Top dogs descend on Prince Albert ahead of National Championships

Liana Maloney, the Kennel and Obedience Club’s show coordinator, explained the competing dogs are bred for a specific purpose like a shetland sheepdog, commonly referred to as a sheltie.

“We are given a blueprint with specific points from the CKC for each dog, for each function they’re bred for. This [dog] is bred for herding sheep,” she said, while grooming her own sheltie. “They have to have certain shoulder angulation, size, eye set so they can see the sheep, ears so they can hear the sheep.”

“As breeders, our job is to make that blueprint as close as possible so that when people buy pets and buy dogs that they like to do agility and obedience, they have the form and the function and the temperament to do that.”

She added that the dog is then judged on a series of standards for that specific breed up to 100 points, and the dog that the judges think is the closest to that breed standard will be awarded the most points.

(Image Credit: Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

This Prince Albert show is the latest stop on the circuit, which features nine events, including one in Saskatoon next weekend. The nine shows mean the competing dogs have nine opportunities to win points.

“All these points, as the year goes on, they’re more important as they come to the end of the year.”

According to Maloney, dogs came from far and wide across Western Canada, and even from over the border, with one coming from as far as Iowa in the U.S.

One of the more eye-catching dogs in the show made the trip from Edmonton; that being a Chinese Crested named David. Lee Simants is one of his owners and his handler, and she explained that David is one of the two different types of Chinese Crested dogs.

David, a rare Chinese Crested dog, is the #2 ranked dog in his breed in Canada. (Image Credit: Logan Lehmann)

(Image Credit: Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

“He’s part of the hairless variety. They come in a powder puff where they have full coat, and then they come in this variety when he grows a little bit of hair on his body but not much.”

Simants said that David is her first Chinese Crested dog and has been taking him to shows for roughly a year-and-a-half. She also has two Boxers, which she’s been showing for four years.

In that short 18-month window though, David has proven himself as one of the top dogs in his breed as he is the #2 ranked Chinese Crested dog in Canada and is also ranked in the top 30 in the U.S. She said that David became hers after seeing a posting from a friend.

“I saw a friend of mine was selling a [puppy] that was a puff variety, and she told me that it wasn’t my dog. So, she brought two others for me to look at and one of them was David. He’s a very good little dog.”

She continued that Chinese Crested dogs aren’t the most social and will tend to only stick close to people their familiar with, like their handlers.

(Image Credit: Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

The Prince Albert Kennel & Obedience Club CKC All Breeds Dog Show continues until Thursday at the P.A. Exhibition Grounds. There is no cost to attend, but the Club asks that attendees leave their pets at home as the show is limited to competing dogs only.

The Club is also seeking new members, and those interested can click here for more information.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

by Logan Lehmann

Top dogs descend on Prince Albert ahead of National Championships

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