Developing Mentorship in the Dog Show World: Why Mentorship Matters More Than Ever

I recently judged a show in Montana, and the show chair was an exceptional human being and leader. We had several opportunities to talk in depth about his style of leadership and the effect it had on his club. The club was thriving and growing. Every member wanted to work and was willing to do anything they were capable of doing for three full days. Our conversations got me thinking more about how to communicate what mentoring really means, and more thoroughly tease out one of my most passionate questions: What are the elements of mentoring that make Dog Show Mentor so successful? Here’s what I came up with!

There is a common misconception among exhibitors that anyone who is a good breeder, a successful exhibitor, or has longevity in the sport is also a good mentor. However, over the past 10 years, I have unequivocally learned that mentorship is a skill set all its own. It is a combination of experience in a specific area with expertise, leadership development, and teaching ability.

I personally know several good breeders who are good mentors because they are clear about their breed and understand the core tenets of providing key breed elements in a way that doesn’t confuse their mentees. I also know some great breeders who understand how to put two dogs together, usually by in-depth study of pedigrees, but fail to articulate the basics of their Breed Standard. Some people will take offense at this, but when you take a broad view by speaking with hundreds of breeders, it provides a deeper understanding of why this isn’t always true.

In the same way, winning doesn’t automatically make someone a teacher. Teaching can be learned either through formal education, practice, or natural talent. Practice beats talent every time, but teaching is a special gift that few people can employ. It is, however, the paved road to the future of the sport by passing along a depth of knowledge that is missing in so many new exhibitors. Sadly, it is also missing in many of the newer judges who are racing through the new AKC system without learning through what we used to call “on-the-job training.” By this, I mean that as a judge of new breeds (not your own or ones you have been thoroughly exposed to), you need to get your hands on numerous entries before you really understand how they are built and how that informs their function. To dog people, “hands-on” is an essential learning tool.

Longevity in our sport and leadership are not necessarily the same thing. Staying involved in dogs for decades often requires determination, resilience, and a certain amount of grit. Those qualities can contribute to success, but they do not automatically translate into the ability to lead, teach, or inspire others.

Experienced exhibitors can certainly mentor by example, and many do. However, true leadership—the ability to develop people, share knowledge effectively, and help others grow—is a separate skill set that relatively few possess.

It is also important not to overlook newcomers who bring valuable perspectives from outside the dog world. Individuals with backgrounds in horses, livestock, or other animal disciplines sometimes arrive with a highly trained eye for structure, movement, and evaluation. Once they develop a thorough understanding of a Breed Standard and its priorities, they may offer insights that even longtime exhibitors have missed. Their contributions should not be discounted simply because they have spent fewer years showing dogs.

The dog show world has traditionally rewarded independence, self-reliance, and individual success. Those qualities can create exceptional breeders and competitors, but they do not always create environments where knowledge is easily shared, i.e., mentorship.

And yet, our sport survives because knowledge is eventually passed on.

The question is:

How do we become intentional about that process?

The most important mentorship in purebred dogs has never been about winning ribbons. Winning is a byproduct of doing many things correctly over a long period of time. At its core, mentorship is about preserving breeds.

A good mentor teaches far more than how to get around the ring. They pass along knowledge of how to evaluate breeding stock and the importance of health testing and genetic diversity. They demonstrate the relationship between structure and function; they even help newcomers understand a breed’s temperament, purpose, and the hallmarks that define it. Most importantly, they teach how to think.

The best mentors do not create followers. They create future leaders.

A mentor should be able to explain not only what they believe, but why they believe it. Why is that front assembly correct? Why is that temperament desirable? Why is this dog worthy of contributing to the next generation? The ability to answer those questions thoughtfully is what transforms information into knowledge.

At the same time, mentorship requires something from the student. There can be no mentor without a willing mentee.

One of the greatest challenges in today’s world is that information is abundant while wisdom is scarce. I’m sure this has been said before, but it is apropos more than ever here. Exhibitors can watch videos, join social media groups, and read endless opinions online, yet mentorship requires something deeper than information gathering. It requires humility. It requires asking questions, listening carefully, and sometimes accepting that the answer is not the one you hoped to hear.

The most successful students are often those who are willing to hear things that make them uncomfortable, such as the possibility that their dog may not be ready to be competitive. They are willing to learn that their grooming needs improvement, and to study their Breed Standard until they understand not just the words but the priorities behind those words.

This is where mentorship becomes transformational. It is not merely the transfer of knowledge. It is the development of judgment.

As breeders, exhibitors, and judges, we should be asking ourselves an important question: What knowledge are we passing forward? Are we sharing only shortcuts to success, or are we teaching the deeper principles that will sustain our breeds long after we are gone?

The future of purebred dogs depends upon more than producing beautiful dogs. It depends upon producing knowledgeable people. The example of the show chair above is an ideal and simple way for clubs and other groups of people to pass forward their knowledge. Similarly, groups of judges can talk about their early beginnings spent learning about the various breeds and gaining judging experiences, to mentor the newer judges to bypass the difficult moments and move ahead with ease and grace.

If we want strong breed clubs, knowledgeable judges, ethical breeders, and successful exhibitors, we must become intentional about developing mentorship. We must recognize those who can teach, encourage those who desire to learn, and develop environments where questions are welcomed rather than discouraged.

The ribbons will fade. The rankings will change. The advertisements will be forgotten.

But the knowledge we pass on to the next generation may influence our breeds for decades to come.