| The first conformation shows took place on June 28-29, 1859 in Town Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne in England. There were only 60 entries, all of whom were pointers or setters. Some people believe these shows were held to see who had the best working dog. On April 4, 1873, the first kennel club, The Kennel Club, was founded by 12 men in England. The purpose of modern dog shows aren't the same as they used to be. Standards were written for each breed describing the ideal job that the dog breed serves. An Irish Setter would need long legs to run, while a Rottweiler would need strong muscles to pull. In recent years, the standards have been revised and not all of them desribe the ideal dog any more because of the revisal of the breeds to have the looks the mordern generations want. Modern shows are also much larger hosting not hundreds of dogs but thousands, and they are more "flashy", especially in the United States. Depending on the kennel club, almost any type of clothing can be worn, but the main rule is to use colors that either show or hide the good or bad points on your dog. Just remember, you want your dog to look as good as possible. | How to Start Training 1. The first thing you need to do is register your dog if it isn't already. This can be done with any of your country's main kennel clubs. For the US, those include the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the United Kennel Club (UKC). 2. The next step is to check your breed's standard. If your dog contains any of the major faults or disqualifications, it most likely cannot be shown in conformation. If your dog seems like it has a close match to the standard, you might own a champion show dog! 3. Your dog will need to learn to "pose". Some breeds have a specific "pose" and some do not. You will also have to learn how to correctly gait (walk) your breed around they ring. Some breeds move faster than others. It is usually your choice to use a tight lead or a loose lead. 4. Before you go to a show or even sign up for one, learn which class your dog will show in. There are many of these classes in each breed that depend on age, gender, and if your dog has a champion title. 5. Lastly, you need to pick the right clothing. Your clothes should be nice, but usually don't need to be overly formal. Pick a color of clothes that will show off your dog. A color similar to the dog's may hide a dog's topline, while a color opposite the dog's will show a dog's topline. |