Those outside of this fancy tends to have a fairly bleak outlook on dog showing, believing it to be a beauty contest that consists of funny characters running around in shiny suits with sneakers....ok, so that last part might be true. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ. Each recognised breed has what is called a breed standard, this is a blueprint of how a dog should be constructed structurally, how it should behave, how it should move, etc. This blueprint relates to the dog's original/intended purpose. Some breeds' purpose has changed over time if they have been around a long time. For instance, a breed may no longer be needed to pull men off horses during wartime and may now pull down wild boar instead...well now...they probably sleep on a couch but the question is...is this dog fit for function, can it do what it was bred to do? Without a doubt, many breeds still do or can do what they were bred to do, however, some breeds have what is referred to as "show lines" and then "working lines" - a classic example of this is the Border Collie, many working line Border Collies often would never be awarded in the show ring because they don't often fit the breed standard. This can be a fairly heated topic and I'm sure someone just got triggered reading that. ๐ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, one dog from each breed is awarded "Best of Breed", they then go on to compete against other best of breeds within their groups - there are 7 groups that relate to the type of dogs within that group i.e. Gun Dogs, toy dogs etc. One dog from each group is awarded "Best in Group" they then go on to compete for "Best in Show". Dogs at a dog show are presented in their Sunday best, this means washed and groomed to perfection, which might include chalk, hair spray, and the likes even though this is actually against the rules. You only have to watch the media footage of the Royal Easter Show each year to see people using hair spray and chalk etc. to know it happens - in fact, even though it is against the rules, it is not hidden in most cases, you can walk around a dog show and see it on display. ๐ฅ๐๐น๐ฒ๐: A dog shall be disqualified from winning a prize at a Show held under the Regulations if a Show Committee or the Board of Directors are satisfied that:- (09/11) - any dye, colouring, whitening or darkening matter, or preparation, has been used and if the effect of it remains at any time during the Show - any oil, grease, sticky or glossy substances have been used and if the effect of it remains on the coat of the dog at any time during the Show; I think a lot of handlers probably don't even know about these rules especially those more new to the sport. Anyway, it's more of a giggle than anything (imagine a Poodle without the hairspray!) - everyone knows it happens and I think it's just one of those rules that has been put away in a box. In the UK, they are super strict about it! For a dog to be presented at its best, they require a lot of training but they also need to have a great bond/connection with their handler and I love this photo to show this. The dog needs to trust that the handler will protect them and care for them in this quite unnatural environment. In what other situation would a bunch of undesexed dogs (plus, now we can show neutered) all be in the same place, very close to one another having a stranger look in their mouth and cup their testicles?! Whilst there are breeding kennels where dogs are kenneled vs living in homes, I'd have to say that the vast majority of show and breeding dogs are family pets living within a family environment just like the average pet dog. Whilst there are some breeds that over time have been bred whether that be intentional or unintentional to have extreme or unsound features, the breed standard by large provides a blueprint for a healthy and functional dog. Pressure has been placed on organisations to update breed standards to reflect healthier dogs - this is a work in progress. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐'๐ฟ๐ฒ "๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ" ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐น ๐๐น๐๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ. The General Public is welcome to attend dog shows, you can chat with breeders and learn more about different breeds and I'm positive you'll find breeds you didn't even know existed. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ: https://www.dogsnsw.org.au/.../2021-show-trial-calendar.pdf If you would like to find an Australian National Kennel Club Registered Breeder, head here: https://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/list.asp ---- Photo: Nikki Zullo & Sega, photo by Dana Photos See less
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