Dog Shows And Sport
Owners of dogs often enter them in competitions, whether show (breed conformation shows) or sports, including dog racing & dog
sledding. The winners garner much prestige and prize money. These dogs are often bred specifically for competition, which may not be
entirely beneficial for the breeds due to the magnification of hereditary defects.
A show dog is a purebred dog that is displayed at conformation dog shows to determine how well it physically conforms to established breed standards.
In many cases, show dog is used to distinguish dogs whose appearance is valued above its ability to do a job, or whose ancestors were selected more for appearance than for skills, in comparison to working dogs.
Show dogs are usually used for breeding purposes and so are required to be kept entire. Breed clubs, who define the breed standards, usually maintain that a dog's physical conformation is a factor in determining how well that dog may do the job for which the breed was originally developed. Critics often point to conformation showing as a leading cause of the decline in the working abilities of dogs. However, many breed clubs work to give versatile breed awards to dogs who reach the highest levels in several different events. It is likely that a dog of a certain breed will still be able to do its intended job, even after being re designated such as the Standard Poodle.
Championship titles
Dog shows are hierarchical competitions and winners earn points at each level; these are recorded and added up and eventually a dog may earn enough points to be accorded the title Champion.In the American Kennel Club, a dog attains its Championship after earning fifteen points. Included in the fifteen points must be two "majors." A major occurs when a dog wins 3, 4, or 5 points at one dog show. The amount of points that can possibly be won for a dog depends on how many dogs or bitches need to be entered at the show for that breed and in that region of the country. For example, breeds with typically small entry numbers (like Pharaoh Hounds) need fewer entries to earn a major than breeds with large entry numbers, like Golden Retrievers. The United Kennel Club uses a combination of points (for example, winning the class earns 10 points in non-variety breeds, 5 in variety breeds) and competition wins (including group placements and Best In Show/Reserve Best in Multi-Breed Show). It is entirely possible to earn the championship without facing a single dog in the breed, but is limited to stellar examples of the breed able to win the group.
In the UK a dog becomes a Champion once it gains 3 challenge certificates. A dog can win these at Championship dog shows and some breed club shows. A dog who has earned the Championship title is entitled to use the designation "Champion" (or "Ch") in front of its name, for example, Ch. Emerald's Brightest Sparkle.
Registered names
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; breeders often require that the breeder's kennel prefix form the first part of the dog's registered name. For example, all dogs bred at the Gold Mine Kennels would have names that begin with the words "Gold Mine".
The call name can be anything that the dog's owner prefers. For example, Ch. Gold Mine Emerald's Brightest Sparkle might be called "Goldie", "Sparky", "Bright", "Green", "Precious", "Gem", or, for that matter, "Fido".
By contrast, dogs in the breed registry of a working dog club must usually have simple, no-nonsense monikers deemed to be "working dog names" such as "Pal", "Blackie" or "Ginger".
Dog sports are activities that involve dogs. There is much discussion about what exactly defines a sport for dogs. Some issues:
- If a human companion is not actively involved, is it actually a sport? Take greyhound racing, for example, or hunting from, say, a duck blind, from which the dog retrieves the game.
- Is any activity a sport? For example, a conformation show, where the handler and dog walk or trot around a ring for a judge to evaluate the dog's appearance and structure.
Here are examples:
- Dog agility is a sport in which dogs complete a timed obstacle course.
- Dogsled racing is a winter sport where a team of dogs, usually high performance mixed breed dogs called Alaskan Huskies or Eurohounds, pull a sled and driver (called a musher). The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is perhaps the most famous of these races. Dog sledding is an ancient form of transportation and still a very effective way of moving freight across this type of terrain.
- Dog racing, almost always Greyhounds, involves dogs racing at betting tracks in a sport not unlike horseracing, reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour. Elsewhere, Dachshunds are often raced, as a humorous sidelight in charity events.
- Dog fighting and dog baiting are blood sports involving dogs. They are illegal in most jurisdictions, but are still performed underground. In some areas, the illegal practice is thriving.