For us, choosing which shows to go to becomes a list of what we can afford, how far away is the show (can we commute or do we need to budget for a motel and at that, just how nice does it need to be in order for us to feel comfortable sleeping there with three dogs), and which of us is going to be doing most or all of the handling. With Mark laid up, right now the answer is either me, or someone I know that does a great job with Mirage (waving at Kylie). When Mark is feeling better and is able and allowed to start trotting with the dogs AND it's not too risky on uneven ground, we're going to start including him and entering more than one dog per show. One we're targeting, for example, is the Kennel Club of Riverside show at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area on Halloween weekend; Mark should be feeling and moving MUCH better by then and it's a location where we can tent camp and then just drive the campground roads to the show site parking lot, easy peasy. We love to tent camp, by the way.
I try to make it to shows that have other Canaan Dogs at least a couple times a year, and we do all seem to communicate when we've chosen shows, so we can figure out how best to get several of us and our dogs in the same place at the same time. It is pretty much the only way to make points and majors and to reconnect with others in the breed.
Some folks will choose a show based on who the judge is (and I have chosen to go to a couple specifically for the judge when otherwise the show wouldn't have been on my radar) and some choose to skip shows because they don't feel their pups would get a fair chance under a particular judge, but I don't really do more than make notes about the judges' comments in my book for later reference, because I can't see skipping a show just because of who the judge is that day. Then again, I don't go to shows for the ribbons as much as to get out and about with my dogs, doing partnership stuff, having playtime, and showing off the breed. I try to look for shows that have good shade and a pleasant place to hang out between class and group judging, and that might have a good vendor turnout because, well, shopping.
When you're getting ready to choose your first, or your next, show just remember it's about having fun with your dog, the rest is just playtime for the most part, no matter how fabulous your pup is. I say that knowing that some take more grooming than others, of course, but even that's time spent with your dog and that's never a bad thing. And, try something new - maybe FastCAT or getting your dog's CGC or even a Rally class, you never know what your dog will really enjoy doing and look forward to the next time you go to a show together.