Why The AKC Code Of Sportsmanship Matters And Why We All Need To Follow It

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254 – August, 2025

By Peter Friedman

This is a message to all breeders and those of us who show dogs: This article is not intended to call anyone out, but rather to encourage some introspection about how we behave in this sport of purebred dogs (myself included).

We all believe we have the most perfect dog or bitch in our breed. Let’s be honest, though—every dog has flaws, whether major or minor. (Except for my dogs, of course, who are perfect… Just kidding!) While none of them are truly perfect, in our minds—and I’m sure in yours—they are all pretty great.

Whether we are breeders or exhibitors–or both–we should be striving to improve our breed’s health, coat, conformation, and temperament. I’d like to believe that’s why most people are in this sport—and not for glory or a ribbon. Let’s face it: if the prize for Best of Breed were $20,000, maybe we could understand people’s poor behavior. But it’s not.

The AKC Code of Sportsmanship exists for a reason. I’ve copied it below and would like to highlight a few points I think are worth discussing.

Key Principles from the AKC Code of Sportsmanship

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254 – August, 2025

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Posted by AnthonyA on Aug 19 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.