# Dog shows - a sport? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 19, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606 "2021-06-19T02:43:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Dinsdale1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/1 "2021-06-19T02:43:40Z")
Watched the recent Westminster dog show. They consistently referred to it as a sporting event. This was conformation only - not agility or anything else. Any way showing dogs can be considered “sport”? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/2 "2021-06-19T03:30:51Z")
It’s clearly not a sport. I’m curious why they want to call it one though. Does that help with branding? I imagine the people that are into it have no higher a percentage of sports fans than the general population. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/3 "2021-06-19T03:42:40Z")
Not the first person to refer to any kind of competition as a sport. The fact that there is training involved might support the argument, but I wouldn’t call dog shows a sport. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/4 "2021-06-19T11:55:33Z")
To me - dog shows are time-fillers on the sports channels - along with poker. ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/5 "2021-06-19T12:02:21Z")
I wouldn’t call it a sport, but it’s the kind of competition that’s perfectly acceptable to go on a sports channel. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/6 "2021-06-19T13:11:36Z")
Is a beauty pageant a sport? It seems to me that a dog show is basically just a beauty pageant for dogs. Except that the dogs don’t have to pretend to care about geopolitical issues. ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/7 "2021-06-19T13:21:51Z")
[John Finnemore Souvenir Experience show about dog shows - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx0lgwUFMJk) John Finnemore, (of Cabin Pressure)'s take on dog shows. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/8 "2021-06-19T13:48:52Z")
My vote is not a sport, but I grade tough. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/9 "2021-06-19T14:06:34Z")
On the side of vaguely sporting, trotting along with the dogs is probably the most aerobic exercise some of those handlers ever get. Not to mention how fast the toy dogs’ tiny little legs have to move. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/10 "2021-06-19T15:34:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It seems to me that a dog show is basically just a beauty pageant for dogs. Except that the dogs don’t have to pretend to care about geopolitical issues. And beauty queens don’t have to pretend to be fit for breeding – oh, wait. But to answer the question, despite having entered and attended many dog shows, no, it is not a sport but rather, a competition. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Dinsdale1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/11 "2021-06-19T21:17:35Z")
Yeah - I was just kinda surprised that they consistently called it a sport. Even put up a card calling it the 2d oldest US sporting event. Guesses as to #1? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/12 "2021-06-19T21:33:04Z")
If what the Pittsburgh Pirates have been doing lately is going to be called a sport, someone trotting about with a teacup Yorkshire terrier on a leash is certainly a sport also. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/13 "2021-06-19T21:43:52Z")
> [@Dinsdale1](#): > > Yeah - I was just kinda surprised that they consistently called it a sport. Even put up a card calling it the 2d oldest US sporting event. Guesses as to #1? Given the nature of the topic, I’m going to guess horse racing. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/14 "2021-06-19T23:00:52Z")
I think the America’s Cup yacht race is the oldest something or other. I’ll go with that. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/15 "2021-06-20T00:25:07Z")
> [@Dinsdale1](#): > > Even put up a card calling it the 2d oldest US sporting event. Guesses as to #1? I’m pretty sure it’s the Kentucky Derby? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Dinsdale1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale1)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/16 "2021-06-20T00:36:27Z")
Yes - they said the derby ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/17 "2021-06-20T03:53:10Z")
The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1875. The Gordon-Emmet Bonspiel, to determine the men’s championship of the Grand National Curling Club has been held (with a few cancellations) since 1869. According to [this page](https://www.gncc.org/events/championships/gordon-emmet) about the Gordon-Emmet, the America’s Cup (1851) and Bell Quoit Silver Medal (1867) are older still. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/18 "2021-06-20T05:44:35Z")
The Belmont Stakes has been run since 1865 so the Kentucky Derby isn’t even the oldest Triple Crown race. It’s third behind The Preakness (1873) for the founding, but three years were skipped, 1891, 92, and 93 so its count is lower than the Derby’s. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/19 "2021-06-20T12:35:35Z")
Sportswriter #1: “Wow, this dog show has been running a really long time. I wonder if there’s anything that’s run longer?” Sportswriter #2: “Hm, maybe the Kentucky Derby? Lemme Google that real quick.” Sportswriter #1: “OK, then, there’s our factoid: Second-longest-running sports event in America, after only the Kentucky Derby.” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Dinsdale1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale1)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606/20 "2021-06-20T16:59:13Z")
W/o checking - could it be the longest continuous w/o interruption? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shows-a-sport/944606.md?page=2)