Spoiled for Choice – Finding Focus Amid All the Possibilities

Spoiled for Choice – Finding Focus Amid All the Possibilities

The sport of dogs in America today has never before offered exhibitors so much choice. With more than 200 breeds fully recognized by the American Kennel Club, and more than a dozen breeds in the Miscellaneous Class and several dozen more in the Foundation Stock Service (FSS), devotees of purebred dogs can now select from an astonishing array of breeds to champion. And with Companion and Performance events growing by leaps and bounds, everyone (and every dog) is welcome to try something new. Even “All-American” mixes and their BFFs can give activities like Agility and Rally a try, provided they’re enrolled in the AKC Canine Partners Program.

As participation in so many AKC events has increased, so too has the fallout that comes from having too many choices to make. Nowadays, choosing when, where, why, and how to participate in the sport requires exhibitors to make more decisions than previous generations could have ever imagined. These days, a lot of folks even seem to be entering their unfinished champions in anything but the Breed ring. Should Dog A be entered in Rally and Fast CAT on Saturday, and Obedience and Dock Diving on Sunday? What about Dog B? Dog C? Is there time enough to do everything? How much will entries cost? Gas? Hotel? Meals? Oh well, the Conformation Championships will have to wait…

Making choices, of course, has always been part and parcel of showing dogs (e.g., selecting a stud dog, choosing which puppy to keep, deciding on the best shows to enter, determining if a new champion is worthy of specialing). But today’s exhibitors must consider how “broadly” they’d like to participate. Is a CGC certificate worthwhile? Does Scent Work seem like fun? What about Barn Hunt? And that Grand Championship or the big dream of winning an all-breed Best in Show and an Owner-Handled Best in Show with the same dog—on the same day? (It has been done!)

The freedom to choose how to engage in the sport, some would argue, is one of its modern-day strengths. In each event that’s offered, there are classes or levels that invite participation from both veteran competitors and newcomers alike. There’s quite literally something for everyone. Titles abound, and some, quite frankly, are easily earned. These “low bars” have surely encouraged ongoing participation from exhibitors who’ve been having a good time and want to continue the fun. But is having fun the new standard by which organized dog activities are measured? Are today’s exhibitors participating in Companion, Performance, and even Conformation events, simply for the pleasure?

Dog shows, of course, can be a lot of fun. For all the seriousness that circulates under the tents and through the grooming rooms, the typical show remains a place where like-minded breeders and exhibitors can still have a good time competing in the ring and socializing afterwards. The fun (which includes conversations that allow experiences to be shared as openly as opinions) can occur whenever and wherever like-minded dog people gather. It’s the being together part that matters most. But if exhibitors only occupy the same showgrounds, yet everyone is running here, there, and everywhere, chasing points and titles as their dogs dash, dive, and dig, is there any real togetherness happening? And is any in-depth breed knowledge being shared—and is it being received?

Some might argue (correctly) that the pursuit of multiple titles on both ends of a dog’s registered name isn’t necessarily a breed-focused endeavor. Coursing ability isn’t necessary on a breed that’s intended to go to ground, and following a scent trail isn’t required of a breed that’s been bred for centuries to sit on someone’s lap. Both pursuits can certainly be fun for the dogs and for everyone who participates, but the focus on each breed as a uniquely qualified canine gets discarded in the process. “Breed” becomes irrelevant, and that should be concerning to anyone who claims to be a preservation breeder.

It may be useful to consider that more than a century ago, when dog shows came into vogue and hunting dogs were brought out of the kennels and into the ring, bathed, brushed, and baited for the benefit of expert adjudicators at events that exposed each breed to the general public, a concern was voiced by some gentlemen hunters that the singular focus on conformation would be the ruination of their breeds. This opinion ultimately led to a split within some breeds that resulted in extremes in both hunting dogs and show dogs. Other breeds, however, managed to avoid a split, and some have even proven themselves as true dual-purpose breeds thanks to the support they’ve received from their parent clubs’ membership through the years.

Today, breeders and exhibitors are faced with a similar need to determine the direction that each breed will take—with far more options to consider. Every breed’s future will be decided by individuals (both organized and acting independently) who choose where to focus their time, attention, and resources when it comes to preservation and promotion. For those with a focus on titles, a single dog’s participation in Companion and Performance events can expose others to a breed’s many fine qualities. Likewise, the show dog that competes regularly for Group, Best in Show, and Specialty wins. But there is a fundamental difference between a MACH and a BISS. Only one requires that a dog be a registered purebred. Although the pursuit of either accomplishment benefits everyone concerned, including the dog, only the Best in Specialty Show win speaks to a breed’s past, present, and potential future, and only it requires an investment made by a preservation breeder.

To ensure a bright future for each and every breed, the focus must be on the breed itself.