What is Conformation
“Conformation” is the official name for “dog shows.” While they may seem glamorous, the true purpose of conformation showing is to evaluate breeding stock. The dog’s conformation—his overall appearance and structure—is an indication of the dog’s ability to produce quality purebred puppies, and that is what is being judged in the ring. That’s why mixed-breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are not eligible to compete. Many times a new exhibitor will get started in dog shows by finding a mentor, usually the breeder they acquired their puppy from. Many AKC clubs also offer handling classes to teach owners how to present their purebred dog to a judge at a dog show.
Judging Conformation
Dog show judges attempt to identify dogs who epitomize the published standards for each breed. This can be challenging because some judgments must necessarily be subjective. For example, what exactly entails a "full coat" or a "cheerful attitude", which are descriptions that could be found in the breed specifications.
Strictly speaking, a dog show is not exactly a comparison of one dog to another, it is a comparison of each dog to a judge's concept of the ideal specimen as dictated by the breed standard, containing the attributes of a given breed. Based on this, one dog is placed ahead of another. In practice, this can be a very challenging task. A class might have two dogs that are good examples per the breed standard. Both are strong in qualities A, B and C. One is a better example of quality D and the other is a better example of quality E. The judge has to decide if quality D or quality E is more important. If the breed standard does not place a higher priority on one of those qualities, it is up to the judge's personal preference as to which one gets the first place ribbon. The next judge at the next show might give the first place ribbon to the other dog.
Strictly speaking, a dog show is not exactly a comparison of one dog to another, it is a comparison of each dog to a judge's concept of the ideal specimen as dictated by the breed standard, containing the attributes of a given breed. Based on this, one dog is placed ahead of another. In practice, this can be a very challenging task. A class might have two dogs that are good examples per the breed standard. Both are strong in qualities A, B and C. One is a better example of quality D and the other is a better example of quality E. The judge has to decide if quality D or quality E is more important. If the breed standard does not place a higher priority on one of those qualities, it is up to the judge's personal preference as to which one gets the first place ribbon. The next judge at the next show might give the first place ribbon to the other dog.
Earning Points Towards a Championship
Dogs compete in a hierarchical fashion at each show, where winners at each level progress to the next level. At the initial level, dogs are divided by breed. Within a breed the dogs that have not earned their Champion titles compete with each other, divided into classes by gender and age, among other things. Males (dogs) are judged first, then females (bitches). The best non-champion male and female go on to compete with the Champions for the Best of Breed or Variety. That winner goes on to compete against the breed winners from other breeds within their "Group". The group winners compete for Best in Show.
Dogs compete at dog shows to earn points towards the title of Champion. Each time a dog wins at certain levels of a show, it earns points towards the championship. The number of points earned varies depending on how many dogs they beat. Beating a large number of dogs qualifies as a "major" win. A dog needs a minimum number of major wins in order to qualify for a Champion title. The number of dogs that constitute a major varies by geographic area of the country. The number of points needed to attain a Champion title varies by country.
Dogs compete at dog shows to earn points towards the title of Champion. Each time a dog wins at certain levels of a show, it earns points towards the championship. The number of points earned varies depending on how many dogs they beat. Beating a large number of dogs qualifies as a "major" win. A dog needs a minimum number of major wins in order to qualify for a Champion title. The number of dogs that constitute a major varies by geographic area of the country. The number of points needed to attain a Champion title varies by country.
Getting Started with a Puppy
The AKC has developed an exciting new program, just for puppies. The 4 to 6 Month Beginner Puppy Competition is an engaging event that provides the structured dog show environment to socialize your puppy with new people, puppies and places.
You may earn ribbons and points toward a Certificate of Merit. Most importantly, your puppy will receive the socialization that can help him lead a healthy and happy life. The AKC has more information about Beginner Puppy Competition on their website.
You may earn ribbons and points toward a Certificate of Merit. Most importantly, your puppy will receive the socialization that can help him lead a healthy and happy life. The AKC has more information about Beginner Puppy Competition on their website.
Recent Conformation Show Results
Our fall conformation specialty show was a huge success! Many of our friends joined us. We marveled at the beautiful dogs, including promising puppies and experienced adult dogs strutting their stuff in the ring. Most of the attendees stayed for the whole weekend. We had beautiful weather the entire time. We would like to thank everyone who participated and those who worked behind the scenes to make it possible. Our congratulations go to all of the winners! The results are available here.
Shout Outs
Dr. Jeanne Grim and Jackie Cavallin contributed to the content on this page. We appreciate their help!
