• Entries for Shows and Trials may only be received on official ANKC entry forms or online entries as per the schedule.
  • If manual forms are used: Persons who are residents of the A.C.T must record their current Dogs A.C.T membership number on all entry forms submitted for Shows and Trials conducted in the ACT. Entry forms received from interstate persons must also include their membership number with their relevant controlling body.
  • In the event of an entry form being received without membership number shown thereon the Affiliated Club must return such entry form to the sender within 24 hours of receipt with an explanation of the reason for the rejection. If such entry form is satisfactorily completed before the closing date of the event, it may then be accepted.
• Entries for Shows and Trials must close at least three (3) weeks prior to the dates of the events.
• Dogs may only be entered in the name of the bona fide owner.
• By submitting an entry the owner acknowledges that the Affiliate will be held exempt from any liability in the event of any loss from any cause whatsoever.
• No exhibit shall enter or remain in the Show/Trial or Parade, if such dog has been in kennels affected with Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, or any other infectious disease during the period of three (3) months immediately prior to the commencement of the event.
• All dogs entered in Shows, Trials or Parades must be registered with the ACTCA or with a recognised Controlling Body. This registration must be in effect on the day entries close or the entry must be refused. No entries with registration pending are to be accepted.
• No person disqualified, suspended or expelled by the ACTCA or another Controlling Body may participate in any way in any event approved by the ACTCA and no dog owned by such person may be entered in any event approved by the ACTCA.
• No person shall be permitted to enter, exhibit or handle a dog at any Show, Parade or Trial in the ACT at which he or she is officiating as a judge. No member of the judge’s family shall enter or exhibit a dog at a Show ,Parade or Gundog Trial at which he or she is officiating as a judge except in respect of child handlers classes.
• No member of a Judge’s family shall be permitted to handle a dog in an Obedience, Agility, Field or Retrieving rings in which he or she is officiating as a Judge but may enter and/or handle in other Obedience, Agility, Field or Retrieving rings at the same time.
• No person shall enter or exhibit a dog under a judge who has previously owned that dog within the preceding  six (6) months.
• Any person judging at any championship conformation show in the ACT is not permitted to enter, show or handle any exhibit at any other championship conformation show held on the same weekend also within the ACT following their judging appointment if the judging panel or portion thereof is the same.
• The ACTCA will maintain a list of persons under disqualification in Australia and advise affiliates of additions and deletions to this list as they occur.
• Any dog over six (6) months of age which is not entire shall be ineligible to take part in Shows or Parades.
• A dog which has been desexed or sterilised shall be eligible to enter official Obedience, Agility, Tracking, Endurance and Gundog Trials but shall not be eligible to take part in Shows or Parades (unless Neuter Class is offered).
• A dog six months and over shall not be accepted as physically entire unless two (2) apparently normal testicles have descended and are in the scrotum.
• A judge shall notify any cases where the animal is not entire or is improperly prepared for exhibition to the Show Secretary on the day of the show.
• Within seven (7) days of the date of the Show or Parade, the Show Secretary shall furnish the ACTCA with full particulars in writing of any dog reported by the Judge to be not entire, suffering from any defect referred to in these Regulations or to have been improperly prepared for exhibition.
• A dog is considered to be improperly prepared if:
  • The natural colour or shade of natural colour or the natural markings of the dog have been altered or changed by the use of any substance whatsoever;
  • Any substance, preparation, powder or fluid used for cleaning has been applied to and remains on the dog during exhibition to such an extent as to deceive or be likely to deceive a judge whether it was applied with intent to deceive or not;
  • Any cutting, piercing, breaking by force, or any kind of operation or act which destroys the tissues of the ears or alters their natural formation or carriage, or shortens the tail or alters the carriage of the tail, has been practised, provided however, that shortening the tail shall be allowable in the case of breeds accepted by the ANKC as breeds which are normally presented with docked tails; excepting that a dog with ears where the cropping of ears is permitted may only be entered for ‘exhibition purposes only’ and then only if such a class is provided in the schedule of the body holding the exhibition;
  • Any cutting, piercing, breaking by force, or any kind of operation or act of like kind which otherwise alters the natural formation of the dog or any part thereof, has been practised, or anything has been done which is calculated to deceive, excepting the cutting or trimming of coats or hair, cases of necessary certified operations or the removal or dewclaws;
  • The lining membrane of the mouth has been cut or mutilated in any way.
• Dogs which have attained their championship points are debarred from exhibition in ordinary classes at Parades.
• Bitches in oestrum may be exhibited at Shows and Parades at the discretion of the affiliates concerned, but they may not compete in Trials.
  • An officer shall be appointed by an affiliate conducting a Trial to examine bitches in accordance with this Rule “Clubs shall have the power to order the removal of any bitch in oestrum from the precincts of the Show or Trial”.
• No exhibit shall be handled in the show ring in such a manner that causes interference or nuisance to another exhibitor.
• No dogs under the minimum age for exhibition shall be permitted within the precincts of the dog show area during a show or parade.
• An exhibitor’s number shall be called at least three (3) times and if the call is not acknowledged the exhibit shall be called absent from that class and be ineligible to compete in any further classes.
• This ineligibility penalty does not apply to an exhibit called absent at Sweepstakes which precede Breed Classes.
• Any exhibit which is present at a Show or Parade at which it has been entered which does not enter the ring when called for judging shall forfeit any awards including challenge certificates already made at that event in respect of that exhibit. A dog may only be withdrawn from competing in exceptional circumstances with the concurrence of the show secretary after consultation with the ACTCA Representative or with the approval of the judge in the ring.  A report on any such withdrawal or refusal shall be made by the ACTCA Representative to the Council.  If the exhibit is a challenge winner the ACTCA Council will then determine if the Reserve Challenge winner will receive the award.  If the exhibit is the Best of Breed winner no representative of the breed will be admitted to the Best in Group judging.
• There shall be no smoking by exhibitors, stewards or judges in the judging ring while judging is in progress.