If you are interested in some wholesome family fun I highly recommend going to the IKC Dog Show at McCormick place in Chicago this weekend. Here is a link to the site.
The fun part about the show isn’t the judging or the events, it is the fact that you can walk around and see all of the dogs being groomed and prepped by their owners before the show. It isn’t every day that you see 5-10 of every type of dog breed imaginable in fine form. Here is a you tube video I made last year at the 2009 show (I had a song to it but they stripped it out so the video is silent; if I actually knew much of anything about dogs I could narrate it).
Cross posted at LITGM
For some reason I am having trouble embedding you tube video into my posts. Using the latest version of Mozilla and just trying to copy and paste the “embed” line in the details of the You Tube video. It works for me over at blogger (if you click to the LITGM post) but always strips out the code here. Maybe I could try posting using Explorer. Everyone else seems to be doing OK embedding this, maybe I am technically challenged :<
Fixed the video.
IKC is one of the few remaining benched shows in the country, along with Westminster, Detroit, Golden Gate and Philadelphia. From a public education standpoint, a benched show is an excellent opportunity to see the breeds and talk to owners and handlers. The McCormick Place is a much better venue than Madison Square Garden. The judging program is at http://www.onofrio.com/jp/INTE1JP.pdf.
Aww, Kissable Kyra! she realy is…
Oh, just looked at the comments above mine: Greg, do you still show Borzojs?
Oh yes, we show. Our boy Mr. Knight (Ch. Soyara Sir Agravaine Ex Libris) was at Westminster this year, showed like a champ and made the cut in the breed judging.
Sadly, Knight’s dam, the great Lacey (MBIS MBISS Ch. Soyara’s Chantilly Lace JC ROM-C) passed away last Fall at the age of nearly 12. Her morning was silver, her noontime golden and her evening bronze. But each was polished until it shone after its fashion.
Greg, my condolences on your loss. I remember reading about Lacey 5 years ago, she was a great dog.
Good luck to Mr. Knight and you!
I love dogs,but breeders often ruin dogs,by breeding for dysfunctional characteristics. If a pug should have a short nose, obviously an even shorter nose makes it more architypally pug. Have you seen pictures of pugs from the 19th cent? They had short noses,but they weren’t freaks that couldn’t breathe. Why are German Shepards bred with sloping backs? What does that do for them?One could go on and on,wishing for sensibility on the part of judges.
We had a Pug mix we rescued. He had the great pug disposition, without the breathing problems. The fancy can do a much better job.
As a Pug -breeder- who was at Chicago IKC (and has been in the breed nearly 20 years), I can tell you that the stereotype of Pugs being “freaks that can’t breath” is one created and perpetuated by PETA and other animal extremist groups. Would you be surprised to learn that in 30+ years in Pugs, my mother has NEVER owned, bred, or handled a Pug that had problems breathing. In nearly 20 years in the breed, I can say the same.
Please take the time to actually EDUCATE yourself on reputable breeders, meet some reputably bred dogs, and THEN “educate” others on the breed, as what you are perpetuating right now is a fallacy.