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Spend a few minutes on social media and you’ll quickly discover one of the most common conversations surrounding the sport of purebred dogs: Is our sport dying or is it simply changing to survive? This idea of a dying sport is repeated so often that many people accept it as fact. Social media tends to magnify negativity and, as a result, it is easy to equate change or challenge with decline, even when there are clear signs that the sport is thriving in new forms.
Before we accept that narrative, we should ask: Are we witnessing the end of the sport or its evolution into something new?
Are we measuring the sport by comparing it to 25 years ago, or to another specific period? I acknowledge that those who are using statistical data to show that dog shows are in decline are making comparisons with a different era and generation, which is correct, but I ask myself how the exhibitors on social media, who have been in the sport for 5-10 years, know what shows were like decades ago.
Are we talking about lower entries than we experienced decades ago? Or are we measuring today’s dog shows against our personal memories of what they looked like years ago? Entries today are lower in numbers, yet we can only do some shape-shifting in this new decade to focus on the high quality we’re seeing in the ring, despite the low numbers.
Are we talking about fewer spectators? Nearly every person I meet on a plane or in another non-dog-specific group exclaims they always watch the National Dog Show or Westminster on TV. They watch, though they’re just not actually at the show itself. I always ask them whether they have a dog and, if so, which breed. If they don’t own a purebred, I educate them about the advantages of owning one. This is a trend that we, as purebred dog enthusiasts, should use to educate the “new spectator” online, on social media, and on streaming platforms. We need to take advantage of social media, TV, and Netflix.
I believe the answer to these questions is that we are allowing repeated negativity to form our perception of what we see every weekend. Each question is a distinct way of looking at the topic.
There is no doubt that our sport deals with challenges. Entry fees have increased. Travel expenses continue to climb. Club volunteers work tirelessly, and many older club members are not being replaced by younger members. Families have more demands on their time than ever. If we compare today’s world to the 1950s or 1960s, we are comparing two entirely different societies to the one we live in now.
During those decades, many families had far fewer entertainment options. Saturdays were often reserved for community events, county fairs, and yes, dog shows. Today, we compete with youth sports, streaming services, social media, smartphones, and countless other activities that simply did not exist previously.
Years ago, dog shows looked very different. Men commonly wore suits and ties. Women dressed in tailored suits, hats, and polished shoes. Today, you may see tattoos, athletic shoes, colorful hairstyles, mobility devices, and clothing that reflects every generation and culture represented in our communities.
These shifts do not mean the sport is dying; they reveal that the sport is adapting to a changing world. This distinction lies at the heart of our story: Are we losing something, or are we discovering new ways to thrive within different circumstances? Every weekend, I continue to find reasons for optimism.
One of the greatest success stories of the past decade has been the National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS). Regardless of where you stand on every aspect of the program, it has encouraged participation, rewarded owner handlers, and created a changed system within AKC for competition at all levels for owners that did not previously exist. I believe it has become a significant force in keeping people actively engaged in the sport. According to the AKC website, NOHS accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total entries at shows. As a result, I continue to see exhibitors setting goals, developing better dogs, and competing at increasingly higher levels.
Alongside that success, however, I also see something else that rarely gets mentioned.
I see exhibitors who WANT to learn!
When I founded Dog Show Mentor, I had no idea how many exhibitors would be interested in developing their knowledge of the sport through online education. What I discovered was one of the most encouraging experiences of my career.
Owner Handlers from every corner of North America continue investing their time and resources to become better students of the sport. They attend workshops, participate in online mentoring programs, study Breed Standards, analyze judging decisions, and ask insightful questions because they genuinely want to improve.
Dog Show Mentor is certainly not the only example. Breed clubs are offering educational seminars. Regional clubs are inviting speakers. Experts across the country are giving generously of their knowledge. Exhibitors are sharing information in ways that simply were not possible twenty years ago.
Taken together, these observations tell a story of a sport not in decline, but one that is adapting and growing in new ways.
It is a community investing in its future.
Walk through the grooming area at almost any large show and look around. You will hear conversations in multiple languages and meet exhibitors from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, and throughout Europe. You will see young professionals standing beside retirees, seasoned breeders helping first-time exhibitors, and families introducing children to the responsibilities of caring for purebred dogs.
All of these points are examples of the remarkable diversity our sport has achieved. This diversity does not suggest the sport has lost something. Rather, I see evidence that it has become more welcoming. It is unquestionably one of the last sports that brings people from all walks of life together, open to all.
Not long ago, I watched a woman confidently showing her Toy dog while using a walker. She handled her dog beautifully, and no one around her seemed to think twice about it. At another show, I had at least two twenty-something young men in my ring. I hoped their experiences were as valuable to them as they were inspiring to me. They were curious, asked thoughtful questions, and appeared to admire the other dogs. Those moments stayed with me because they reminded me that every experienced exhibitor was once an attendee at their first dog show. It’s as unadulterated as a circus used to be. Every one of us was new at one time.
The question is not whether new people are coming; it’s what happens after they’ve arrived. There is an opportunity to promote breeds that are appropriate to the individual or family, as well as our own breed. As fanciers, we should intentionally reinforce a positive view of Conformation and other dog sports as welcoming.
Sometimes, a solitary conversation at ringside convinces someone to take their first educational experience. One encouraging breed mentor can change the direction of an exhibitor’s entire career. The entire trajectory of a breed can be changed by a single conversation. Those opportunities surround us every weekend.
I also find it interesting that, while many people speak of declining quality, I continue to judge outstanding dogs in breed after breed. In some areas, I see larger entries in Collies, German Shorthaired Pointers, Vizslas, and several other breeds. I continue to see impressive Four-to-Six Month (Beginner Puppy) classes that give every indication that the next generation is already on its way.
Should we continue striving for quality? Absolutely. Preservation has always been the foundation of our sport, and it always should be. The answer is never to lower the bar. The key is to educate more people, so they understand why that bar exists.
The real conversation should not be if our sport is dying, but how we can help it thrive through adaptation. Focusing on transformation opens the door to positive change.
We have the power to transform social media into an educational system that promotes our sport in a positive way. I choose to believe what I continue seeing every weekend. That is:
exhibitors learning
clubs adapting
experts investing in people
dogs that continue taking my breath away.
Most of all, I observe a community that still shares a deep love for purebred dogs and the preservation of their breeds.
No, I do not believe our sport is dying. There is an undeniable evolution, and our sport is adapting, but it is not ending. The best days still lie ahead; the future holds great things for us.
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