June 11, 2003
Ruff competition
GT Kennel Club hosts annual dog show
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
From Affenpinschers to Yorkshire Terriers, the Grand Traverse Kennel Club's 50th All-Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial this weekend will have something for every dog lover.
Held at the Civic Center Saturday and Sunday, the show will include 700-plus dogs from more than 100 breeds each day.
As hosts of the show, members of the Grand Traverse Kennel Club will not be entering any of their dogs in the competition per AKC rules. Instead, many volunteers from the club will be working like dogs, staffing tables, answering questions and handling myriad logistics that come with running an event that attracts participants from around the country.
Junior handler Sarah Sheffer of Traverse City will participate in the show with her two-year-old Chocolate Labrador retriever, 'Mo.' Sheffer has been training 'Mo' as a show dog since he was eight weeks old and he is the nephew of the first dog she ever showed, now a retired family pet.
Sheffer, a recent homeschool graduate, has been training and showing dogs as a member of the local 4-H group, Classy K9s, for ten years. Besides working with dogs, she shows livestock at local fairs and has been showing and jumping horses for two years. Sheffer has also helped teach the 4-H dog obedience and showing classes to younger members of Classy K9s for the past few years.
"Having the animals, it is a lot of fun and something to care for," said Sheffer, who plans to be a doctor. "I love showing, I really like the competition and the preparation."
Sheffer is eligible to participate in this weekend's show because of her 4-H affiliation. As she has become a veteran of dog shows, both her commitment to showing and maturity in the ring have deepened. The past year, especially, more blue ribbon results attest to her growth.
"I've worked very hard and it is paying off now," she noted. "I go into the ring and I feel that I really do shine and I have the confidence, training and experience now to succeed."
Sally and Dick Watkeys will be among the many volunteers from the Grand Traverse Kennel Club helping put on the event. Twelve-year veterans of the dog show circuit, the breeders, owners and handlers enter their Shih Tzu dogs in competitions around the country. They participated in 25 shows last winter from Texas and Florida to Kansas and Arizona and have made friends around the country with other Shih Tzu aficionados.
"Competition is one reason, we're all crazy is the other," joked Sally Watkeys. "I think one of the most fun points for us is traveling the country and meeting other people who have our breed. It does make it really fun, whether you win or lose."
"If you are doing it for the right reasons, then you want to showcase your dogs," she said.
Both Watkeys noted that the process of training and showing a dog, especially one bred and raised from a puppy, greatly increases the bond between owner and pet. Hours of playing, training, grooming and teaching of tricks reinforce this bond, helping the owner and pet get to know and trust each other.
"The dog's like to please you and like to get praise," said Dick Watkeys.
The 50th All-Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial will be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Grand Traverse Civic Center. For more information on the event, contact Elaine Suitor at 267-9516.