About Dog Shows

Dog showing is an international sport only open to purebred, registered dogs. There are other types of sporting events involving dogs, but they are referred to by other names (such as "obedience trials") rather than dog shows. The sport has had a profound effect on the body shape of many breeds of dogs for the last 200 years.

  1. History

    • The first dog shows began in England at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1859. The first national championship, Crufts, was held in England in 1891. The sport spread quickly to Europe, North America and Australia and is now worldwide.

    Goal

    • Dogs win their classes by having their conformation judged against a breed standard and not against other dogs. If they win their breed, they go on to compete at group level. If they win that, then it's on to Best in Show.

    Competition

    • In a dog show class, the dogs are lead on a collar and leash at the walk and trot (or jog) and handled by the judge. They also have to wait a long time in the ring for their turn to perform.

    Fun Fact

    • Dogs are lined up either by size or alphabetical order of the name of the breed. The only exception is the Pekingese, which is always at the end of the line because they move so slowly.

    Controversy

    • Ear cropping and tail docking are done in order to win dog shows. Most countries now ban these procedures, with the notable exception of the United States.