Canines go for 'top dog' honors

Meticulous application of body lotion, careful readjustment of hair ornaments, last-minute combing, brushing and blow-drying: scenes from a freshman dorm on Saturday night? Maybe, but it was also the atmosphere at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia's annual dog show. The show, held this past weekend at the Philadelphia Convention Center, showcased 136 breeds and attracted over 15,000 spectators. The KCP show is a bench show, meaning that the competitors have to stay for the entire day in order for the public to see all of the breeds. Each breed has a "standard," a picture of the ideal dog of that breed to aid in the judging of the show. "[The judge] is picking the dog that he feels is closest to his interpretation of the standard," Kennel Club chairperson Charles Schaefer said. The breeds are divided into seven randomly chosen groups. Once a dog has won best of breed, it goes on to compete against other breeds for best of group. The seven remaining dogs then vie for best of show. In that final contest, personality plays a major role in the judges' decision. "The dog has to ask to win," Schaefer said. While different judges prefer different appearances, showing liveliness, affability, proper training and a peaceful temperament generally score big points for a canine. In addition to the dogs, owners and spectators, there were dozens of vendors selling everything from chew toys to "doggoyles" -- Gothic-style dog figurines. Mary Kriesel, owner of the Michigan-based Happy Tees to You T-shirt company, said she goes to a different show every weekend. "I live for these shows," she said. The souvenirs are one indication of the loyal, and often fanatical, following dog shows have attracted from enthusiastic owners. With hundreds of dogs in one room, the barking should have been deafening. But most of the noise in the Convention Center came from the enthusiastic spectators gathered around the judging rings. One man, who was showing eight dogs, complained to Schaefer that his dogs would not perform because of the excessive noise from the main ring. "This is crazy," he said. "This is a dog show, not a sporting event." The dogs, for the most part, are quiet and well-behaved. Dog handler Joe Buchanan, for example, brought his whippet, Hogan, to 133 shows last year. For some of the dogs, however, dog shows are only a small part of their exposure. Linda Albert's chow chow, Paw Paw, for example, only performs at 20 shows per year because of his television career. The canine, who splits his time between Albert and homemaking expert Martha Stewart, stars in K-Mart commercials. Still, though he might be famous in the dog world, he has to earn his medals just like an ordinary dog. "It's going to be hard to beat that poodle," Albert said. "The poodle took best of show yesterday." Amidst the fierce competition, Michelle Brooks, owner of a Welsh Springer Spaniel named Lyric, put the objectives of the contest in perspective. "It's one person's opinion, and at the end of the day, you've got to pick the dog you want sleeping at the foot of your bed," she said.

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