For the purpose of this course, we are going to assume that you know what a dog show is and you have been to one.

In case your cousin, aunt, sister or friend picks up this book while they are waiting for you to finish walking your dog, here is a brief description.

A dog show is an event hosted by many different kennel clubs all over the world. The original purpose of a dog show was to pick the best breeding stock from purebred dogs, so breeds would be able to continue to help their owners do various jobs.

Herding dogs that helped farmers needed to be alert, be able to cover ground and do their jobs. Terriers needed to be able to get the rats out of the barn and fit into small places.

As time progressed, we have not used our dogs for their original purpose quite as much as we used to. Dog shows are offered now, to preserve the integrity and history of the various breeds.

Each breed has a written “Standard” which is a fairly detailed description of what each breed should look like.

A judge will judge each dog, comparing it to the breed standard and awards are given.

Dog shows are a way for each breed to continue to conform to a standard.

When a family or individual person wants a dog or has certain needs, they can pick a breed based on these needs.

Some of these needs may include, people who are allergic to dogs. There are many breeds that do not shed. They cause no allergic reaction in most people who have been diagnosed with pet dander allergies. When breeders breed to a standard, we help preserve this. This is very unlike “Golden Doodles”. Depending how much golden retriever is in the mix, they can cause very allergic reactions. Other examples would include highly athletic people who want a dog to run with. Most breeders of purebred dogs do testing for genetic diseases that could hamper a dog’s ability to run. Again, if you were to get a non-purebred dog, most likely this testing will not be done.