I have a bitch who will be 15 months old at the Club Show in a couple of months time.  I've got the paperwork to enter her and don't know which categories she's eligible for.

Is she a Junior or a Yearling?  What is a Novice?  And a Graduate?
Can I enter the Limit or Open categories?  What about the Open Stakes (D/B)?

Can you tell I'm a beginner at this?
Thanks in advance!

A Junior is up to 18 months, a yearling up to 24 months. Novice, Graduate, Limit etc are all classes limited to how much the dog has won or not. Open is for any dog of the breed but is the ONLY class not restricted, so the Open class (and also Open stakes but that will be for ALL breeds) will be the one class where all top winners can compete. I.e. you really only enter Open when your dog has won a lot or if there ARE no other classes (can happen). For the first show, you are best off entering the age restricted classes, and limit yourself to one or two before you know how your girl will like it all -best not to overwhelm either her or you the first time. So if I was you, I'd enter her in Junior and maybe  Yearling. She'll most likely look immature in the other classes (especially in Limit and Open) which will look bad -the other dogs in there may be 5, 6 years old. It's also a typical beginner thing to enter as many classes as possible so stick to two. I've watched beginners take part in 3 or 4 classes and it looks really bad (and must be awful for the owner) if the dog doesn't like it or the judge doesn't like that particular dog, so that in class after class the dog is placed last or not placed at all. I never enter more than 2 classes with any of my dogs.

I'm new at the showing game too, very confusing isn't it!
I tend to ask our breeder which classes to go in, she/he may also be able to tell you which judges will like your 'type' of dog.
If not, do you have a schedule, if so the Definitions of Classes should be in there, near the back.

Well done Marianne, you explain better than I could!

Thanks a lot!
It is a breed-specific show and we're a rare breed so there will probably only be about 30-40 dogs total.    I have shown her at the Club Show before but she was a puppy then so it wasn't as complicated!  (And my breeder told me what to do)

Ludo doesn't mind being shown at all, but she never wins anything because her eyes are the wrong colour for the breed standard.  We are just entering for fun and to be sociable.  I think I'll take your advice and just do Junior and Yearling.

Much appreciated

In Response to MarianneB

In my breed at club shows it is quite usual to enter dogs in 4 or more classes.

when my Jozi won her first CC she was in Junior, Sp yearling, Graduate, Post Graduate, and special Beginners.  who is the kind of bitch that gets better and better as she settles, so having her in lots of classes paid off.  She was forgiven her exuberance in the early classes because of age/inexperience.

I don't think we would have won the CC that day on her performance in Junior :D

It used to be common to enter more than oen class at general champ shows too, but now ti is too expensive for the secodn entry and it is rare to see more than two classes entered, usually puppy and Junior or Junior and Post grad, after that it is just the one class.

Ah, must be something ese that can vary breed from breed then!

I didn't know that - you learn something new, etc, etc! In my breed you often get dogs in 2 classes, but hardly ever more than 3, even the JW chases don't usually do more than 3. When Henry got his CC he was in Junior & Graduate, and I've kicked myself a million times for not doing Post Grad because that would have been the 3 points he missed his JW by!!