It’s a dog-eat-dog world for a puppy hoping for glory.
The day starts early. Exercise is key to excellent body toning. Baths can last up to four hours, followed by up to two hours of nails, hair and posture work. And when you finally square off against the competition, the lights are hot and the judges brutally critical.
“You're going to see handlers literally shaking in the ring,” says Richard Paquette, chairman of the Canada's most prestigious pet contest, taking place this weekend. “But the top handlers will be very calm and cool with their body language, and will be showing off their dogs.”
More than 2,000 purebreds representing 100 breeds will be strutting for top dollars and the coveted title of "best in show" in front of an international roster of judges and thousands of spectators at the Purina National Dog Show from March 12-14 in Mississauga, Ont.
The competitors, who hail from as far away as Korea, will vie for $40,000 in prizes.
Paquette — an award-winning dog owner, breeder and judge — has been a contender in more than 3,000 dog shows and, over the past 40 years, has trained more than 60 award-winning dogs around the world.
He’s even been invited to judge a number of international events — recently returning from a competition in Shenzhen, China.
“The competition will be fierce, but it will also be very sportsman-like,” says Paquette.
There are seven groups: sporting, working, hounds, terriers, toy, non-sporting (companion) dogs and herding dogs.
They'll need to be physically fit, have an excellent temperament and, above all, be clean.
And old English sheep dog’s coat has to be washed every day before the show, and it takes up to four hours to dry after each washing. The coat of the Maltese, to prevent its long locks from getting dusty, is wrapped in wax paper and held in place with elastic bands to keep it from brushing against the ground as it walks. The standard poodle needs to be brushed for nearly three hours to tame its thick coat.
Last year, an Old English Sheepdog took best in show (with a $6,000 purse), a Shetland sheepdog took best puppy and a Belgian sheepdog took high-in-trial performance honours.
But for all the pressure, events like the Purina National Dog Show are an enormously family-friendly place, say organizers. Visitors will have a chance to chat with breeders and get advice and information, and interact with hundreds of purebreds.
“It's like a community,” Paquette says. “You never know which spectator in the crowd could turn out to be the next top dog breeder.”
How to choose a prize puppy
According to Richard Paquette, one of Canada’s top dog show competitors, it’s possible to pick out a show dog from a litter of puppies when the dogs are as young as four to six months old.
Temperament is everything, and by the time they’ve hit the six-month mark, most dogs show how they'll be when they grow up to be. The marks of the breed like shoulders, hips and coat are all visible and the dog’s personality is settling down.
“Most breeders focus on temperament,” Paquette says. “Temperament should be the most important aspect of anyone choosing a pet. A good healthy pet will always display a good temperament.”
How to be a cut above
Why do poodles sport such ridiculous-looking haircuts?
It’s all in the breeding. Poodles were bred in Germany as water-loving hunting animals. But with those thick coats, water quickly saturated them and dragged them to the bottom of the lake in a most unfortunate way.
To counter this, poodle owners began shaving off most of their fur, leaving only the vital organs and joints covered to protect the animal in the frigid German water.
As time went on, the grooming technique became more style than function and the aristocracy began keeping the poodle as a show animal and companion.
Today, though the poodle often looks more a fanciful friend than fierce hunter, the poodle is generally regarded as the second most intelligent breed of dog available. The most intelligent is the border collie.
It's a dog's life
In another world
Think show dogs are the only ones who live life on the edge? Guess again.
There are hundreds of dogs serving on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq. Helping soldiers to detect bombs, drugs and even taking part in combat situations, military dogs are both best friend and co-worker.
The Canadian Forces now have “several dozen” dogs working in Afghanistan to help sniff out road side bombs and drugs. And just like other brave soldiers in the field, every now and then they come home injured. And some don’t come home at all.
