The American Kennel Club was established in 1884 to promote the study, breeding, exhibiting and advancement of purebred dogs. As the breed club recognized by the AKC as representing the German Shepherd Dog, the GSDCA has resources available to help you learn to train your dog and participate in fun events with your dog.

Conformation, agility, obedience, tracking, rally, herding, temperament certification, junior handling, and the new working dog sport are all ways you can participate and have fun with your German Shepherd Dog.

Showing dogs is a great sport where the thrill of competition is combined with the joy of seeing beautiful dogs. Dog shows (conformation events) are intended to evaluate breeding stock, and are one of many types of events in which registered German Shepherd Dogs can compete.  The dog's conformation (overall appearance and structure)is judged against the Breed Standard for the GSD.

Whether you decide to show in the events listed in this section, your German Shepherd Dog is an intelligent member of the dog community and should be involved in ongoing training.  They really love (and need) to work.