Dog Shows
Official procedure for awarding the CACIB title
(Certificate of Aptitude for the International Beauty Championship)
The CACIB title is awarded exclusively at international shows recognized by WDF.
1. Preliminary conditions for awarding CACIB
In order to receive CACIB, a dog must meet all of the conditions below:
✔ The show must be international and recognized as such by WDF
(“…only at international shows, recognized and accepted by WDF…”)
✔ The breed must be among those for which CACIB is awarded
Not all breeds are eligible; WDF has an official list of breeds marked with a number.
✔ The dog must have obtained CAC
The regulations are explicit:
“CACIB may be awarded exclusively to subjects that have obtained the CAC certificate.”
2. Classes eligible for CACIB
CACIB may be awarded only in the following classes:
✔ Intermediate
✔ Open
✔ Working
✔ Winner
✔ Champions
✔ Foreign Champions
⚠ The Very Young, Young, Baby, Puppy, Veteran classes – are NOT eligible.
3. Number of CACIBs awarded per breed
For each breed the following are awarded:
- 1 CACIB to a male
- 1 CACIB to a female
Regardless of the breed varieties.
4. Technical procedure for awarding CACIB
This procedure is very similar to that for CAC, but with one additional restriction:
CACIB may be granted only to a dog that has won CAC.
STAGE 1 — Judging the eligible classes
The judge:
- Individually assesses each dog in the classes:
- Intermediate
- Open
- Working
- Winner
- Champions
- Foreign Champions
- Awards grades.
- Establishes the class winner (only dogs with Excellent 1).
STAGE 2 — The CAC winner is established
(The rule from Art. 9)
The class winners are compared in two categories:
Category 1
Intermediate + Open + Working
Category 2
Winner + Champions + Foreign Champions
Two dogs are designated (male/female):
- “the best adult”
- “the best champion”
Then, the judge decides who receives CAC.
STAGE 3 — Choosing the CACIB winner
Only dogs that have received CAC may take part in the comparison for CACIB.
🧩 The standard situation (no additional play-off):
If there is no additional play-off among classes, then:
➡ CACIB goes automatically to the dog that received CAC.
The regulations state:
“The judge is obliged to award CACIB to the subject to whom CAC was awarded… in the absence of a play-off.”
STAGE 4 — The situation with a play-off (when the judge has full discretion)
If the show uses a system of duels (“play-off”) for BOB or other final decisions:
➡ The judge may choose among the dogs with CAC the one considered worthy of CACIB.
The regulations (Art. 10) state:
“…in the case of a play-off among classes, it is at the judge’s discretion to whom CACIB is attributed.”
Therefore:
✔ CACIB is a title granted strictly at the discretion of the judge.
✔ The dog must be worthy of the International Champion title.
The judge may decide quite stringently, since the title carries international weight.
5. Validation of CACIB
In accordance with the rules:
✔ CACIB is approved by the secretariat on the same day, before the end of the show.
✔ It is recorded in the WDF Qualification Booklet.
✔ Without the booklet — the dog cannot collect the diploma.
→ CACIB is transferred to the deserving dog with the next CAC in the placement.
6. The judge’s rights and responsibilities
The judge:
- is not obliged to award CACIB
- may refuse even dogs with CAC, if they are considered unworthy
- assumes responsibility for proclaiming dogs as future International Champions
- must observe the breed standards and the WDF regulations
CACIB is the title that carries the greatest responsibility for the judge.
7. Operational summary (CACIB CHECKLIST)
✔ The show is international
✔ The breed is eligible for CACIB
✔ The dog has won CAC
✔ It has obtained Excellent 1
✔ It is a comparative winner among classes
✔ The judge decides whether it is worthy of CACIB
✔ The secretariat validates it on the same day
✔ No booklet → CACIB passes to the next dog with CAC