How do you feel about conformation dog shows?

Question

Conformation dog shows like Westminister are very popular, but some people have compaired them to a beauty pageant for dogs and it is all based on who is on the end of the leash. I am asking this question to get the opinions of non-dog show people. The spectators and there feelings on Conformation dog shows.

Answer 1

I was going to type out something in support of confirmation shows, but was having a little trouble. Conformation shows are not a bad thing overall, but they aren't, in my opinion always a good thing either.

To get one thing out of the way: the dogs like to show. They enjoy it. If they don't like it, they don't continue on. To win, a dog needs to have a certain "it" factor, and they do that by strutting their stuff proudly. It is rare that you would see a dog skulking unhappily in the show ring, or at least, certainly not a successful dog. I've done a few "Companion Dog" classes with my spayed dog, and she thinks it's great. She likes it better than the obedience we've been training for two years. She gets to eat hot dogs in the ring and all she has to do is stand still... it's heaven!

In my breed, which is a Rare Breed (Shiloh Shepherds), conformation shows are a really good venue for getting out and networking with other owners and breeders. The main venue, even. This has a beneficial impact for the breed because people are more likely to work together when they maintain their relationships, and you can't breed great dogs in a vacuum. The dogs really enjoy getting out and socializing and we have pet dogs come to the shows just to visit and watch. Keeping pet dog owners involved is very important because breeders need to see the results of litters as they grow up, not just how they are at 8 weeks old.

In AKC breeds, I suspect it depends on the breed, but for some breeds, competition is far too high for my liking. There's so much money wrapped up in it that I have to think you lose a lot of the networking, and I think it's cheesy that cosmetics are not allowed by the rules and yet everyone does it (effectively making everyone required to do it). I hate that some or most breeds require owners to hire handlers rather than to take their dogs in themselves. This level of competition does not appeal to me in the least.

Furthermore, far too many breeders breed based solely on conformation championships. AKC does not encourage or require any standards for health or working ability in the dogs, and in fact, many of the dogs who win (and therefore go on to be bred a lot) have attractive conformation but poor confirmation for what they are supposedly bred to do. For example, many AKC show line German Shepherds walk like cripples because that "look" is rewarded in the show ring. AKC dogs of most breeds start to look like cloned cookie cutters, whereas representatives of the same breeds from non-AKC working lines have a lot of diversity of appearance, may not look as "pretty", but actually do the jobs they are supposed to be bred for. After many generations of breeding for pretty heads and coat length and color, dogs begin to exhibit problems with temperment, health, and lack of working ability that is then blamed on "being purebred".

By contrast, German Shepherds in Germany are required pass conformation standards AND working standards before they may be recognized as breeding stock. (This doesn't cure all ills either, but it sure doesn't hurt)

Conformation shows can't all be tarred with the same brush. The shows themselves are fine, but what people choose to do with the results should be evaluated individually.

I'm not sure why you asked for only opinions of, basically, people uneducated in the subject. It seems like you're trying to drum up some people to agree with you rather than answer your question, although I hope some of the answers here have helped.

Answer 2

Conformation shows aren't beauty pagents for dogs like some people think, they are a chance for dogs to be reveiwed by knowledgable people and compared to the standard for their breed. There can be some politicss in conformation, just as there can be in any sport be it human or animal, but most of the time it is pretty fair. It gives people a chance to see good representatives of the breeds. Show dogs bred by responsible breeders (just because someone shows doesn't mean they are responsible) are bred for a whole package..health, temperament and breed standard. A well bred dog can not only look good in the breed ring and be the breed standard but can also do the job it was bred for. A well bred dog will have titles at both ends, not just a CH at the begining.
Showing isn't cruel and the dogs sure aren't expected to be perfect..anyone who has shown dogs in any venue, hunted or done any dog sport will know that dogs will be dogs and will act like dogs show ring or hunt field.

Answer 3

I have working and hunting breeds and do not do any confiramtion showing.
I do not care for it at all. It is ok for people if they like it. My experiences were poor and I have no intrest in it again.
I prefer my dogs to be able to do what they were bred to do and am not so overly concerned that they are the best looking dog.
I care more that they are healthy and have the ability to do what they were bred for well.
I do field trials with my hunting dogs and they do very well at those. We also use our dogs when we hunt.
My Dobermans are also used as working dogs. I had one who was a display dog when the rescue group did fund raisers. He loved to meet and greet people. So he did alot of that type of stuff.
Conformation is fine but not for me.
It is more who the handler is and not so much about the dog which is sad.

Answer 4

I think they're excellent tools for evaluating breeding stock, and measuring a dog against their breed standard. However, I think that it's not the end-all/be-all of the dog world. I think in addition to receiving the minimum points required to receive a Ch, a dog should be titled in a working class activity, whether it's agility, herding or schutzhund.

To the idiot who says that dog shows are cruel: Don't be ridiculous. Most of those dogs are the pride and joys to their exhibitors, and are treated better than children.

Answer 5

ok i am going to show confermation for the first time at the fair so i still am a spectator and i think it is more about the confidents of your dog if the dog thinks that they are the best then they will be the best but if they feel like there owner does not feel that they can win then they most likely wont win you need to show your dog that she or he can be the best at conformation.

Answer 6

the whole point of conformation shows is to CHOOSE "future breeding stock" -

which -should mean- that the judge ought to be selecting dogs who are healthy, well-built for their purpose, & =temperamentally= suited to their task.

now that dogs can get Neuticles that not only "look" intact, but =FEEL= like real testes [which was a very asinine idea on the inventor's part: if anyone other than a ring-judge or a vet wanted to "feel up" my dog, i'd have serious qualms abt that person!...],

plus the old bugaboos of dog's healthy tails being cut off, & ears being amputated, just to "create a look", & the new wrinkle of dog-dentition, with ORTHODONTICS for better bite,
i wonder how many dogs enter the ring UN-altered?
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i attended the National Collie Specialty for the AKC as a spectator less than 10 yrs ago; not one dog who was not IN the ring, was walking around without SOMETHING as a prop to shape their ears: i saw duct tape, medical paper-tape, glue, bunion pads, U name it.

i also saw handlers & groomers using entire PALETTES of chalk on dogs before they entered the ring: one woman used SIX!! colors of chalk on a tri-colored adult M rough collie.
when i went to the AKC table, the kennel-club rep told me, "oh, some exhibitors use some white so that their feet don't look dirty in the ring..."
HOOEY. she put BLACK chalk on his [scattered] white hairs on his FACE.

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appearances are deceiving... & not only OUTside the ring!

personally, i'd vote for OPEN-vet records on any dog competing in the conformation ring: that way, U'd know if the dog's "perfect bite" was the result of a good k9 dentist, or his parents' genes!

but the AKC breed-clubs will never go for it; no one wants to admit that ANY of their dogs are ever less than perfect, even tho the estimate is that =every= dog in the USA, whether purebred, cross-bred, or random-bred, has an average of FIVE 'bad genes', expressed or un-expressed.
[1 in 5 dogs has one or more food-allergies, too: health isn't =only= 'looks'. the package is a part, but the CONTENTS are crucial!]
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some dogs enjoy showing; some loathe it.

i've seen spooks in the ring [one dog in the Eukanuba group ring, abt 3 or 4 yrs back, snapped at the judge... and she IGNORED it!! didn't even send dog & handler out of the ring! i was shocked.].

some guarding breeds do NOT show well - not because they aren't beautiful dogs with good structure, who are excellent specimens of breed type, but cuz they don't float around the ring like an Afghan, or leap up & down like a Terrier, or prance like a MinPin.

their temperament is breed-appropriate, but not "crowd-pleasing", so they don't end up in the ribbons.

Answer 7

i think conformation shows are great. As with any contest there is the chance of buying off judges, getting points because of who you are not what you dog looks like Etc, but i don't see anything wrong with it. if i had a show quality dog i would show him every chance i got :)

Answer 8

It is NOT CRUEL! How ridiculous! Most dogs absolutely LOVE going to the dog show and showing off!

Answer 9

I don't particularly care either way. the way I see it, the dogs always seem to be enjoying themselves and all of the attention that they get. they seem to be well taken care of and I'm sure they get spoiled by their owners who have put a lot of time and money into them. so why not let them show off for awhile if that's what makes their owners happy? who am I to judge, you know?

Answer 10

Obviously the "civilians" here won't know what they're talking about,so what's the point? They'll only blather on...cluelessly.