Doggy Style

To an outsider, attending a competitive dog show can feel like visiting another country during some kind of obscure national holiday. Everywhere you look an complex and esoteric ritual is being performed, its participants don attire that is somehow familiar but out of step with the latest fashion trends. Humans and animals weave across the floor in a highly synchronized pattern. It’s clear something meaningful is happening but it’s hard to discern unless you’ve spent countless hours immersed in the specific codes and rules that govern the sport. 

Another observation an outsider may have upon observing this spectacle is that it’s all just a little weird. To some, the idea of spending thousands upon thousands of dollars on purebred show dogs, not to mention travel, grooming, and countless hours training and competing may seem like an especially weird thing to do with what little time we each have on the planet. The truth is, we’re all a little weird though. We all have our hobbies, our collections, our obsessions. Some are more obvious than others but no one is immune to the need to dive deep into our own passions — to find meaning and fulfillment in the things we do. 

The reasons why people choose to show dogs is varied but they often fall into one or more of the following buckets: a deep emotional connection with the breed, a familial legacy, or financial gain. For some, their dogs are like their children. Many were brought up in the show circuit, watching their parents compete when they were young and then continuing the tradition. For others the dogs are more like brand ambassadors for a business — be it grooming, training, breeding, etc. 

Regardless of the reason why, a deep connection with their animals is at the heart of the relationship between the humans and their show dogs. The connection between some is so strong that many say they find communicating with and relating to dogs is preferable to interacting with other humans. 

Connection, meaning, and acceptance is something we all seek — and amidst the occasional barks, hours of grooming, and tense moments in the ring, that’s what many people find here. 

We should all be so lucky. To find our passion and be accepted, even celebrated for it. And to get to do that alongside your four-legged best friend.