Animals First Veterinary Hospital Blog: Dog Shows

Last weekend, I went to Crufts, the largest dog show in the world. I was there to show my Portuguese Water Dog, Harvey. After a lot of preparation, and a long car and ferry journey, we had a successful trip because Harvey placed in the 'very highly commended' category. That's my boy!

If you are a dog lover, you should go to Crufts at least once. There are thousands of dogs -- besides show dogs, there are assistance dogs, dogs trained to do agility, fly ball, obedience, and heel work to music, and much more. There are also breeds at Crufts that I haven't even heard of before!!

What is involved in showing a dog? You can get an idea of the process by going to a few dog shows. If you still think you're interested, you need to register your dog with the kennel club. Then, depending on the breed, you need to learn how to groom it properly. You also should go to ring craft classes to learn how to properly handle and move your dog in the show ring, where the judge looks at the overall conformation of the dogs to see which ones are good examples of the breed standard. The judge will also study how the dogs move. The judge will then award the dog that he/she thinks is the best example of the breed.

Within each breed, there are different classes for males and females. The best male and best female then compete for best of breed. If your dog wins best of breed, it goes to group judging. Within its group, your dog will compete against other breeds. If your dog wins the group, then both of you make it to the best in show ring. Winning Best in Show is every competitor's dream. It is easy to forget that while you think that your dog is perfect, you are paying for the opinion of an expert judge. Regardless of that opinion, you always go home with the best dog of the show!

Here's How We Do It
Preparing for a show takes a lot of work. First I have to clip Harvey's hind quarters and muzzle.

Then I wash and brush him. Guess which is Harvey and which is the hair of the dog?

This is what he looks like when I am finished. I know, it looks like I am half finished.

Brushing, brushing, and more brushing! His hind quarters have to be scissored in order to shape them properly. This coat requires a lot of maintenance.

Finally, after more brushing, lots of traveling, and even more brushing, it's show time.

Here we are in the show ring waiting to be judged. (I'm wearing my lucky red suit.)