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Most people keep a dog as a pet, a much loved companion that curls up next to you in front of the fire. They may not be the finest looking or the most obedient pet out there, but they are part of the family. For some pet owners, that just isn't enough and they enter their dogs into dog shows. It's a time consuming hobby
but the participants are passionate about it and proud to show off their champion dog. A winning dog at one of these shows carries a lot of prestige and puppies from breeding can be worth a lot of money.
There are many small and larger events all over the world. Two of the most prestigious annual dog shows are Crufts in the UK and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the U.S. Crufts takes place every March in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham and is organized by the Kennel Club. It's the largest show of its kind in the world and runs over four days. Started in 1886, the competition is not an open one and dogs are only eligible if they have already competed with some success in other championship dog shows.
The Best of Show award is the top accolade and dogs have to win their Best of Breed category to compete for it. Best of Breed winners are the seven dogs that represent the seven different groups. These group winners then compete with each other for Best in Show. The separate groups, as classified in the UK rules for dog shows, are Toys, Gundogs, Utility, Hounds, Working, Pastoral and Terriers. They also award a Reserve Best in Show and a Best Puppy award. The supreme champion dog in 2007 was a Tibetan Terrier.
The Westminster Show runs for two days and takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The first show was held in 1877 and it is judged by the American Kennel Club. TV coverage began in 1948. The show has greatly grown in popularity over the years and the organizers decided to limit the number of entries.
Since 1992, dogs can only enter if they are already breed champions. In 2005, there were 2,581 entries. The groups in American dog shows are divided in to Terrier, Sporting, Working, Non-Sporting, Toy, Hound and Herding. Terriers have won the show many more times than any of the other groups. Only two dogs have won both Crufts and the Westminster Show, which means that those two dogs are very special indeed.
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