We show our bitch but do not intend to breed from her. However as we now have a dog puppy that we do intend to show (and therefore will not be have castrated), to avoid problems in the future with seasons, we are thinking about having her spayed. I know we'll probably have an effect on her coat but since she doesn't do well in bigger breed classes anyway, I don't think it'll make any difference.

My daughter uses her for Junior handling (and this involves the dog also being entered in the breed class) I think we have to get permission to show her?!?! Does anyone have any experience of getting permission and what is entailed?

Thank you

You don't need permision simply to inform them.

You just write the letter to the Aylesbury KC office quoting your dogs KC registered name, DOB, Breed.
Inform them that she has been spayed and when and they normally return the KC letter of acknowledgement very quickly.
Well subject to the Royal Mail's delivery too

Thank you, that sounds like its more straight forward than I was led to believe

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/488

Towards the bottom of the page - Neutered Dogs

In the past you had to ask for permission to shown as only dogs/bitches that had registered progeny would be able to be shown, but this was changed to an overall acceptance of showing neutered animals more than 15 years ago.

I don't know why but the idea still persists that either you can't show them or you need permission.

You just need to let them know, many people choose not to (how will anyone know with a bitch) as they don't like the ugly appendage of 'neut' on the registration database, and they are automatically allowed anyawy.  It looks rather silly to buy a KC produced pedigree with several ancestors listed as neuters, as obviously at the time they were fertile, LOL.

Make sure to use the form in lincolnimp's link -it does ask for the vet's name and address as well as the other details. I've never felt the form is very clear but I got the vet to fill it in and sign it, rather than doing it myself. (That was May this year.)

Are there quite a few neutered dogs being shown then?  Never really thought about it before but sounds like more common than I thought it might be!

I often see people talking about it on forums, but when I've taken my neutered boy to shows and ringcraft classes most people have been shocked... in particular a steward who told me it wasn't allowed (to which I produced my letter from KC), needless to say, he's never been placed!!! Edited to add:  except a first place in 'dog most like owner'

Mainly bitches rather than dogs.

Unfortunately the standards do call for males to have apparently normal testicles, and the absence will be considered a fault.

Also if a male pup is neutered young he will fail to develop fully and that will hold him back against mature full males.

Neutered males that continue to win are usually those veterans or champions who have been neutered later in life, and already established in the ring.

As other have said there are a good number of spayed bitches in the ring. I know of a few bitches who have made Ch in my breed who were spayed young, I currently show a spayed veteran (she was spayed after her last litter) and she won a CC with Best in Show at our breed show in 2008. I have also shown a castrated dog , he was castrated in his middle years but he did ok and when we did show him he managed to get in the cards and even managed to stand in front of Ch's on occassions BUT its much harder to do well with a castrated dog.  

K

What ever you do inform them straight away.  I know that one person was suspended from showing for not informing them.  Sooner the better.

If we have her spayed it will probably be next summer when the puppy is doing more of the handling classes.  Then if her coat blows completely we still have a dog in the ring...