We have been blessed to have dogs that have been incredibly successful in conformation. Right from our first dog, we've had wonderful success thanks to the guidance and mentorship of Eclipse Kennels. We compete in conformation for a variety of reasons. First, it is something we enjoy and dogs do too. Our dogs enjoy traveling to shows and they enjoy spending the day hanging out at the show and getting attention.

Another reason that we show in conformation is because we have dogs used for breeding. Competing in conformation gives us an objective evaluation of the structural strengths and weaknesses of the dogs. It gives us a good idea of where we need to improve and where we stack up in comparison to other dogs. It also gives us some information about the dogs temperament. Conformation dogs are handled by a wide variety of judges and it helps us see how a dog reacts to this strange handling.

White German Shepherds cannot be shown in American Kennel Club (AKC) conformation, so many people believe that the conformation shows we participate in are sub-standard. This is simply not the case. The organizations we show with, most notably the United Kennel Club, have very high calibur judges with excellent credentials and experience. Often, our dogs compete against dogs that are shown in AKC and are judged by AKC judges. The one major difference between our experience in the ring and the experience of showing in the AKC, is that all our dogs are owner handled (or passed off to a friend). None of our dogs have ever been handled by a professional handler. We enjoy this aspect of the clubs we show in as it gives us the opportunity to work with our own dogs and have fun with them.

Many people don't consider conformation as a fun way to enjoy spending time with your dog. For us, that's exactly what it is. Our dogs show well for us and they enjoy going out there with us and having a good time. If you've thought about getting a white German Shepherd, consider conformation as another fun way to bond with them.