A New Perspective On Dog Shows

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76 – November/December, 2024

By Wayne Cavanaugh

AKC Perspectives, the AKC Delegate publication, is one of the best dog publications you’ve never heard of. It’s professional in presentation and content and is full of well-curated articles about the sport. Perspectives is created by and published for the delegates, so it’s understandably not available to the public; that’s unfortunate because it occasionally reveals some real writing gems, none more important than a recent series regarding the number of dogs that compete in dog shows. The writing is excellent, the tone is pragmatic and positive, and the data is shocking.

The June and September issues included two articles of a three-part series written by former AKC Board Member, Carl C. Ashby. Ashby’s list of credentials is long and impressive as is his passion for the success of the sport. By understanding the importance of the data in his articles, he helps pull back the curtain so we can see the real state of the sport without an ounce of sugar coating. The facts are discouraging but ultimately essential. If we can’t handle the truth today, we cannot handle the plans for a successful tomorrow.

Each year, the AKC publishes a compilation of statistics.* The keystone number AKC uses to assess the state of the sport for conformation is listed under the heading: Number of Dogs Competing in Events. On the surface, that makes perfect sense. For quite a while, that annual number has held steady at about 1.2 million. Last year, the total number for conformation shows was 1,199,883 so it would seem the rudder is holding steady. Relying on that 1.2 million number alone, however, can lead to a long and troubling road of denial. Why? Because the 1.2 million Number of Dogs Competing is NOT the number of Dogs Competing – it’s the number of Entries.

What is the real number of dogs that competed in AKC conformation shows last year? It is not 1.2 million, it’s 100,066.

Click here to read the complete article
76 – November/December, 2024

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Posted by AnthonyA on Nov 9 2024. 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.