By Betsy Avelar
Hollister
– Laura Franchi has been in the business of showing dogs for 20
years, but next week she will show her golden retriever at The
Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show in San Francisco for the first
time.
Hollister – Laura Franchi has been in the business of showing dogs for 20 years, but next week she will show her golden retriever at The Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show in San Francisco for the first time.
The annual dog show will feature nearly 2,000 dogs and more than 135 breeds at the Cow Palace in San Francisco Jan. 27 and 28. The show is one of the nation’s most prestigious, ranking with New York’s Westminster Dog Show.
The prestige of the show is what is bringing Franchi and her golden retriever Seven to San Francisco.
“It’s very difficult to finish a golden because of the high number of entries, and you have to beat a lot more dogs in order to obtain your championship,” said Franchi, who will be competing against 62 other golden retriever entries. Franchi owns multiple title dogs, and she is confident that Seven will bring her the same success.
Bonnie Hong of Hollister began training her dogs for show when they were puppies.
“To prepare them for the show you work with them on a regular basis,” Hong said. This will be her second year entering the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show. With five Australian shepherds entering, she hopes to receive good results.
“We hope to finish their championships and use some of them for breeding purposes,” said Hong, who will be competing against 47 other entries.
Dogs will be judged on both days of the show. Judges like Pluis Davern of Gilroy will be looking over 158 dogs one day and 135 the next.
Earning the title of a judge is not easy. Davern said all judges must begin as breeders. A breeder must show dogs for at least 12 years, breed a certain number of litters and produce a certain number of champion dogs from those litters in order to become a judge. In addition to that, judges must attend seminars, take courses and go through a testing process. Then, the American Kennel Club will give a provisional license to allow the judging of all breeds. Davern said getting hired as a judge is accomplished by word of mouth, as prospective judges are not allowed to publicize themselves.
Up to 25 judges will be working both days. The American Kennel Club, an organization whose goals are to adopt and enforce uniform rules regulating and governing purebred dog events, states that every dog should be given two minutes for judging, but Davern said it takes a bit longer. The handler must set the dog up so the judge can “go over” the dog. In going over the dog, Davern usually puts her hand under the chin to see its expression. She lifts the lips to count the teeth, measures the ear, runs her hands down the neck and feels the dog’s chest. She pays attention to the length and depth of the rib cage, and feels underneath the coat to see what the dog really looks like. The dog must stand still and remain calm throughout this process.
“When they’re in the show, they can show no signs of aggression, and if they are really fearful they will be excused. They have to feel comfortable in the venue, to have them show well,” said Davern. The best dog is chosen through process of elimination.
What makes this event unique is the “Bench Show,” where dogs sit on benches to allow the public to interact with the dog and the breeder.
“There only four left in the United States,” Davern said. The dog is on display the whole day, and people come to look at the dog and see if they would like a puppy from that particular canine. It takes time and money for a club to put on a bench show, and that’s probably why there are so few in the U.S., Davern said.
To enter a dog, first it must be evaluated to see if it is good enough to show. Once dogs are entered through filling out an application, Davern suggests that entrants attend handling classes, where they will get information on how to groom their dogs, what’s expected of them and how to dress. Two main criteria are trotting the dog across the arena, and standing still while the judges go over them.
“I recommend that people go to a dog show first. If you do that, there’s always brochures or pamphlets that can really help you get started,” Davern said.
“It’s a great way to spend a chunk of your life,” she said. “That is my life.”
Betsy Avelar attends Gavilan College and is an intern for The South Valley Newspapers. Reach her at 408-847-7216 or
ba*****@gi************.com
.
