How Much Will It Cost to Get Your Dog Ready for a Dog Show?
While each dog holds a special place in its owner's heart, dog shows are a place where they're judged by more than just their personality, it's all about their looks, breed, and ability. Therefore, participating in a dog show can be a rather harsh process for both the owner and their dog. Preparation for dog shows is not much easier. Read below to find out what it takes to win such a competition, when it comes to both your time and money.
How To Get Started: Registration and Membership
First of all, it's important to note, whether you already have or are about to purchase a puppy, it must be pure bred in order to be entered into a dog show. You must also be in possession of or request your puppy’s pedigree papers, showing that your puppy is a pure-bred. Next, step is the registration process, which is done by the Singapore Kennel Club, a national body for canine affairs.
Some of the Singapore Kennel Club’s activities include: training course, obedience training and dog shows. It is also the only recognized governing body for registration of pedigree dogs. In addition, in order to have your dog participate in a dog show, you must become a member. Membership is also required for registration of imported dogs.
| Membership Type | Associated Fees |
|---|---|
| Life Membership | S$900 |
| Ordinary Term Membership |
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| Ordinary Membership |
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Training
In order for your dog to perform well at the dog show, it needs to get training as it is one of the key components it will be judged by. Depending on the dog's behavior, you can either choose to train it yourself, or to get dog training classes. Below is a list of recommender dog training establishments offering obedience training.
| Training Establishment | Course Type | Duration | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawsitive Furkids | Obedience Training | 7 lessons (90 min each) | Group | S$450 |
| Perfect K9 | Basic Obedience Course | 8 lessons (75min each) | Group | S$680 |
| Woofie | Basic Obedience Training Package | 5 lessons ( 60 min each) | Individual | S$690 |
| Waggies | Basic Obedience Course | 10 lessons (75 to 90 min each) | Group | S$800 |
Grooming
The next step in preparation for a dog show is grooming. Make sure to bring your dog to a professional groomer at least a week, ideally 4 weeks before the show. This is because it's always better to tackle any issues your dog might be experiencing well ahead of time. There are several great dog grooming salons.
Typically their services are broken down by dog size and by service type: wash and blow, basic grooming and full grooming. Basic grooming typically includes nail clipping, paw pad shaving, shampooing and blow dry. Full grooming typically includes shaving and trimming of the whole body, in addition to the services covered under basic grooming.
| Grooming Establishment | Service & Price |
|---|---|
| Pooch's Image |
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| Art of Pets |
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| Animal Arts Academy |
|
| Grooming Establishment | Service & Price |
|---|---|
| Pooch's Image |
|
| Art of Pets |
|
| Animal Arts Academy |
|
| Grooming Establishment | Service & Price |
|---|---|
| Pooch's Image |
|
| Art of Pets |
|
| Animal Arts Academy |
|
A great bonus of having your Singapore Kennel Club membership is that you also get a discount at several pet grooming salons. Also, when paying for your dog's grooming services, make sure to use a cashback credit card to earn rewards on your purchase and save even more money.
| Grooming Establishment | Service & Price |
|---|---|
| Art of Pets | 12% discount off retail products |
| Animal Arts Academy | 5% discount for all pet & show grooming services at all outlets |
| The Dog Smith | 10% discount on grooming and 10% discount off selected products |
| Gen Pet Stylist | 10% discount off grooming products and grooming services |
Finally, Conformation
Conformation is another word for a dog show, in which the participating dogs are evaluated based on their appearance, movements and temperament. It is crucial to know the breed standard your dog identifies with and train them based on the qualities specific to that breed. This where your dog gets to shine, and hopefully impress the judges with its abilities.
Zoryana is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion, who focuses on evaluating credit cards, savings and fixed deposits in Singapore. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MPA in International Finance and Economic Policy, both from Columbia University. Prior to joining ValueChampion, Zoryana worked in treasury management consulting.