United Kennel club--New Champion

United Kennel Club – Maple Leaf Kennel Club Show Report
By Laura Ford

The Maple Leaf Kennel Club, located in Brampton, Ontario is a branch of the United Kennel Club, which is based in Michigan and was founded in 1898. There are two weekend shows held each year in Brampton. UKC shows are also held in Saskatchewan and perhaps elsewhere in Canada? We entered our female Icelandic Sheepdog in the Brampton fall weekend of four shows. We showed with a temporary listing number.

It is very easy to get a UKC temporary listing number, the UKC has an on-line application, and the number lasts indefinitely. However, there is a sliding scale of fees to pay in order to transfer wins and points to the dog’s permanent registration record. The longer you wait to complete registration, the more it will cost to transfer the points!


Scott, who has always handled her in CKC official classes, handled Soley for all the shows. The UKC does not allow professional handlers; dogs must be handled by the breeder, or owner or a friend or relative of the dog’s family. Many of their shows allow entries the day of the show, prior to the start-time for judging. The UKC promotes itself as a family-friendly organization, and their judging criteria emphasize soundness and breed function. UKC judges can either allow or ban bait and toys from their ring. At the Brampton show, three judges allowed the use of bait (including toys) and one didn’t. The information was posted at ringside on the judging schedules.

The UKC also strongly bans the use of foreign substances, like hairspray and chalking powder, and handlers can’t carry grooming implements like brushes into the ring. It seems like a great venue for beginner handlers to step into the ring.


On Saturday, Sóley was awarded Group 1st by Gregory Storms of Ontario in the first show, and Group 1st by Pamela Moore of Michigan in the second show. On Sunday, she received a Group 2nd from Sandy Shaw (Michigan), and a Group 2nd from Maude Tank (Michigan), which was her third competitive win. That means Soley has completed the requirements for a UKC championship! We are now waiting for her CKC registration to be completed, so that we can apply for full UKC registration and transfer her wins to her permanent record.


After the judging, both Gregory Storms who breeds Belgian Shepherds, and Pamela Moore who breeds Shelties, came up to us to pet her and commented on her lovely temperament - she got tummy rubs and gave kisses to the judges. Both of them were very interested in the breed, asked if we had any more of them and if they've been out to CKC shows.

During the photography, Maude Tank told us she is a beautiful bitch. We got a lot of positive remarks and interest in the breed from other exhibitors. Many of them asked if we would be at the Metro Mid-Winter Classic. We were told it’s the UKC’s version of the Westminster show - and at this show the dogs are "benched" so they spend the weekend on display and being ambassadors for the breed.


An interesting post-script to the occasion, is that the UKC has now moved the Icelandic Sheepdog to the Herding Group, as of January 1st, 2007. Prior to this, they were classed in the Northern breeds group, so at the Maple Leaf Show we competed against American Eskimo and Siberian husky dogs. I was informed that the UKC Breed Committee has put them in the Herding Group because they were developed for the function of herding sheep in Iceland.