June 20, 2001
Canines show off at Civic Center
Grand Traverse Kennel Club show features more than 800 dogs
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Call it a wag-fest, a pro-bark zone, a groom-o-rama: the Grand Traverse Dog Show is a dog-lovers dream come true.
The two-day show last weekend at the Grand Traverse Civic Center featured more than 800 dogs spanning nearly 100 breeds or varieties. Sponsored by the Grand Traverse Kennel Club, the show drew participants from around the state and provided a good time for the hundreds of attendees who stopped by.
The show featured competitive events ranging from showmanship to agility to obedience as well as demonstrations of K-9 precision drill, agility drill, canine cadence and freestyle dancing. Six rings were kept busy with judges, dogs and owners throughout the show.
"This is our biggest event of the year," said John Peters, a member of the Grand Traverse Kennel Club and a volunteer at the show.
Peters' wife, Barbara, said that dog shows get in the blood. The owner of three Border collies and a mixed breed rescued as a stray, she added that being a dog owner changes a person's life.
"You start out with a pet, then go to a dog show and think, 'Maybe I wanted to get into that,'¡" Barbara Peters said. "Then you want to get into it and advance the breed and it keeps growing."
Dog owners and trainers for years, the Peters moved to Traverse City five years ago. With children of their own interested in dogs, they started a local 4-H group two years ago. The Northwest Classy K-9s has 38 members and teaches all the basics of dog care and training, including obedience and agility. The group meets weekly at the F&M Park to hone their skills.
Danielle Brandt, a tenth-grade student in the Forest Area Schools, joined the club this year. She and her Border collie named Dog have learned a lot from their participation and plan to continue learning and showing together. She entered Dog in a few categories in the show, taking a second in showmanship on Saturday and losing a first place in the Open Senior category. That loss garnered her a valuable tip for future shows.
"The judge told me that Dog presented in perfect position but I reached down and rearranged him out of it," she said. "All judges give good tips, you ask them and they tell you."
Like all the other contestants in the show, Dog was washed, dried and brushed to shining perfection. The raised grooming tables at the back of the Civic Center were rarely empty as owners wielded blow dryers, clippers, combs and ribbons at a furious pace.
"I spend three to four hours a day grooming Homer," said Kari Monroe, 15, from Lapeer County, who won second place in the Open Junior category. "If he has mats, it takes five hours."
Showing a dog requires owners to have a few tricks up their sleeve to keep a dog on track while in the ring. Monroe kept a hot dog stashed in her armband for Homer to nibble on and other owners stored dog treats in their mouths, whipping them out at strategic times to bribe their pet back in line. Dressed nicely themselves, the dog owners conceal grooming implements in pockets or waistbands so they can get in a last-minute brush or comb before the judge's eye rests on them.
The hard work of raising, grooming and training a dog for show has one huge payoff: a friendly companion who cares little about ribbons and a lot about love. Brandt said her work with Dog over the last year has made her more a patient person and more accepting of failure.
"He's taught me a lot because I kind of take losses hard," Brandt said. "Not anymore because he doesn't care if he's first or not, to him every day is a great day."