Dog Show Dictionary

If you're a fan of dog shows (and even if you're not), you may have heard some of these terms that can leave you scratching your head in confusion. Some of them, such as "best in show", might be self-explanatory or easy enough to figure out, but others aren't so obvious. Here's a list of the less obvious (and the obvious) terms used in dog shows, and what they mean.

All Rounder: A dog show judge that is licensed to judge all dog breeds.

Award of Merit: A distinction given to exceptional dogs that do not qualify as Best of Breed, or Best of Opposite.

Bait: Used to grab and hold a dog's attention in the showing ring, "bait" can be anything from small pieces of liver biscotti (dog candy), to squeaky toys. Use of bait is not allowed in certain shows.

Benched Show: A dog show that assigns dogs to separate benches when not in the showing ring. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a benched show and interested spectators can approach the benches to learn more about the dogs present.

Best of Breed: The dog that best represents its breed standard. Best in Show is determined among all of the Best in Breed and Best in Variety winners.

Best of Opposite: The dog that best represents its breed standard, but in the opposite sex of the Best in Breed winner.

Best in Show: The overall winner of the dog show, selected from the Best in Breed winners, and the highest distinction in a conformation dog show.

Best in Variety: When a dog breed has several varieties of the same breed, such as Miniature Poodle, Standard Poodle, Toy Poodle, Best in variety is awarded in lieu of Best in Breed.

Breed Standard: The physical and temperamental description of the dog breed that all dogs of that breed are judged against. The breed standard is set and enforced by the parent club for each breed.

Stack: The dog's pose for judging.