Ready to add an animal to BestInShow? Here's how:

1. Click Add Animal in the sidebar (desktop) or tap the + button (mobile).
2. Select the animal type — Dog, Cat, Horse, or one of the other options.
3. If a breed list is available for that animal type, pick your breed from the dropdown that appears.
4. Enter the animal's name.
5. Fill in the basics: color, birth year, gender, and a short summary about your animal.
6. Click Save.

That's it! Your animal now has its own profile page. You can always come back to add more details, photos, and pedigree information later.

Every animal on BestInShow gets its own profile page with a header showing key stats and a set of tabs:

• Activity — Recent events involving this animal: new photos, tags, comments, and pedigree updates.
• About — The animal's bio, breed information, and any awards or recognition.
• Pedigree — The family tree showing parents, grandparents, and more. See the Pedigrees help page for details.
• Photos — All photos this animal has been tagged in.
• Links — All links this animal has been tagged in.

The header area shows the animal's profile photo, name, breed, and owner at a glance.

You can edit any animal you own. Just go to the animal's profile and click the Edit button.

The edit page has all the fields from when you created the animal, plus some additional ones:

• Detailed description — A longer write-up about your animal's personality, achievements, or history.
• Association — The registry or breed association (e.g., AKC, CFA, AQHA).
• Registration number — Your animal's official registration number.
• Month and day born — If you know the exact birthday, not just the year.
• Awards and recognition — Show titles, championships, or other accomplishments.
• Breeder name — The person or organization that bred the animal.
• Trainer — The animal's trainer, if applicable.
• Registered — A checkbox to indicate the animal is officially registered.

Fill in as much or as little as you like. Every bit of information helps other members learn about your animal.

There are two ways to set a profile photo for your animal:

1. Upload directly — On the animal's profile page, click the camera icon on the avatar to upload a new photo from your device.
2. Use a tagged photo — Go to any photo your animal is tagged in, and click Set as profile photo. This is a great way to use your best show photos.

The profile photo appears everywhere the animal is mentioned — in search results, pedigree trees, activity feeds, and more.

The cover photo is the wide banner image at the top of your animal's profile page. It's a great place for a dramatic show photo or a beautiful portrait.

1. Go to the animal's profile page.
2. Click the camera icon in the cover area at the top.
3. Upload an image from your device.

Wide, landscape-oriented photos work best for the cover area. You can change or remove it anytime.

If you need to remove an animal from BestInShow, you can delete it from the edit page.

1. Go to the animal's profile and click Edit.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the edit page.
3. Click the delete option and confirm.

Please be aware that deleting an animal is permanent. Here's what happens:

• The animal's profile is removed entirely.
• All pedigree links (parent and offspring connections) are removed.
• Photos and links the animal was tagged in will remain on the site, but the tag linking them to this animal will be removed.

If you're not sure, consider leaving the profile up. There's no cost to keeping it, and other members may find the pedigree information valuable.