How a dog becomes Dutch Champion
In the Netherlands, an average of 17 all-breed dog shows are held each year under the auspices of the Raad van Beheer (Dutch kennel club). Dogs participating in these shows compete for national championship points (a CAC) or international championship points (a CACIB). In addition, breed clubs which are recognised by the Raad van Beheer hold annual championship matches and are also entitled to award CAC’s to the dogs entered.
CAC’s and CACIB’s are not awarded at ordinary club matches organised by the breed clubs or by regional dog clubs and associations. So any prizes or titles gained at these shows do not count towards a dog’s championship points.
CAC stands for Certificat d' Aptitude de Championnat.
CACIB stands for Certificat d' Aptitude International de Beauté.
A CAC is awarded to the best bitch of the breed and to the best dog of the breed. So two CAC’s are awarded per breed. Each bitch and each dog allocated second place, receives the reserve CAC. A CAC can only be awarded if the judge has given to the dog in question the qualification EXCELLENT. Four reserve CAC’s are equal to 1 whole CAC. So a reserve CAC is a quarter of a point. Points may be added up in this manner once only.
The title of Dutch Champion is awarded to a dog who has won the equivalent of 4 CAC’s, provided the last point was awarded on or after the day on which the dog reached the age of 27 months. The CAC’s must have been awarded by at least three different judges.
A CAC won at a breed club championship match or at the Amsterdam Winner show is worth two CAC’s. A double CAC counts once only.
If a CAC is won by a dog which already holds the title Dutch Champion, the CAC is awarded to the reserve winner, the dog in second place.
The title of International Champion is awarded to a dog who has won four CACIB’s in three different countries under three different judges. A year and a day must have elapsed between the first CACIB and the second CACIB.
The new title of Dutch Junior Champion was introduced in the Netherlands as of 1 January 2006. This title is awarded to a dog who wins the Junior Class three times, with the qualification Excellent, at a Dutch CAC and/or CACIB show or at breed club Championship Match. The points must be awarded by at least two different judges. Registration of the title Dutch Junior Champion automatically gives the holder an additional whole CAC. So three Junior CAC’s equal 1 whole CAC. Additional Junior CAC’s may be won as these are not passed down to the dog in second place.