very true.
I find herding , agility and obedience to be better and more exciting.
For instance I have a Belgian Terv and have had those and German shepherds and before that a collie, Old English sheep dog.
All are herding and I just think that the mark of a good dog is what they are for.
For my dogs herding ,agility obedience.
If it is a bloodhound then they should be used for scent, hunting etc.
Conformation for me is just a judges view with politics behind it. The other comps make it so that it goes on what the dog does and how they perform to get the points.
Some of the people in conformation are very bitchy too.
Ever see that funny film about the dog show?
I loved it all. The best part is having a dog you can do it all with. I agree with you about herding dogs. Doing herding helps you understand the dog. Seeing them getting to do what they were bred for is a thing of beauty. I had a friend whose Terv started herding at the age of 10. She said the light turned on in his eyes and it was like he had waited his whole life to do that.
“Best in Show” was very funny. It’s parody of Westminster was hilarious.
Conformation has it’s purpose. It keeps the breeds from straying from the breed standards.... or at least it’s supposed to. Some of the breeds have been allowed to be changed way too much and then they just change the breed standard. I am against that. I think they are getting a little stricter now, I hope it continues.
Also, the toy class is for the most part a companion, lap dog. Conformation is really the only way to judge them. We don’t want dog shows to turn into shows where a dog is judged on it’s tricks.