The 411 On Poor Sportsmanship And Social Media

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90 – June, 2026

By William Given

To understand and fully appreciate the importance of good sportsmanship, you have to know the early history of our sport. Dog shows were a product of Victorian England, with the first show being held in 1859 in Newcastle. Initially, dog shows were not a stand-alone affair, but rather an add-on event, and that very first show was part of an agricultural fair for poultry.

The Victorian Era, the period from 1837 to 1901, was marked by Queen Victoria’s rule over the British Empire. It is often characterized by the strict observance of social rules and polite behavior. Because the upper class sought to distinguish themselves from the working class, they were expected to employ certain standards of behavior in an effort to enforce exclusion.

Good sportsmanship was very much expected at the first dog shows because the events were established by and for a small circle of aristocrats, enthusiastic upper-class sportsmen, and breeders. The early shows were not so much a conformation competition, but more about gathering to compare actual working dogs, share information, and establish “fair” measures of judgment. Here are a few important things to remember about the early dog shows and sportsmanship:

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90 – June, 2026

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