It Was All about Dogs-Big and Small at Karavali Dog Show
Mangaluru: Yes, if you’re in Mangaluru and you never made it to the Karavali Dog Show, then you missed some great fun. Who Let The Dogs Out? Whoof..Whoof ! It was indeed a ‘Paw’ty time! – with nearly 350 dogs of a variety of breeds including Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Pugs, Siberian huskies, Great Danes, Alsatians, Cocker Spaniels, German shepherds and many other breeds participating in event thereby showing their best talents and their features.This show was unique, so unique that each dog surprised the spectators with their own special personality. No rules, no tricks, no marks for jumping through a ring or following the master’s orders. Heck, in this show, the dog was the master. That’s good- we need to love our dogs, the way they are meant to be, not the way they are ‘expected’ to be.
One dog trainer at the competition said, on an average, a dog should be at least eight months old to participate in such shows and competitions because puppies get unnerved when they are dropped in the middle of a pack at such shows. However, any breed, including native varieties, can participate in the obedience trials. The level of obedience, according to trainers, depends on the bond between the animal and its handler. There were some interesting moments at the show when some dogs ran away with the objects they were meant to retrieve for their handlers, as part of obedience tests. Some other dogs began to play with the object until it was forcefully taken away by their handlers.
The winners were judged by a panel of international judges. Heather Morrison from Australia, Stanley Sim from Singapore, T Preetham from Bengaluru and D Krishna Murthy from Coimbatore were judging the dog show. Dog owners, too, appeared excited while participating in the show. “I hope my dog will get a good grade from the judges as I have been preparing him for this event for past few months,” said Sebastian, owner of a Siberian husky. The dog owners were equal enthusiasts. Canines of various sizes were combed and pampered to their best ahead of the contest. It was a really appreciative crowd that saw the dogs perform little antics as they walked: they ran, barked at their competitors and had their day of fun outdoors. There was no dearth of canine prowess to observe: visitors could watch cuddly, doe-eyed Golden Retrievers and Labradors or admire the athletic brawn of the working dogs, including Great Danes, Boxers and Dobermans.
The pets were made to walk and then the owners had to take them for a run around the ring. Some pets ran around with zest, racing against the rest, while some had the crowd in splits when they suddenly stopped in between to chase other dogs. One could hear exotic pet names being chanted as the crowd around the ring cheered the canines. The contest was held in different categories for different breeds. Stalls selling accessories, food, toiletries and other grooming equipment for canines attracted the crowd. A dog show is like a beauty contest for dogs. There were more than 300 registered breeds and each breed has a specified breed standard as per international norms. While judging, the judge basically looked at how close to that breed standard each dog resembles. There were seven classes in each breed according to the age group. Among the winners of these classes, the judge will select the ‘ Best of Breed’, and ‘ Best of Group’. At the end of the day, all the ‘Best of Groups’ will assemble and amidst great excitement, the judge finally selected the “Best Dog in the Show”.
Yes, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 November, Mangaloreans had a unique chance to witness hundreds of varieties of National and International dogs, all lined up to be judged at the Karavali Dog show. Raghu from Bengaluru with his 24-month-old pure Doberman named ” Arya” which he bought for Rs 50,000 has won many ‘CC” awards at various dog shows, including two awards at the Bangalore Canine shows 2013 & 2014. Surendra Manelkar from Mumbai has come down to Mangaluru with his two Bulldogs and one Doberman-all these dogs are prize winners in the Mumbai and Chennai Canine shows. Lobo Jacobs from Bangalore, with his six dogs-Alsatian, Rottweiler and Bull Dogs, which are of 2 years, 18 months, 10 months and 11 months old have been very active and won many prizes in the past shows. Ganghadar Naik was with his 1-year-old Indian bred Rottweiler named ” Spike”, a name kept by his son- he had bought this dog for Rs 20,000, and this is the second year that “Spike” paraded in front of the huge spectators. Naik was hoping that his dog will win, because it had some rigorous training under the police team.
Baby Beauty, a one-year-old female Neapolitan mastiff, travelled all the way from Bengaluru to become a part of the dog show . Meanwhile, a five-and-a-half-year-old female Irish setter, a Schnauzer, fox terrier, Tibetan terrier, Shih Tzu, Siberian husky, English cocker spaniel, boxer, Tsang apso, Teacup, pomeranian, German shepherd, Mudhol hound and several other breeds of dogs won the hearts of many pooch lovers at the show. Hundreds of canine lovers thronged Police Ground in the city to witness the ‘1st and 2nd All Breed Championship Dog Show’ held under the aegis of Karavali Canine Club.
“Baby Beauty is a very lovely dog. She is very possessive about her loved ones. She is very obedient, loving and caring and is like a family member,” said canine lover Ayesha Sultana Hopley of Coronation Kennels, Bengaluru. Ayesha also had brought Shih Tzu, Siberian husky and English cocker spaniel along with Neapolitan mastiff, who hogged the limelight at the show. Karavali Canine Club secretary Prasad Aithal said the main aim of the club is to promote ethical breeding of canines. “Ethical breeding and registration of canines are our major objectives. Dog shows help people understand the significance of ethical breeding and also provides a platform for canine lovers to share views. Interested people in Mangaluru are getting an opportunity to see rare breeds of dogs,” he added.
Ganesh Kumar Salian, a member of Karavali Canine Club, said the dog show has given an opportunity to the Mangalureans to see and learn more about dogs. “The main aim of the dog show is to discourage inbreeding and promote ethical breeding,” said Salian, who has two German shepherds and a Doberman in his house in Mangaluru. Indeed the show was a visual feast with top dogs from all breeds participating.
Along with this public must be encouraged to adopt stray pups .