THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 1996 TAG: 9610290144
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COVER STORY
SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 236 lines
THEY ARE THE beauty pageants of the dog world and just as popular as their human counterparts.
Contestants in a dog show are primped and preened until their coats are glistening and eyes are sparkling. Baited with beef jerky, they prance and trot around a ring in front of discerning judges and an admiring audience.
And at the end, only one will take home the coveted title of ``Best in Show.''
The Tidewater Kennel Club's 100th All Breed Dog Show & Obedience Trial Thursday at the Pavilion is no exception. A record-breaking 1,670 four-legged contestants will compete for various top-dog honors at this show, one of thousands held every year under American Kennel Club rules. This show is the first in the four-day Soaring Gull Circuit of shows, all held at the Pavilion this weekend.
That's a lot of quality canines under the same roof.
Interest in pure-breed dog shows has risen dramatically since the Tidewater Kennel Club was founded 50 years ago. Back in the '40s, '50s and '60s, maybe 500 dogs were entered in shows that were held at Foreman Field in Norfolk or other locations around Hampton Roads.
Alfred Nicholson, a retired Merchant Marine captain and oldest member of the club at 93, said that ``the whole thing has increased.'' Nicholson bred champion Dalmatians for decades and owns the Canine Country Club in Little Neck.
``There are more meetings than there used to be and more breeds of dogs,'' said Nicholson. ``More people have dogs so there's more interest.
``I had to let my dogs go four months ago because they were outliving me,'' he added with a laugh.
Betty Wrenn Hoggard joined the Tidewater club in 1968 and recalled that dog shows then were a much more informal gathering than the ones being held today. ``Dog shows have gotten much bigger - now you regularly have 2,000 dogs,'' said Hoggard, an American Kennel Club dog judge, delegate and this year's show chairman. ``There was a lot more socializing back then. We sat around and visited more.''
Now, dog shows are big business. There are more than 140 breeds and more than 4,000 dog clubs in the United States holding events.
Many of the owners travel hundreds of miles to these shows, spending hundreds of dollars in a weekend. That's not counting the thousands of dollars they most likely spend every year maintaining and showing these fancy pooches, whose costs include food, grooming, training, veterinary care, travel expenses, equipment - you name it.
A lot of owners invest money in professional handlers who can show their dogs in the best possible way.
Why all this time and expense?
As any dog person will tell you, once showing gets in your blood, it's nearly impossible to get it out. For many, showing dogs is a challenging hobby that the whole family can enjoy.
For others, showing dogs is a serious sport. The competitive owners are seeking the glory of a ``Best in Show'' or ``Best of Breed'' to win points that will propel the dog into champion status. It takes 15 points, given by three judges, for a dog to be called a champion. A dog can only earn from one to five points at an all-breed show, so they have to enter at least three shows to achieve the champion rating.
Once a champion, the dog qualifies to enter the Miss USA of dog shows - The Westminster Dog Show, held in New York every February. Spectators number 25,000, and it's internationally televised. If your champion dog wins the Best in Show at Westminster, well, it's almost royalty.
``All dog-show people aim to have their champion appear at Westminster,'' said Jane Brumley, a member of the Tidewater club who owns a champion flat-coated retriever, Raleigh. ``Only champions of record are accepted for competition.
``But there will be champions competing against each other at our show.''
Just not as many.
The weight of these shows falls on the shoulders of the judges. They're the ones who will be silently cursed by sore losers or openly hugged by ecstatic owners. Most dog owners agree that judging is subjective, but don't tell that to Hoggard. She has judged at Westminster three times - the golden retrievers in 1992, the sporting groups in 1994 and the vizslas, setters and springers in 1996.
Judging, she said, is an exact science. You have to attend classes, take tests and learn a certain procedure. The American Kennel Club has a written standard of the breed that judges must use that is ``very strict.'' The main consideration is the dog's overall appearance and structure, and how it compares to the perfect dog described in the breed's official standard.
She scoffed at the suggestion that judges have a personal preference for a type of dog. Hoggard raised golden retrievers for many years and now owns a champion Tibetan spaniel, Zima, who is out on the circuit with a handler.
``I never let my eye go above the head of the dog - I've always done it that way,'' explained Hoggard, vice president of Nancy Chandler Associates. ``It keeps me focused on the dog. Sometimes someone really good at showing their dog might have an edge. You have to learn how to make the dog look his best.''
With Dalmatians, for example, judges look for a square body and spots that are pleasing to the eye. Mike Jenkins, treasurer of the Tidewater Kennel Club and an owner and breeder of Dalmatians, said that the tail should reach the hock.
``Dalmatians are known for their wagging tails,'' he said, smiling as his champion, also named Raleigh, was furiously wagging his sturdy tail. ``But a lot of judges like that.''
Jenkins got into showing dogs by mistake. About eight years ago, after deciding he wanted a Dalmatian, Jenkins spent several months looking for one. He bought his first one from deceased weathercaster Joe Foulkes.
But Dalmatians, bred to run with coaches, are notoriously difficult to train for the average person. Incidentally, Dalmatians became associated with fire houses because they were attracted to the horse-drawn fire trucks way back when.
``Joe talked me into going to canine training for obedience,'' said Jenkins. ``It wasn't fun. But I learned how to control her and was talked into showing.'' mouth to check its bite, from an unfamiliar judge. Hoggard has had to excuse dogs from the ring over the years, because of a poor temperament or the rare biter. And she has witnessed some ``horrible'' dog fights outside the ring. But that doesn't happen too often.
``Usually it's inexperienced handlers who let their dogs get too close,'' she said.
Ten thousand competitive events are held every year under American Kennel Club rules, including dog shows, field trials and obedience trials. If your dog can't make it into the show ring, it may excel at agility or obedience.
Take Joanne Nisbet's champion schipperke, R.B. The runt of the litter, R.B. was hit by a car when he was 14 months old. There went his show career, but R.B. made an amazing recovery and has been competing in agility for several years.
``He's special, he's my darling,'' said Nisbet, holding out a piece of beef jerky on the other side of a ring that she held in the air. R.B. sailed through it and was rewarded with the tasty morsel. ``He was also bitten by a snake. He's a trooper.''
Nisbet has two other schipperkes, Bailey the Pearl and Jedi Master, who are show dogs. She started off in 1957 breeding German shepherds, then Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers before ending up with schipperkes. She only travels to three shows a year now because Nisbet would rather concentrate on breeding.
``I want to raise dogs that people can go out and win with,'' said Nisbet, a resident of Sandbridge. ``The owner can change but the breeder will never change. I tried not to get back into it but it's addictive.''
Jane Brumley agreed. She owned German shepherds and Labrador retrievers while growing up in a hunting family and now owns flat-coated retrievers, a rare breed. She said that raising and showing dogs is an ``all-consuming hobby.''
Brumley also wants people to know that showing dogs is a sport, not entertainment like going to the theater. And it's not just for the wealthier segment of society. An automobile mechanic owns one of the top Saint Bernards in the country, she said.
``I'd like to encourage people to come out to the show,'' said Brumley, a cardiology nurse at Virginia Beach General Hospital. ``You don't have to own a purebred to be interested. It's just a sport that all kinds of people like to do.'' MEMO: The Tidewater Kennel Club's 100th All Breed Dog Show and Obedience
Trial is Thursday at the Pavilion from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Langley Kennel
Club's show is Friday; Gloucester Kennel Club is Saturday; and Virginia
Beach Kennel Club is Sunday. Shows will begin at 8 a.m. daily. For
information, call 340-3254. ILLUSTRATION: ON THE COVER
No photo credit available
Joanne Nisbet works with her dog, R.B., a 9-year-old schipperke, who
is an AKC champion in agility trials.
\ Staff photos by CHARLIE MEADS
Alfred Nicholson, 93, is the oldest member of the Tidewater Kennel
Club. ``I had to let my dogs go four months ago because they were
outliving me,'' he said. With him is Mike Jenkins, club treasurer
and a breeder of Dalmatians, which Nicholson also bred.
LEFT: Jane Brumley, who owns Raleigh and other rare flat-coated
retrievers, calls raising and showing dogs an ``all-consuming
hobby.''
Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
ABOVE: Betty Wrenn Hoggard, chair of this year's show at the
Pavilion, says today's shows are more business, less social, than
they used to be.
Being hit by a car ruined R.B.'s show career, but Joanne Nisbet's
champion schipperke made an amazing recovery and instead
participates in agility competitions.
Graphic
DOG SHOW DATA
DOG GROUPS
The seven groups in all-breed dog shows:
Sporting - bred to hunt game birds on land and in the water.
These dogs include pointers, retrievers, setters and spaniels.
Hounds - used for hunting and includes beagles, bassets,
dachshunds, whippets and greyhounds.
Working - popular for guarding property and search and rescue.
They include boxers, Doberman pinschers and Saint Bernards.
Terrier - the largest group and includes Airedales, bull terriers
and Scottish terriers. They were bred to rid property of vermin.
Toy - bred as companions for royalty, they include Chihuahuas,
the Maltese, Pomeranian and pug.
Non-sporting - a diverse group that includes the bulldog, chow
chow, Dalmatian and poodle.
Herding - dogs such as the briard, collie, German shepherd and
old English sheepdog were bred to help farmers and ranchers herd
their livestock.
The seven group winners compete for Best in Show.
DOG CLASSES
The following classes are offered for male and female dogs
separately in each breed entered at the show: Puppy (6 to 9 months
or 9 to 12 months); 12 to 18 months; Novice; Bred By Exhibitor;
American-bred; and Open (any dog of that breed).
After these classes are judged, all the dogs that won first place
compete again to see which is the best of the winning dogs. This is
done separately for male and female dogs. Only the best male
(Winner's Dog) and best female (Winner's Bitch) receive championship
points.
This information is from the American Kennel Club.
SHOW TIPS
Some tips from the American Kennel Club for first-time dog show
spectators:
Wear comfortable shoes - you'll be doing quite a bit of walking.
Unless you bring a chair or arrive early, be prepared to stand most
of the time.
Study the show's catalog or schedule. This will tell you in which
ring and at what time each breed is being judged.
If you are interested in a particular breed, arrive early. Once
each breed has been judged, those dogs are allowed to leave.
Dog show aisles are often crowded and people can become
separated. Pick out a meeting place in case anyone gets lost.
If you miss the breed judging, you can still see the judging of
the seven groups, which takes place prior to the Best in Show
judging and will most likely include one representative of your
favorite breed.
If open to spectators, visit the grooming area and speak with
professional groomers for tips on keeping your dog looking his best.
However tempting, do not pet a dog without asking for permission
first. The dog may have just been groomed in preparation for being
judged. by CNB