Nehru Maidan on Sunday had the air of an admission test where owners brought their dogs and sat nervously to see how they would conduct themselves in the competition. The ground was the venue for Karavali Canine Club’s first open show in conjunction with the 28th and 29th All Breed Championship Dog Show of Bangalore Canine Club.
While one part of the field had various competitions where owners trotted and galloped with their canines, there were different breeds of canines with their owners all over the field. Many owners were seen combing the coats of their dogs. Some were seen feeding them or giving them water. Like Max, a Great Dane, quite a few arrived in cars, some in cars whose windshield and windows were swathed with bedsheets to keep out the sun, with dog feed and water bowls perched atop the car roof. Several visitors were seen admiring the canines. Nishain, whose three-year-old daughter Angel, enjoyed watching the dogs, said she liked dogs but did not have one because it was like looking after “another child”.
Some who had trained their dogs at home were thrilled with the way their pets behaved. V. Jayanth Nayak, Surathkal, whose golden retriever bagged a prize, said he walked the dog for 4km everyday. Manohar Shetty, from Mangalore, said Scooby, his dachshund trained at home, would not touch food until told so.
During the competition, some owners adjusted their dogs’ feet so they could give the judges a good pose. Some dogs disappointed their owners as they would not open their mouth to allow the judge check their teeth. Some owners called out the names of their dogs to gallop faster.
Prathibha Nambiar, a visitor, said the show was of better quality than the one in Kadri but it could be because visitors were being charged entrance fees. She said her dog was not participating at the show and was at home “being himself”.
