Over a period of fourteen days, dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds “strutted their stuff” at Florida Classic Park in Brooksville. The event was the Florida Gulf Coast Cluster All Breed Dog Show. Owners, handlers and judges came from all over the United States, as well as Canada and other parts of the world.
The show started with the Brilliant Dog Agility Event on January 6 and 7 and continued with the All Breed AKC (American Kennel Club) dog shows over the next few days. A different Florida kennel club sponsored each day’s events. They included clubs from Hernando County, Clearwater, Pasco, Tampa Bay and Manatee County.
Along with the competitions there were vendors selling all types of canine items, from clothing to dog food. There was also plenty of food and beverages to feed the human participants.
Each day the dogs are first judged in individual breeds based on the ideal standard of that breed. One dog is declared Best of Breed. He (or she) goes on to compete in Best of Group. There are seven different groups of dogs made up of many different breeds:
● Herding, such as Sheepdogs and Collies
● Hound, such as Beagles and Bassets
● Non-sporting, such as Dalmatian and Boston Terrier
● Sporting, such as Cocker Spaniel and English Setter;
● Terrier, such as Miniature Schnauzer and Airedale Terrier;
● Toy, such as Chihuahua and Maltese
● Working, such as Alaskan Malamutes and Boxers
The winner in Best of Group advances until one dog is judged Best of Show for a particular day. Dogs can compete on more than one day and each time she wins she accumulates points.
Eventually, after accumulating enough points over a period of time, that dog will be declared a Grand Champion – a very prestigious honor.
Maverick, a Great Dane, is one such dog. The sleek, 140 pound, 2½ year-old has been competing for a year and is already a U.S. Grand Champion.
His handler, Jeff Brucker, who has been showing many different breeds for fifty-seven years is passionate about his work. For him, winning at events is more that just status for the dogs, owners and handlers.
Brucker states, “If you didn’t have dog shows you would have a lot more illness [among purebred dogs]. People would not go to all the lengths they do to get the dogs healthy, to keep the breeds looking the right way. We focus not just on the physical aspects, but also mental. We’re always looking to improve the breed.”
One judge oversees and judges each round and makes the decision as to who is the winner. Therefore, the same dog can be eliminated one day, yet come back to win the next day with a different judge.
Lee Canalizo, a board member with the Pasco Kennel Club, is a retired judge. She served in this role for forty-three years.
Ms. Canalizo comments, “The best thing about being a judge was discovering a superior dog. It doesn’t happen all that often.”
Of course, preparing for a dog show is not just about the dog’s characteristics and performance. He has to look handsome and she has to look gorgeous. That’s where the professional groomers come in. Two tents were reserved for this purpose. Groomers washed, clipped, combed and blow-dried their clients to make them look their very best. Linda Guihen, a dog groomer from Kentucky was putting the finishing touches on Tino, a Shetland Sheep Dog from Oregon.
The health of the dogs is another big concern of the kennel clubs and the individual owners, breeders and handlers. For a fee, the owners can have their dogs thoroughly checked out for cardiology, eye or orthopedic issues. In this way, a licensed veterinarian will certify that the dog is suitable for breeding.
At the dog show there was as wide an assortment of people as there were canines. The ages ranged from children and seniors and the attendants came from as nearby as Hernando County to as far away as South America.
Twenty-four -year-old Jeff Orcutt from Pennsylvania has been showing dogs for over ten years. He brought his Yellow Labrador Retriever. Bruce Insana and his wife own three Belgian Tervurens. Nine year-old Rugby accompanied them to this show and walked away with a Best of Breed.
Despite the dissimilarities in the participants (human and canine), everyone seemed to be having a good time in the competition, with the camaraderie of the event. All participants beamed with pride, in putting their best “paw” forward.