Beyond the Pet Home: Could a Show Home Be Right for You?

When most people contact a breeder about an American Pit Bull Terrier puppy, they’re looking for a companion—a dog to become part of their family. Occasionally, however, a puppy comes along that we believe has the potential to represent the breed in the show ring.

That’s when we may begin looking for something a little different: a show home.

And no—you don’t have to already be an experienced dog show person to be considered.

So, What Exactly Is a Show Home?

A show home is a home willing to do more than simply raise and love their dog. They are also interested in giving that dog the opportunity to participate in conformation events and potentially earn titles.

The dog is still your companion first.

They live with you, go on adventures with you, sleep on your couch, play in your backyard, and become part of your family just like any other dog. The difference is that a show prospect also has the opportunity to step into the ring and represent the American Pit Bull Terrier.

For us, showing isn't about collecting ribbons. It's one of the ways we evaluate our breeding program and showcase the qualities we work hard to preserve.

What Are We Looking for in a Show Prospect?

Not every puppy born at Leland APBTS will be destined for the show ring—and that's perfectly okay.

As our puppies develop, we evaluate them as individuals. With potential show prospects, we're looking for qualities that we believe could develop into a dog that represents the American Pit Bull Terrier well.

That includes overall balance and structure, movement, proportions, head and expression, bite, temperament, confidence, and other characteristics described in the breed standard.

Puppies change tremendously as they grow, so choosing a show prospect is never an absolute guarantee of what that puppy will look like as an adult. It's an educated evaluation of the potential we see at that point in the puppy's development.

You Don't Have to Know How to Show Dogs

One of the biggest misconceptions about becoming a show home is that you need years of experience.

You don't.

Everyone standing in a show ring had a first show.

If we believe you're a great home for one of our puppies and you're genuinely interested in learning, we're happy to help you get started. Showing dogs is a skill, and like anything else, it becomes much easier with practice.

You'll learn things like how to stack your dog, move around the ring, prepare for a show, enter events, understand what happens in the ring, and present your dog confidently.

You may even discover that you love it.

Why Show American Pit Bull Terriers?

For us, this is an especially important part of owning and breeding American Pit Bull Terriers.

The APBT is an athletic, intelligent, confident and incredibly versatile breed with a long history. We want people to see well-bred American Pit Bull Terriers out doing things with their owners.

Conformation provides an opportunity for our dogs to be evaluated and for us to see how the dogs we're producing develop over time.

But the show ring isn't the only place an APBT can shine.

Depending on the individual dog and owner's interests, there are many ways to get involved in dog sports and activities. The goal is to get out there, have fun with your dog and let people see what these dogs are capable of.

What Makes a Great Show Home?

The perfect show home isn't necessarily the person with the most dog-show experience.

We're much more interested in finding someone who genuinely loves the breed, is committed to their dog for life, communicates with us and is excited about doing something with their APBT.

A willingness to learn goes a long way.

We want our show homes to enjoy the experience. Dog shows should become something fun that you and your dog do together—not an obligation that takes away from enjoying your dog.

Showing Can Become a Whole New Adventure

There's something special about walking into the ring with a dog you've raised, trained and built a relationship with.

The ribbons are exciting, of course, but some of the best parts happen outside the ring: traveling with your dog, meeting other people who love the breed, watching your puppy mature, celebrating improvements and creating memories together.

You don't need to make dog shows your entire life to enjoy being involved.

Sometimes all it takes is one promising puppy and a willingness to try something new.