A show dog might refer to any dog entered into a

dog show A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a ''breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ''c ...

. More specifically, a ''show dog'' is a dog which has been specially bred, trained, and/or groomed to conform to the specifications of dog shows, so as to have a chance of winning. Often used as a single word (''showdog''), the term is also used within the sport of conformation to refer to a dog that displays a particularly energetic or outgoing character.

Dog shows

Entry into many sports of dog shows is restricted to

purebred dog A dog breed is a particular strain of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing around 450 globall ...

s registered with the kennel club or

breed club Breed clubs are Voluntary association, associations or Club (organization), clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of anima ...

sponsoring the show, and dogs are selected by breeding to excel at the particular sport for which they are being shown. ., Dog shows may be held indoors, in horse arenas or other suitably large spaces, or outdoors on groomed fields. Events at which dogs may be shown vary in the requirements for entry and the amount of preparation required. Types of dog shows include: * Fun shows: Usually put on by charities for fund raising, these dog shows may offer prizes for costumes or for the largest and smallest dogs entered. * Tests and Trials: Dog shows that display a dog's training or natural instincts. They may require a great deal of formal training of the dog, as in

obedience trial An obedience trial is a dog sport in which a dog must perfectly execute a predefined set of tasks when directed to do so by his handler. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) obedience regulations The basic objective of obedience trials ...

s, or none at all, as in

herding test A sheepdog trial (also herding event, stock dog trial or simply dog trial) — is a competition or test for working abilities of Herding dog, herding breeds dogs. It is a type of List of dog sports, dog sport that emerged in the 1860s in New Zeala ...

s. Some are entertaining spectator

dog sports Dog sports are sports in which dogs participate. Herding sports * Herding * Sheepdog trial * Treibball Obedience sports * Heelwork to music * Musical canine freestyle * Obedience trial * Rally obedience Protection sports * Schutzhund ...

, such as

disc dog Disc dog (commonly called Frisbee dog) is a dog sport. In disc dog competitions, dogs and their human flying disc throwers compete in events such as distance catching and somewhat choreographed freestyle catching. The sport celebrates the bond ...

and

dock jumping Dock jumping also known as dock diving is a dog sport in which dogs compete in jumping for distance or height from a dock into a body of water. There are dock jumping events in the United States and other countries such as United Kingdom, A ...

, and others are of more interest to the dog than to spectators, as in

earthdog trial An earthdog test or earthdog trial tests the working ability and instinct of the small, often short-legged terriers or Dachshunds. These dogs were bred to hunt vermin and other quarry which lived in underground dens. Earthdog den tests involve man ...

s and

hunt test A field trial is a competitive event for gundogs. Field trials are conducted for pointing dogs and setters, retrievers and spaniels, with each assessing the different types various working traits. In the United States, field trials are also cond ...

s. *

Conformation show A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a ''breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ''c ...

s: Originally devised for the selection of breeding stock, conformation showing has evolved into a sport requiring specific training for both the dog and handler, as well as precise grooming requirements (depending on the breed being shown.)

Criticism of dog showing

One argument is that the kennel clubs' requirements that breeding be conducted within a breed is tantamount to mandatory, continuous

inbreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

as all members of the same breed are related. Another is that whether breeding primarily for appearance or for a particularly desirable working style, too much emphasis is placed on breeding from the few winning stud dogs,''Coppinger'', pg 251 "Contestants are eager to succeed, and therefore seek to breed their dogs with the trial winners" causing an already limited gene pool to encounter a

genetic bottleneck A population bottleneck or genetic bottleneck is a sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events such as famines, earthquakes, floods, fires, disease, and droughts; or human activities such as specicide, widespread violen ...

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References

{{Dog sports Dog breeding Dog sports Dog shows and showing

Dog shows

Criticism of dog showing

See also

References