The American Kennel Club, through member and sanctioned all-breed clubs, holds five benched conformation dog shows each year, in Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Benched shows provide an opportunity for the public to see breeds that they might not get to see at unbenched shows, unless they came for the entire length of the show. Clubs that host benched shows make the most of the educational opportunities, often holding demonstrations of various dog sports in addition to conformation, obedience, and agility competition.

What is a Benched Show?

Most dog shows today are unbenched, or "show-and-go" events; exhibitors arrive shortly before their breed's ring time, show their dogs, and then go home. That means a family who gets to the dog show at 11:00 a.m. and wants to see the Boxers is generally out of luck, unless there happen to be some Boxer people in the RV area and the family wanders though the set-ups. Since Boxers typically show first thing, except at very large shows the exhibiors are usually long gone by mid-morning.  At a benched show, however, the dogs are required to be on site, in their benching area, for the entire show. Even if Boxers show at 9:00 a.m., someone who arrives at a benched show at 2:00 p.m. will still get to meet and greet the dogs and owners.

History of Benched Shows

When the AKC first started, all conformation shows were benched. In the 1940s, the number of unbenched shows started to increase, as did the number of shows in general. With more dog shows close to home, and more exhibitors who show dogs as a hobby rather than a profession, it's not surprising that the "show-and-go" philosophy caught on. Exhibitors could come, show their dogs, and still get home in time to cook dinner, take the kids to soccer practice, or just enjoy an evening with the family.

Today there are only five benched shows left in the United States. The most well-known of these is the Westminster Kennel Club show, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, followed by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia show, which is broadcast on television on Thanksgiving Day. The other benched shows are popular events in their localities; the Detroit Kennel Club show, for instance, welcomes more than 25,000 spectators each day of the show. While a little advance planning and a judging program lets spectators schedule time see all the breeds they want at an unbenched show, there's no beating the convenience of having all breeds at the show whatever time you go.

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