Every
year at the end of February, thousands of canines from all across
the country gather at McCormick Place for one of the fiercest competitions
in town -- the International Kenel Club of Chicago's cluster of Dog
Shows!
"The International Kennel Club of Chicago, we're on our 142nd
show. We are one of the four remaining bench shows in the country,
one of the largest," said Deborah Cooper, International Kennel Club
Of Chicago.
The pooches at this show are judged by breed. Then, the winner
of each breed competes in one of seven categories: sporting, hound,
terrier, working, toy, non-sporting and herding. Finally, the winner
of each group vies for the coveted title of "Best in Show!"
"Well, I'm pretty strong on temperament. So, because all of these
dogs whether they're show dogs or not, are someone's pet. So, they
must have good temperament," said Polly Smith, judge.
And, they have to look great. Preparation goes on all day.
"It takes about two hours to dry this amount of hair, bathe her
and dry her and I spend another almost two hours scissoring her
and trimming her," said Del Dahl, Champagne, IL.
These sure are some fancy pups! But, if you're looking one named
Fido or Spot, you probably won't find them here!
"His registered name is Denmark's Cherokee War Paint," said Julie
Horn, Handler. "You go with the kennel prefix and then we try to
incorporate whatever the sire and dam, whatever is in there name,
pull something from those 2 factors to come up with a registered
name. That way, if you know the dog's name, it gives you a brief
sketch as to what the dog's pedigree might be."
Over 100,000 spectators visit this show annually to check out
the dogs, and the over-the-top merchandise! You can get custom made
jewelry like 14 ct. gold rings with some gems.
"The people that are in the sport take it seriously. Some are
a little more serious than others," said Amy Green, New Jersey.
"This is Napoleon. His full name is Napoleon-De-A-Rabanjo- Escotious.
He's from Argentina. He was the number 2 dog in the world in 2005.
And he came to America in October to get his American Championship,"
said Pat Colombo, Kirkland, Ohio.
But the motivation isn't for the prize -- it's for the passion
of the breed.
"There's no money involved in it. We want other people to see
how nice he is and we think he's a fine example of his breed," said
Colombo.
When they're not doing their job in the ring, these little guys
are simply man's best friend!
"When you have a great run, it's just the highest high on earth.
And when something goes wrong, you still get to go home with your
dog," said Nancy Sherman, Crete, IL.
Best in Show went to Tucker, the Pekinese from Pennsylvania!
For more information:
International Kennel Club of Chicago
(773) 237-5100
www.ikcdogshow.com
