Journalism of Courage
From showing off their champion walk to crossing obstacles in the agility show,the participants of this dog show won hearts
On Saturday,the cars parked outside St John’s School,Convent Street,increased by the hour. Groups of people entered the grounds,proudly showing off their pet pooches. The Indian National Kennel Club (INKC) had organised a dog show and the entry was free for all. The ground soon got choc-a-bloc with pet families,furry participants and dog lovers.
The ring area was strictly business. The dogs,held on a leash by their owners,were made to walk,heel and trot around the ring. They were checked by the experts before the winners of each category were announced. A tough choice for the judges as all the participants,with their shining coats and friendly barks,were at their obedient best.
On the other side,the activity increased as the dog agility set-up by ‘It’s Pawssible’ was readied. The obstacles and ramps were placed and some owners did trial runs with their participating pets. Close to 5 pm,the focus shifted to this ring area as nine dogs lined up to show off their skills. Jaanu,a Bichon Havanese,Nargis,a black labrador,Roxy,another labrador,Vithoo,a black pug,Bingo,a boxer,Scamper,a black-and-white cocker spaniel,Xena,a beautiful German Shepherd,and Tara and Pepper,both mixed breed dogs,took centrestage. The dogs had been practising hard for the last five days,we were informed. Their hard work paid off because each one crossed the hurdles and came to a perfect finish. From climbing a frame to doing bar jumps,tyre jumps and crossing a tunnel,the enthusiastic participants seemed to be having as much fun completing the task at hand as the people who were watching and cheering them on! Neeta Godambe,certified dog trainer and behavourist of It’s Pawssible,beamed at the dogs. “Hats off to the owners for bringing their dogs to our place in Aundh for regular practice. We’ve tried to show how all dogs,both big and small,need agility training. These days,people live in smaller apartments and keep fancy breeds. They need to provide their pets with a large open space and enough exercise,” she said.
The other doggie celebrities present at the event included a little daschund dressed in a denim jacket,a South-African Boer Boel with a wrinkled face,an eight-month-old Tibetan Mastiff who looked regal as ever as she walked the premises practising for her time in the judges’ ring,a Jack Russel Terrier,a Miniature Pinscher and a Pekinese. Young Nupoor Bhore looked on adoringly as Kara,her Tibetan Mastiff,stood beside her. “She seems a little nervous. There are too many people around,” Bhore commented. She also proudly pointed to Iria,her terrier,who won the best prize in the breed category.
