Dog ShowIn a dog show, judges familiar with specific dog breeds evaluate individual dogs for how well they conform to published breed standards, hence the more accurate term is conformation show (or, sometimes, breed show).
"Dog show" is often used by the general public to refer to any event involving dogs, such as dog sports, but in the dog world it more specifically refers to conformation competitions.
Handlers set up their dogs for judging so that their stance is perfect when the judge views them.
There are several types of show in the UK. The smallest are the Companion Shows, where there are usually a few conformation classes for pedigree dogs, and several "novelty" classes, such as waggiest tail and handsomest dog, which are open to any dog including crossbreeds. These shows are usually held to support a charity or other good cause.
Then there are Open shows, which are open only to dogs registered with the Kennel Club. There are many Open Shows that are held all around the country. Here the dog & handler can gain experience and the dog can gain points towards a Junior Warrant award or a Show Certificate of Merit.
There are also Limited shows, which are open only to members of the Society or Club running the show, and Challenge Certificate winners (see below) cannot enter.
Finally, there are the huge Championship shows, where dogs can gain points towards a Junior Warrant and compete for the highly coveted Challenge Certificate (CC). If the breed is sufficiently numerous, the Kennel Club awards a Challenge Certificate for the Best Dog and Best Bitch. A dog needs three CCs from three different judges to be awarded the title of Champion one of which must be awarded when the dog is over 12 month old. The most prestigious Championship show is Crufts, and each dog entered at Crufts has had to qualify by certain wins at Championship or Open show level.
A dog who has earned the Championship title is entitled to use the designation "Champion" (or "Ch") in front of his name, for example, Ch. Emerald's Brightest Sparkle.
Show dogs have a registered name, that is, the name under which they are registered as a purebred with the appropriate kennel club, and a call name, which is how their owners talk to them.
The registered name often refers directly or indirectly to the kennel where the dog was bred; kennel clubs often require that the breeder's kennel prefix form the first part of the dog's registered name.
Dog shows take place all year in various locations. Some are small, local shows, while others draw competitors from all around the country or the world. Some shows are so large that they limit entries only to dogs who have already earned their Championships. Therefore, winning Best in Breed or Best in Show can elevate a dog's, a breeder's, or a kennel's reputation to the top of the list overnight. This greatly increases the value of puppies bred from this dog or at the dog's kennel of origin.
Probably the two best-known, largest, and most prestigious annual dog shows are the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and Crufts.
The control of points awarded to dogs in most countries is maintained by a national pedigree registry in that country. The Kennel Club of Great Britain is generally recognized as one of the first organizations, if not the first, to register purebred dogs. A second historic registry is the American Kennel Club. France, Italy, and other countries began to maintain important kennel club registries in the 19th century.
Establishing and maintaining a separate breed of dog and, therefore, separate breeding stock and separate registries, from the 14th to 21st century, was not always only a matter of looks or fashion. Dogs have been man's partner for thousands of years. Centuries ago, owners required certain skills and behaviors of some dogs, and many breeds that are recognized today reflect the different jobs that owners historically required dogs to do. A man living in the desert might have needed a dog that could run in sand and last a few days without water or food--that would probably mean a dog with large paws, like a camel, and a very sparse coat to deal with the heat. A man living in polar regions might need a dog that could swim icy waters, run in ice and snow, and survive that region, which would likely mean a lot of coat and a sturdier frame to survive swimming and plodding through snow.
Today, there are dogs who will search the ruins of a bombed building or an avalanche in an effort to find survivors; others assist the blind or the disabled; still others serve as a first defense line to sniff out bombs or drugs. These dogs can do these jobs because they preserve traits historically required of dogs for performing their jobs. A dog standard is a blueprint that describes the physical attributes that a dog breed must have to do its job.
This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
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Video: The World Dog Show 2008
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