What is a Conformation Show?

Known as breed shows, these are the most common and historic types of dog show, dating back to 1859 in England.  Quite simply, this competition measures how well a dog portrays the physical traits and temperaments that are standard for its breed.

A dog that has a deviation from the standard, known as a fault, may still be a very good companion or work dog, but they may not make the best stock for purebred breeding.  Besides the competition and love of purebreed dogs, these shows exist to preserve the original qualities that made each AKC-recognized breed so important, be it sniffing out vermin or herding cattle.

Types of Conformation

There are three main types of shows- All-Breed, Specialty, and Group.  All-Breed shows allow dogs from the the over 150 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC to compete.  Specialty shows are limited to a specific breed or variety of one breed, for example the Dachshund Club Of Greater Syracuse has a specialty show only for Long, Smooth, and Wire Dachshunds.  Group shows are restricted to one of the seven groups:  Sporting, Hounds, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding.  

Champions

If a dog's name has the prefix "Ch." it is a Champion of Record.  Dogs earn their Championship (or "finish") by earning fifteen points and two major wins.  However, earning a championship is just the first step in competing.  Champions, or "specials" compete in the later rounds of shows for coveted awards like Best in Show.

Dog Show Rounds

Round 1
Dogs who have not finished yet compete in this round.  Dogs are separated by breed, sex, and seven different classes:

• Puppy:  Between six and twelve months old
• Twelve-To-Eighteen-Months
• Novice:  Dogs without any points
• Bred-By-exhibitor:  Handlers that own and have bred their dog
• American-Bred
• Open:  any non-champion dog may compete in this class.

Round 2
All of the class winners compete within their gender and type.  At the end, there is a Winners Dog and a Winners Bitch.  These dogs receive points that count toward their Championship.  The number of points awarded depends on the breed and number of dogs entered.

Round 3
Things really get exciting as the Specials now enter the fray.  In each breed, the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch compete along with the dogs that have earned their Championship.  The overall winner is named Best of Breed, and Best of Opposite Sex chosen from the winner's opposite gender.

Round 4
All of the Best of Breeds compete within their group to determine Best of Group.

Round 5
Finally, each Best of Group winner competes for the top prize, the coveted Best In Show.  It's important to note that dogs don't compete against one another, but against how well they represent their breed standard.

More resources on Conformation Shows