World Dog Show

The World Dog Show (WDS) is a Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)-sanctioned, four- to six-day-long international dog show. In its current iteration, it has been held yearly in conjunction with the FCI General Assembly meeting since 1974. Several FCI international dog shows informally dubbed "world dog shows" were sporadically held prior to 1974; information for those shows will be included where available.

The WDS has been called "the most important dog show in the world". The World Show includes agility, obedience, junior handler, conformation, and other events and demonstrations. Dogs who win in any category are awarded the title "World Winner". It is one of the largest dog shows in the world, with shows attracting upwards of 10,000 entrants, sometimes exceeding 20,000 to rival Crufts in total entry count. It is held in a different country each year. The show is for all three of FCI’s Sections: European Section, Sección de las Américas y el Caribe, and Asia, Africa & Oceania, which all also have an individual dog show each year.

The top title at the event is Certificat d'Aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté (French for 'Certificate of Aptitude at the International Championship of Beauty'), abbreviated CACIB, for which only purebred specimens of fully recognised, standardised breeds, not provisionally recognised or experimental breeds, may qualify. Dogs of provisionally recognized breeds are still eligible to earn "World Winner" titles, however. Some people feel that a win at the World Dog Show is worth more, reputation-wise, than the same win at the Westminster Kennel Club show. Entries in the World Show are from Fédération Cynologique Internationale member clubs, and non-member clubs (such as the American Kennel Club) by invitation.