June 12, 2002
Canines and owners brush up before big competition
Grand Traverse Kennel Club sponsors dog show this weekend at Civic Center
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Novice dogs and their experience handlers got a quick course in showing Saturday morning, courtesy of the Grand Traverse Kennel Club.
With this weekend's upcoming Grand Traverse Dog Show looming large, four area dog owners took advantage of this last-minute opportunity to have their dogs practice standing properly for a judge, being handled and walking in show formation. Two of the dogs also practiced their obedience skills at retrieving an object on command by leaping over a wall.
"It is very important, this kind of training," said Sally Watkeys, who brought her two Shih Tzus, Bill and Virginia, both less than a year old.
Elaine Suter of Williamsburg has been training dogs in agility, obedience and confirmation for 18 years. She enters her dogs in the Bred-by class, which means she bred, raised and trained them herself. She has traveled to Portugal three times to acquire dogs for breeding and showing.
"We're training to become an AKC champ," said Suter, who worked with her five-month-old Portuguese Water Dog, Tommi.
"This is fun, it gives you a lot to work on with your pet," she noted.
Dogs who successfully participate in a dog show also have to get used to other dogs, crowd noise, different environments - including indoors and outdoors - and spending time in their crates. They also have to learn to ignore blaring loudspeakers and other distractions.
"One time we were in a show in Toronto that was outdoors," recalled Stewart Nunneley, who worked with his Golden Retrievers Blaze and Rocky on Saturday. "It was right behind a hotel that had a swimming pool with kids jumping in and out and screaming."
During judging, the dogs also have to learn to 'stack' or stand in a proper position for evaluation. They also must allow judges they have never met to lift their feet, look in their mouth and examine and touch their bodies and fur.
"The dogs have to get used to being handled by anyone and when stacking, they have to be able to keep their feet still," Suter said. "You do a lot of at-home training to be able to show a dog."
Suter noted that besides having a very well-trained pet, owners of show dogs find all their training has another unexpected benefit.
"When we take our dogs to the vet's office, the vets are always thrilled because our dogs are used to standing, being handled and having their feet lifted," she said.
Nunneley has been working with obedience training for 20 years. As he and his dogs have progressed through the levels of obedience competitions, he finds different challenges come up for both the dog and its owner. Besides the ongoing technical difficulties and awards accumulated - his current show dogs have obedience and hunting titles in three different kennel club registries - he said that showing dogs is very enjoyable.
"Dog shows are infectious," said Nunneley, who will show Blaze in the versatility class and Rocky in veteran's obedience class. "While they are competitive they are a lot of fun. Everybody helps everybody else."
Always being ready for a surprise is a key part of 'training' for the dog owner.
"Every time you think you have things figured out, your dog will let you know you don't," Nunneley noted.
The Grand Traverse Kennel Club Dog Show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 16, at the How Arena in the Grand Traverse Civic Center. Judging begins on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with group judging at 1:45 p.m. Judging on Sunday begins at 8:00 a.m. with group judging at 2 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults; seniors and children under 12 are $1 each; a family of two adults and two children is $5.