Owning a show dog
Conformation shows are an opportunity for breeders to have their dogs officially evaluated against the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) standard. Dog shows aren’t just about picking the ‘prettiest dog’ – judges carefully evaluate each dog’s structure and temperament, helping to ensure that the dogs we choose to breed are happy, healthy and well put together.
Attending shows also allows us to network with other breeders and bull terrier enthusiasts so we can share resources, information, and celebrate each other’s achievements.
Male Show Puppy Available July 2026
We currently have a male puppy with show potential and are seeking the best home for him. If you are on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, or Okanagan, you do not need to have any experience showing as we would show him ourselves.
Details:
- Male red and white puppy (standard bull terrier)
- Born May 28th 2026
- Sire CH Bluepoint Sparrowhawk x Dam GCHB Delicious Abernethy
Read on to find out more information on the practicalities of owning and loving a show bull terrier… It might sound daunting but you may be pleasantly surprised!
What's the difference between a show dog and a family pet?
The first thing I want to say is that show dogs are family pets. They belong on the sofa and on family trips just as much as a dog that doesn’t compete in the show ring. They play, get dirty, go swimming, and do all the things non-show dogs do. The day-to-day of what you do with your show dog is really no different. As I write this, my Grand Champion Specialty Winner is cuddled in next to me, snoring away. That’s how he spends the majority of his days. And a few times a year, we head off to a show in our RV, do a few circuits around the ring, and then normal life resumes again.
What about Grooming?
The great news about bull terriers is that their grooming needs are VERY low. Unlike, say, poodles, the grooming that a show bull terrier needs is no different from a pet bull terrier. So you would only need to do the things you’d be doing anyway, like keeping on top of nail trims and giving them the occasional bath, and we always recommend making sure that they are used to body handling from strangers as this helps when the visit the vet. So no change here for a show dog!
Would they need a lot of extra training?
People are often worried about needing to do a lot of extra training with a show dog. You might be very surprised at how little time this has to take. Literally under 5 minutes a few times a week makes the world of difference. Training for shows is fun and can form part of playtime with your dog – just like learning fun tricks or basic obedience like “sit”, “down” and “leave it”. We will give you as much help and guidance as you need.
Sure, if you wanted to do a show handling class then that’s great (actually any class you do with your dog is a way to build a bond and relationship with them), but we do not expect you to do that!
A lot of what helps make a good show dog is actually about socializing them in ways we would highly recommend for a pet dog too. Getting them used to busy places with noise and bustle, learning to ignore other dogs, and crate training where the crate is a place of calm and quiet, all help them feel great in a show environment. Walking at heel with a leash and collar is something we would assume you would be doing anyway, and we can give guidance for some slightly more advanced movement. Practicing a “stack” where they stand for the judge to look at them, can be done just like learning to shake a paw or practice a down, or any other fun trick. Your puppy will have learned the basics of a stack before they even go home, so you’d just be continuing (with lots of help from us!).
What's the Time Commitment?
We would like to be allowed to show the dog at a minimum of (on average) four sets of shows a year for a specified number of years (or until he reaches an agreed conformation title). A set of shows is usually 3-4 days long. These would most likely take place on the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island. We would collect your dog and he would stay with us for the duration of the set of shows, either at our home (if the show is local to us) or in our Motorhome (if the show is not local to us). Alternatively, if you wished to attend the show as well, he could stay with you overnight and you could bring him to us for the show each day.
What about Breeding?
Show dogs must be intact. That means they cannot be neutered or spayed. For a male bull terrier, we would not recommend neutering anyway (even for a dog on a non-breeding contract) until they were around 2 years of age so that they can reach full physical maturity before they lose their source of testosterone. This has health advantages for the dog.
For a male dog, assuming that the dog passed the required health testing for breeding, we would have an agreement between us regarding making the dog available for breeding and/or semen collection.
Once a successful show dog is mature and has passed health testing for breeding, he is available as a stud dog. We would have an agreement with you for sharing of stud fees.
What about costs?
There is no difference in the initial outlay for you between a puppy sold as a show prospect and a puppy sold as a companion dog.
Unless you are also a breeder (in which case we have a slightly different contract), the costs associated with showing and breeding the dog would be our (the breeders’) responsibility.
You would simply be responsible for the things you would be responsible for anyway, such as the every day feeding and care of your dog as a family pet.