Virtual Dog Games - Our Review of the Most Fun & Addictive

Virtual dog games give dog lovers another avenue to enjoy their passion for dogs. When done right, they are fun, educational and allow interaction with others who love dogs just as much as you do.

After playing the top virtual dog games on the PC, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, XBOX360, and PlayStation 3, we have found the most fun and addictive to be a game that we had never heard of prior to our research... ShowDog.com.

What is it all about?

Most of us enjoy watching the Westminster Dog Show every year - after all...

Who doesn’t like seeing all of the amazing breeds in action and, ultimately, rooting for their favorite breed to take home the 1st place ribbon?

The Showdog.com virtual dog game let’s you in on the action.

When we first started playing, we knew nothing about showing a dog. How can a judge pick one dog over another when they are all so different and impressive in their own rights?

After a few weeks in this virtual dog game, you'll not only have this down, but you’ll be raising, taking care of, breeding and showing your very own virtual dogs.

Virtual Dog Games - Getting Started with ShowDog.com

Showdog.com does a good job of getting you into the game quickly. They even allow you to sign up for their "Basic" mode for free. While Basic mode doesn't give you nearly the freedom and access of "Premium," it does give you a nice idea of what the game is about before you decide to pay the roughly $5 per month subscription.

Basic Mode allows you to...

...manage four dogs, each of which can be the breed of your choice (and you have the choice of literally every breed out there)...

...breed one litte...

...and participate in your first dog show...

The game can feel a bit overwhelming at first, but be patient…it's worth it!! There’s a detailed FAQ section and Beginner’s Forum to get you up to speed quickly.

When you're first being introduced through the Basic mode, ShowDog.com wisely recommends that you be careful about your dog purchases and your breeding. Spend a few days just learning how the site works.

And don’t start breeding your dogs for at least a few weeks as you could end up with dogs of lower show quality.

Virtual Dog Games - Your ShowDog.com Future

Once you decide that ShowDog.com is for you, it's time subscribe to the Premium version. A Premium account gives you much more flexibility than the Basic version and allows you to make mistakes without worry...

A litter of low show-quality puppies simply means you'll need to learn from your mistakes and try again!

You will need to put some thought into the direction you want to take – which is a big part of what makes the game so addicting. The more you play, the more you’ll understand the intricacies of breeding, raising and showing a champion. ShowDog.com points out some good examples of potential strategies...

• Would you like to help out a less popular breed?
• Would you like to try a very popular breed to see if you can handle some of the toughest show competitions in the game?
• Or would you prefer a more middle of the road breed?
• Do you even want to select a specific breed, or would you rather work with a few dogs from different breeds?
• When looking for dogs to add to your kennel, think about how you would like to breed. Would you like to breed up from your source dogs and start your own line?
• Would you like to use the dogs that are winning in the show ring? Or would you prefer a combination of both?

The possibilities are seemingly endless. And the ShowDog.com community ranges from beginners to experts. We found that expert users were more than happy to share helpful advice when we had questions.

Okay, time to give it a shot for yourself. Remember, the Basic mode is completely free - click here to sign up!