Best in Class is the title given to the dog who has been judged the best representative specimen of its particular class at a conformation show held by the Kennel Club of that country.
Dogs and Bitches are separately grouped into different classes. There are different classes depending on the Kennel Club involved, however the American Kennel Club has the following classes:
Class Judging is separate for Dogs and Bitches. The Dogs may participate in any of the five classes depending on the age of the dog. Alternately a dog can also participate in the All Dogs category regardless of age. Most Kennel Clubs state a minimum age of 6 months for participation in Confirmation shows. Dogs younger than this participate in Puppy events but not in the general events.
So there are totally ten classes (6-9 Months Old (Dog), 6-9 Months Old (Bitch), 9-12 Months Old (Dog), 9-12 Months Old (Bitch), 12-18 Months Old (Dog), 12-18 Months Old (Bitch), >18 Months Old (Dog), > 18 Months Old (Bitch), All Dogs (Dogs), All Dogs (Bitches))
In Each class- two dogs are selected in order of merit. The First dog selected is declared Best in Class and goes on to compete for the Winners Class (Ultimately aiming for the Best in Show) while the Second dog selected is declared Reserve Best in Class and competes for the Reserve Best in Show.
The Winner of each Class will receive points. The Point System varies for each Kennel Club, however the more the number of competitors in the class, the more points earned.
The points earned will be maintained in a roster by the Kennel Club of that country and when the points criteria is met- the Dog will be awarded its Championship (CH. will be added before the dog or bitches name).