Different Types of Dog Shows—Official and Unofficial

There are several different types of dog shows, and the type you choose to participate in determines both how the competition is conducted and what awards are given out. Here, we’ll go over the most common types—and the difference between official and unofficial shows.

Official and Unofficial Dog Shows

Official shows are organized according to the Swedish Kennel Club’s (SKK) regulations and award official titles, certificates, and championship titles. Correct coat colors as defined by the SKK’s color chart must be observed.

Unofficial shows are more informal—here you can use more fun and personalized “unofficial” ribbons.

The official types of shows

National show —titles such as Certificates and Championships.
International show —CACIB, CACIOB, and CACIAG.
Nordic Dog Show —Nordic certificates and titles.

SKK’s official rosette color scheme

Quality assessment: Excellent – red, Very Good – blue, Good – yellow, Sufficient – green, CK – pink, HP – purple.

Competition evaluation: Places 1–4 – red, blue, yellow, green; Certificate – blue/yellow; Championship – red/green; BIR – red/yellow; BIM – green/white; BIS 1–4 – red/white, blue/white, yellow/white, green/white.

Which rosettes can you use?

Official: correct colors according to the SKK color chart—Excellent (red), Certificate (blue/yellow), Championship (red/green), BIR (red/yellow), BIS 1–4 → Dog Rosettes.

Unofficial: colorful “World’s Best Dog” rosettes and themed rosettes → Dog Rosettes.