Gavilan Kennel Club Dog Show sees 700 dogs representing 100
breeds
– all seeking top spot
Tres Pinos – Bolado Park has gone to the dogs – literally. Pugs, poodles, Pekingese and other pure-bred pups of every breed imaginable will be strutting their stuff this weekend at the annual Gavilan Kennel Club Dog Show.
“This is a sport, the sport of dog,” said Katherine Dettmer, Show Chair for GKC – a dog club in Morgan Hill and Gilroy. “People love their dogs, they enjoy spending time with their dogs, and this is a great way to develop the friendship between the two as well as with other owners and their dogs.”
The GKC estimates that more than 700 dogs will participate in at least one of three kinds of competition this weekend, representing more than 100 different breeds. Dogs and their owners hail from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Seattle, traveling miles just for the chance of being named top dog.
“Pride is a big part of it,” said Dettmer.
Dogs participate in up to three events: Confirmation, Obedience and Rally. Confirmation is the event most people think of when the word “dog show” comes to mind – the judging of a dog’s bone structure, appearance and personality against a defined set of criteria for a certain breed that the “ideal dog” should embody.
Obedience is a series of tests designed to test a dog’s mastery of certain skills ranging from the basic – “sit, stay” – to complicated jumps and identifying the difference between leather and metal.
Rally is a less formal obedience trial – while many of the tricks are the same, dogs have more time to complete them and their owners are allowed to help them a little more. It is particularly popular with children and older dog owners.
“Everybody has fun with this,” said participant Emily Barton, a San Jose resident. “And it’s a nice validation of the fact that you’re able to communicate with an animal that doesn’t even speak your language.”
As the Gavilan Kennel Club show is licensed by the American Kennel Club, any titles or awards a certain dog wins (in addition to a basket of delicious high-end doggie treats) count towards their standing at any other AKC show around the country. The most famous of these shows is the Westminster Kennel Club Show.
“It isn’t necessarily the best dogs you’ll see at Westminster,” said Dettmer, who has attended the competition twice, “because it’s so expensive. But it’s really something special and if you’re able every owner should do it at least once.”
But there’s more to see at Bolado this weekend than the action in the ring. Specialty vendors have set up camp and are displaying wares pandering to the dog show crowd – designer chew toys and collars, shampoos and puppy chow, even totebags and jewelry bearing the likeness of your prized pooch.
Many competitors set up communal campsites with their tents and RVs, choosing to share a mutual grooming space for anywhere between two and 15 dogs. Campers fly banners representing their favorite breed and spend hours bathing, clipping, brushing and blow-drying Fido, making sure he’s going to look his best inside the ring. For the serious dog-shower, this is no cheap hobby – participants can visit upward of 90 shows in a year and spend anywhere between $3,000 and $70,000 on keeping their dogs in top shape.
“I think we’re all competitive, but we only get pissy if we lose to a dog we don’t think is all that great,” said Cathy Turner, who brought her 12 golden retrievers all the way from Los Angeles to show. “But if its’ a really good dog and you think ‘I would have made the same decision myself if I were a judge,’ you get over it quick… at the end of the day they’re just your pets, they sleep on your bed and they watch TV with you.”
Dog showing is particularly popular with older folks whose children have already left the nest and have a newfound abundance of time and resources to lavish on their pet.
“I got into dogs after my last child went away to college,” said Monterey resident Tanya Hannah. “This is my kid replacement.”
The Gavilan Kennel Club Dog Show will be running today and tomorrow from 8am to 7pm. Admission is free save a five dollar parking charge, but non-AKC registered pups will have to stay at home. While children are welcome, GKC officials ask that parents remind them not to touch any dogs without permission and to be respectful to the animals.
“The dog is the only mammal that looks up to man,” said Dettmer. “That’s a special thing, and we want everybody to able to respect that.”
