Show Dog Age Limits

On ShowDog.Com, dogs are retired from the show ring at the age of 120 days. After your dog reaches 120 days, you will no longer be able to enter him/her in any shows and he/she will be removed from any shows that he/she is already entered in. The only exception is the monthly Breed National Specialties. Dogs over 120 days can be shown in a Vetrans class in Nationals they compete only against each other and 4 placements are awarded in the Vetrans classes.

This is not the same as sending a dog to the Retirement Couch--dogs can be sent to the Retirement Couch at any age and then they can no longer be used for breeding or showing.

The SDWC does not pay attention to the age of a dog. If a dog or bitch earns its way into the SDWC before retiring, it will still compete in the SDWC at the end of the month. However, the SDWC will be the last show that dog or bitch competes in. Dogs sent to the Retirement Couch are not eligible to compete in the SDWC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you retire dogs?
There are numerous reasons for retiring dogs from the show circuit including the fact that this allows turnover in the dog rankings.

Can I still breed dogs that are too old to show?
Yes, you can still do anything you want with them as long as they are not placed on the Retirement Couch.

I see retired dogs in the rankings. What's wrong?
Nothing. A dog can earn its way into the monthly rankings before it retires. If a dog earns its way into the SDWC before it is retired, it will be removed from the show before the SDWC runs.

Can I still enter my retired dogs in other events?
Dogs that are too old to show can still compete in other events (Obedience), even if they have been sent to the Retirement Couch.

Do dogs die on ShowDog.com?
Yes, dogs die. You can see the youngest age your dog will die on the breed page as "Life Span". They can live longer than that. A high COI can make the dog die early, but never before the age listed as the life span. Remember that one SD year is one real month.

Last Updated: 5/30/2011 8:34:24 PM



Did you know?
A specialty show is a dog show which reviews a single breed, unlike other dog shows, particularly conformation shows, which are generally referred to as "all-breed" because they are open to all breeds recognized by the sponsoring kennel club.