Specialty Dog Shows are very special 🙂 Lets look at the various kinds of dog shows. "All Breed" shows, are just that, all breeds are allowed to enter and show. "Limited Breed" shows are for multiple breeds, usually one of the AKC groups, such as the "Toy" group, the "Sporting" group, etc.

Specialty Dog Shows are for a single breed. This is a much smaller show than an All breed show - because it is just one breed showing, but Specialties are VERY popular with exhibitors. Usually a judge has a great deal of experience in the breed being shown. For example, with a Great Dane Specialty the judge is likely to be a Great Dane breeder or perhaps a breeder of a breed built very similarly to the Great Dane. Exhibitors that receive awards, exhibitors that "win" at a specialty feel very good about their wins.

The awards, ribbons and trophies at a bit more elaborate at a Specialty show. There are often special events like a Raffle Table and special classes, like parades for veterans.

Exhibitors with their dogs travel further for a Specialty, so the breed entry numbers, in our case, the Great Dane entry is usually much highe

Usually a Great Dane Club holds a Specialty show annually, once a year. There are usually only 1-3 Great Dane Clubs in a state and not all of them have Specialties. So most states have just one specialty a year, but larger states can have 1-3 Specialties a year. In Oregon, there is only one AKC GDCA Great Dane Club and there is just one Specialty.

Yes! At various times during the shows, exhibitors and breeders will be happy to talk about their dogs and answer questions, but when it is getting close to the time their dog will be judged, they will switch gears and all the attention will be on their dog and what is happening in the ring. So understand that there are times when exhibitors won't be able to talk.

Generally the only dogs at the show are dogs that are entered. The age of the youngest puppy class is the 6-9 months class, so the youngest puppies will be 6 months old.