Showsight Magazine | August 2026

Most purebred dog breeders and exhibitors in America understand that the sport of dogs doesn’t operate in a vacuum. In fact, the rise and fall of registrations and entries has always reflected realities that impact people’s everyday lives. When times are good, puppies are born and champions are made. When the future seems less than certain, plans tend to get put on hold. Unsurprisingly, it’s not just conservation-minded breeders who have been postponing plans. In the US, the human birth rate reached a record low in 2025, dropping well below what is needed to maintain the nation’s population. The simple reason for the precipitous fall? More people (teens, singles, and married couples alike) have indicated that they don’t want to become parents. With the average cost of raising a child for 18 years estimated to be well over $400,000, is it any wonder why dogs have become surrogate children in society? Comparatively speaking, dogs aren’t that expensive (top-winning show dogs excluded). Despite economic pressures and changing social mores, people still have a need to nurture—and dogs still have a need for people. So… there may actually never be a better time to breed that litter.