to ask before touching dogs, but don't be afraid to ask questions. Who knows, someday that might be you and your dog in the Winners Circle!

If you would like further information about United Kennel Club's PREMIER show, please feel free to contact our office at 269-343-9020 or e-mail at traab@ukcdogs.com