I didn’t buy Torque as a show dog – the beauty show kind of show, also known as conformation. As a little baby puppy, his nose was too long, his legs were too long, etc. I know it seems kind of weird to consider any French Bulldog having too long a nose, but he did. That was fine – I wanted a strong, healthy Frenchie to do “stuff” with – obedience, rally, agility, etc. Because I love Frenchies and because I love doing all this stuff with my dog.
He’s grown up to be a very handsome guy – he grew into his too-long muzzle. So his breeder and I are thinking about showing him in conformation. It’s not a world I’m particularly comfortable with. I’m not really a competitive person. The “stuff” that I do – it’s me and my dog teaming up to complete exercises we’ve practiced and, hopefully, we measure up against the rules for the competition. We’re not trying to beat other teams – just do the best we can and try to qualify.
There are people who aspire to the top echelon of the dog sports and who are competitive. I’ve got no problem with that – it’s just not for us. If a qualifying score is 170 out of 200 (obedience) and we score 175, I’m okay with that. Maybe not thrilled, but okay. Perfection would be nice and it is something we train for – but if it doesn’t happen, it’s okay. I still get to take home the best dog in the world – mine.
The conformation world is totally different. You compete directly against other dogs to be named, in one judge’s subjective opinion, the one who comes closest to the Breed Standard. Every breed club writes its own standard – all are readily available to read on the American Kennel Club website. (http://www.AKC.org)
And no matter how gorgeous you think your dog is – that judge, on that day, may or may not agree with you.
Just because it’s not my “thing” doesn’t mean I don’t support the idea of conformation. It’s important to recognize the dogs who epitomize the best of each and every breed. Ideally, it ensures the continuation of the best of the breeds we love – both in health and personality. My love for dogs started by going to dog shows, talking to dog people, learning about these amazing animals who share our lives. So maybe you’ll see Torque in the show ring. A new adventure may be starting!
