Dédé Wilson celebrates the joy of dogs in Conformation and Performance, exploring why so many thrive in the ring and beyond.
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Anyone who has stood ringside during Best in Show or watched a dog tear down a Fast CAT track knows one undeniable truth: dogs love to show and they love to compete. From the sparkle in their eyes to the pep in their step, the joy is palpable. For purebred dogs, the Conformation ring is a showcase of heritage and type, while Performance sports, open to both purebreds and mixed breeds, offer joyful outlets for instinct, partnership, and celebration.
Of course, there are dogs who prefer sitting on the couch at home, and no experienced breeder or handler would force something onto those canines that they were not interested in. This article is about the dogs who are going to shows and trials on a regular basis, and who are thriving in that environment.
Years ago, my mentor, Marion Dussault, and I were talking about how people often ask us how we know that our dogs love competition. Marion is a groomer, and I’ll never forget how she put it. She said, “You know how when you go to the salon and you’re getting your hair washed and the person is massaging your head with their fingers and then you get a new haircut and, in the end, you just feel like a new person and there’s a bounce in your step? When I groom dogs, getting them ready for the show ring, this is exactly what’s happening. You can see how they respond to the touch, love, care, and attention.”
It’s true that not every dog appreciates a bath, but they do appreciate the focused time that they have with their handlers and owners, and the initial grooming is just the start of it.
My dogs’ excitement typically begins the day before a show, or the few days before the show when we are packing and getting ready. The minute I put the tack box with all the grooming supplies near the door or lay out show clothing for myself, or retrieve our traveling folding chairs out of their storage area, the dogs start milling about. I have had dogs climb into suitcases, bins, and large canvas bags holding dog show accessories. If there is a clearer way to signal, “Don’t leave without me!” I don’t know what it is.
And, on a sad note, when I have had retired show dogs, they watch me leave with the current show dogs through the window and they milk it for all its worth with pouts and sad eyes. Now that I am also involved in Performance events, my dogs get to continue to trial, well into older age. No more FOMO!
When I greet my dogs in the morning of a show or event, I literally greet them with, “It’s a show day!” They know what these words mean, and from that moment on the excitement keeps building.
When a dog enters the Conformation ring, it isn’t simply about ribbons or points. For many, the show ring feels like home. Exhibitors often remark that their dogs seem to know when it’s “show time,” carrying themselves differently, ears alert with confidence.
“The morning of a show, when I start putting on a dress, Badger starts going from me to the basement stairs and back to me. Car is in the garage under the house! When I am ready and put on his slip lead, he grabs the handle and walks himself to the car!” —Brenda Wood Wolfeil and her Sealyham Terrier.
“When we get the hydrobath going to wash for shows and start grooming, the ones who don’t get show groomed will cry ‘cause they miss out.” —Kerry Hellsten and her Miniature Bull Terriers.
“Mine try to commando crawl into the ring early/stealth mode… and will try to slip the judge a French kiss, too.” —Valerie Rose and her Miniature Bull Terriers.
“This past weekend, I physically had to pick up Rizzo because she kept trying to leap into the ring before it was our turn. I don’t think the judge would have appreciated the tiny Mini Bull in the ring with the Am Staff. Lol.” —Kimarie Wolf and her Miniature Bull Terriers.
“When we step through the door to the Better Living Center at the Big E, Friday leaps into the air.” —Maggie Russell Berkes and her Vizsla.
“When I get out the grooming table, she screams and barks until I groom her and take her to the ring. When I say scream, I mean, she screams!” —Susan Dunbar Blum and her Glen of Imaal Terrier.
“My Irish Water Spaniels, nearly all of them, mine and clients’, see me packing my suitcase and cannot wait to get in the vehicle. They jump in multiple times until we are ready to actually go. And then I mean, when it’s Fast CAT, they just have to hear the other dogs and then they start going nutty!” —Emily Pikul and her Irish Water Spaniels.
“When they have a bath, they wake up super early the next day AND SCREAM until we leave the house.” —Nikki Zullo and her Bull Terriers.
Showing is not just an assessment of structure—it’s a partnership. The connection between handler and dog is visible in every glance and subtle cue. Dogs pick up on the excitement and anticipation of the ring, responding with enthusiasm that makes the experience enjoyable for both ends of the lead. The joy is mutual: handlers beam with pride and dogs often wag their way through the line-up, loving every second.
Many handlers, me included, will reinforce the positive aspects of what goes into a show day. For instance, my dogs sleep in crates at home (their choice; they go in themselves) but when we are on the road in a hotel, we sleep together. When I am grooming them right before ring time, all focus is on them and I’m telling them how beautiful they are and how excited I am to be there with them. Dogs are no different than us in the sense that they love to be appreciated and feel a connection.
Beyond the show ring, Performance events offer dogs the chance to do what they were bred for, or simply enjoy doing. Herding breeds come alive in the presence of stock, scenthounds gleam with purpose on a trail, terriers spark with intensity in Earthdog tests, and sporting dogs shine in Field Trials and Hunt Tests. Fast CAT, Agility, Rally, Obedience, Dock Diving, Scent Work—the list of sports continues to grow, each giving dogs a stage to show off natural abilities.
Watching a Whippet explode down a 100-yard track or a Belgian Malinois clear an Agility jump is witnessing joy in motion. These sports aren’t just competitions; they are outlets for energy, instinct, and intelligence. And when the crowd cheers, you can almost see the pride swell within the dog.
The first time I took my Mini Bull, Nora, to Fast CAT, she screamed with excitement—and it has been that way at every trial. I wish we had a way for you to hear the audio. This is not whining, barking, or speaking. It is SCREAMING accompanied by a very strong pull, dragging me to the start line. We have it on video; it’s a riot. She is beside herself with excitement and anticipation.
Here are some quotes from our Performance friends:
“Zazie would paw the starting gate while we were waiting for our turn as if to say, ‘Let me in there! I want to go!’ And if I put her in a sit/stay by the ring, sometimes her lower lip would quiver; it was like it was all she could do to contain her excitement.” —Betse Curtis and her Miniature Poodle.
“If his tail can physically wag during the activity, it is constantly wagging. He asks to do the activity. He is enthusiastic and joyful.” —Elissa Rae and her Australian Shepherd.
“When my Agility bag comes downstairs and goes on the kitchen table, they all start dancing around and running to the front door.” —Debbie Rodden and her Bull Terriers.
“Mica drags me into any building where we’ve done Barn Hunt or Happy Ratters before.” —Shannon Dychton and her Bedlington Terrier.
“From the car to Nose Work class, she screams at the top of her lungs. Positively deafening in an old factory building stairwell.” —Ginette Desrosiers and her German Shepherd Dog.
“A continuously wagging tail and 100% attention from a seven-month-old MBT in the Agility ring while learning the fundamentals.” —Careen Sutch and her Miniature Bull Terrier.
“My Stafforshire Bull Terrier will start chattering as soon as he hears the dogs and the whoosh of the plastic bunny. So many vocals waiting in line, lol 🙂 If you didn’t know a Stafford before, you will after.” —Cheryl Hurn and her Stafforshire Bull Terrier.
And Pambo Ambers’ Bull Terrier, Smooch, wanted to tell us in his own words: “I love to enter the Agility field ‘full tilt boogie’ whilst my handler tries to keep up. The tunnels, the climbing and jumping, it’s just the best! I love visiting the Spotters on my way past, and, of course, the Judge! I’m the only BT there and they love me! Even if I did slide up the fence and land on the other side! I jumped back in and finished my run! It’s just the best unhinged zoomie ever! They even give me ribbons to make my hoomans happy!”
Dogs thrive on routine, partnership, and praise. Showing and competing offer all three in abundance. Whether it’s the excitement of travel, the one-on-one time with their handler, or the applause that greets a winning performance, dogs know they are part of something special. Many exhibitors will tell you that their dogs seem happiest at shows, tails wagging from the minute they arrive at the grounds.
Here is a quote that says it all:
“I was just remembering… there was a show weekend once where Maia and I both showed Branson, she in Juniors and me in Breed. Between Breed, Group, NOHS (National Owner-Handled Series), Juniors, Best Junior, and Best in Show, he was in the ring something like 23 times that weekend and he never once let down. If the dog doesn’t love it, he’s never going to do half of that.” —Diane Davis, her daughter, Maia, and their Bull Terrier.
For purebred dogs, the Conformation ring honors the Breed Standard that preserves breed identity and gives these show-offs the platform they crave. Performance sports honor the instincts and abilities that make each breed distinct, or that mixed-breeds demonstrate. Together, they provide delight not only for the humans watching but for the dogs themselves who seem to know, deep down, that they were born to do exactly this: gait, trot, run, fly, swim, weave, hunt, sniff, jump—and yes, scream with joy.
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