I was under the impression that the AKC does not allow ANY surgical alteration of a conformation dog aside from the usual ear cropping and tail docking. That's part of the reason a neutered or spayed dog isn't allowed to compete in AKC conformation too--the surgery has rendered it an unnatural specimen of the breed....Don't get me started on how inconsistent I think the AKC rules seem to be about this stuff! I can't stand that it's okay to cut off tails and ears, but neutering is forbidden. Aaarrrrgh.

Maybe surgeries like debarking are allowed for obedience, agility, or other competitions?? Still, I think it's a nasty, drastic thing to do to a dog and I doubt people who show dogs would have to resort to such a thing.