What is Conformation?

Definition: noun – a dog show; a competitive dog sport that involves the presentation of purebred dogs to be judged for correspondence to respective breed standards..

Conformation trials, or dog shows, are designed to display purebred dogs with ideal characteristics of their respective breeds as determined by a purebred dog association such as the American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club. Ultimately, the goal is to maintain and even improve each breed so that future lines remain of the highest quality. During conformation, show dogs are judged by knowledgeable and experienced purebred experts. These judges look at the dogs’ physical characteristics, movement/gait, and temperament to determine which dogs measure up most closely to the breed standard. Dogs first compete for Best of Breed, with the champion going on to Best of Group. Group winners go on to compete for Best in Show, where one final champion dog is determined. Champion dogs are considered more appropriate for breeding than non-champion dogs, and their offspring are typically of higher monetary value.