Prize pooches push popularity of dog shows

Lineage

Haruko Mizukoshi, from Japan, who has been a judge at dog shows since 2010, said dogs are usually assessed on things such as balance and gait, bark and character, but the animal's lineage always takes top priority.

"Judges must have a good understanding of the standards, be familiar with everything about the dogs, and display artistic sensibility and scientific knowledge," she said.

Mizukoshi added that the comprehensive standards are designed to identify defective genes and improve future generations.

Wang Lijia, director of the CKU's Changchun office, said the aim of dog shows is to produce high-quality specimens.

"It helps to protect the animals, because we choose healthy dogs with good characters, which helps to reduce the possibility of their descendents being abandoned or abused as a result of physical defects," she said.