Conformation

The official term for dog shows is conformation — as in, the act of conforming or producing conformity. While a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s not. Dogs are not being compared to each other; they’re being measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their particular breed. Why? Because the closer a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better that dog’s ability will be to produce puppies that meet the standard. It’s also the reason why mixed breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in conformation. 

 

The size of conformation events range from large all-breed shows, with over 3,000 dogs entered, to small local specialty club shows that feature only one breed. Each dog is exhibited (“handled”) by its owner, breeder or hired professional (“handler”). Most dogs compete for points toward their AKC championships. It takes 15 points to become an AKC “Champion of Record.” The maximum number of points awarded at an event is five.  

 

Once a championship is achieved a dog may continue towards a Grand Championship. Grand Champions are a relatively new category of title, and not all owners feel the need to pursue this.