Dog Shows for Great Danes
If you want to show off your Great Dane in front of the canine community, there are many dog shows in the United States and around the world that will allow you to do so.
The venerable Great Dane Club of America, established in 1889, has a calendar of shows it is affiliated with. Dog shows for Great Danes are coming up in locations as varied as Tucson, Arizona; Cleveland, Ohio; and Fort Worth, Texas. Categories include obedience and agility. These shows are open to Great Danes only.
The American Kennel Club is the highest profile organizer of dog shows in the United States. Great Dane owners can take their dogs to compete against 149 other breeds in the all-breed shows. Eligible dogs must be at least six months old, and cannot be spayed or neutered, since the main purpose of a dog show is to evaluate breeding stock. Just as in the Christopher Guest movie, the winning dog at the end of the competition is named "best in show." Rivalry for this coveted award can be quite fierce among owners.
The American Kennel Club's criteria for an ideal Great Dane are available here. Study them so that you do not end up exhibiting a Dane with no chance at the blue ribbon. Long, angular heads and glossy coats are desirable. Wolf claws, a ringed tail, and an underbite are all flaws that are unlikely to impress judges.
Information about showing your Great Dane in the United Kingdom can be found in this article: Dane Showing in the UK. All colors of Great Dane, from brindled to blue-black, compete against one another. Shows may be limited to the members of a particular Great Dane club, or open to any entrants. Besides the Best in Show grand prize ribbon, there is usually a separate award for best puppy in show.
The biggest dog show in the world is Crufts, held in Birmingham, England every year. The UK Kennel Club organizes this event, which attracted nearly 28,000 dogs and their owners in 2010. At that competition, the Telegraph snapped a photo of a Great Dane waiting to go onstage.
There are single breed Great Dane dog shows in Russia as well. Photos from, and information about, these shows can be found at GreatDane.ru.
To get ready for real dog shows, play the online game Showdog. This game allows you to manage a kennel of dogs from any of 180 breeds, including the Great Dane.