Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Doggie United Nations converges at Heritage Park

Sandy Battin News-Bulletin Editor; sbattin@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas It was a case of around the world on four paws at Heritage Park in Los Lunas Saturday.

Like a canine United Nations, dogs with heritages that spanned the globe were in town to strut their stuff, show off their gleaming coats and get a chance to take home top honors.

The Valencia Valley Kennel Club was holding its annual All Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trials at Heritage Park in Los Lunas on Saturday.

As the autumn's first really cool wind tossed doggie ears and mussed newly combed coats, humans in business attire were putting their pooches through their paces. RVs ringed the park, surrounded by portable pens filled with puppies.

Faye Mitchell of Los Lunas, a club member who helped organize the event, stood watching judges studying dogs of all shapes, sizes and colors. She watched as dogs and owners ran, showing off the contours and cadences of the canine crowd.

She said about 800 entries from the "loyal, loyal people" who've come every year to the park for the event.

Everyone seems to be having a marvelous time.

Sylvia, a Bouvier des Flanders, was at the show with her owner, Dennis Craig of Corcoran, Calif. "They're a cattle herding dog from Belgium," Craig said. "They're a versatile breed, a natural herding dog that does well in agility in obedience."

While Sylvia was too young to participate in the day's events, she's already certified as a therapy dog who goes to visit hospitals and nursing homes, causing smiles in places that can be bleak.

Bouviers can weigh as much as 85 pounds, but they're "a gentle dog that can be trained to do whatever you want them to," Craig said.

He says the breed is a non-shedding one that people with allergies to dogs can often tolerate.

Across the grass, an English fox hound is being walked on a leash by his new owner, Pam Sehmer of Albuquerque. They've been together a mere 16 hours.

"I've wanted to get a fox hound for a long time," Sehmer said.

At 13 months, Drake will probably get half again as tall and put on 20 pounds, Sehmer said.

The English breed — the kind you see on "Masterpiece Theater" hunting in packs with red-coated riders on horses — is at the bottom of the American Kennel Club's register in terms of numbers every year. There are that few around.

"They're built a whole lot like a horse — they have to be to run all day long to places that horses can go," Sehmer said. "They're sort of a beagle on steroids."

Pokey, a bearded collie from Santa Fe, is taking a walk with owner Michael Pottow of Santa Fe.

When Pokey jumps on your knee, you expect a large weight to come down, but she's light and dainty, a whisp of a dog hidden among the oodles of hair.

"I've been raising beardies for two years at this point," he said. "They weren't registered in this country until the '70s."

Originally from Scotland, they show well. "They're not a tricky groom ... it's a bathe and brush dog ... but you have to keep at it," Pottow said.

The dogs were raised to herd sheep so they have good obedience and agility skills.

"Their herding instinct isn't that developed," Pottow said. "They're not obsessive. They're more laid back than a border collie. They're like a border collie with hair."

Under cover of a tent, three collies were being combed and coddled by John Kavanagh and Joan Armitage of Flagstaff, Ariz.

The biggest dog, King's Work Down To the Wire — they call him Hot Rod — was getting the royal treatment from Armitage.

He got his nickname because, despite cutting his pads on glass left in the grass in a park during a show awhile back, once he went into the judging ring, he stopped limping and put on a show. He even managed to win Best of Breed, never limping, a hot rod of a dog.

Kavanagh says he's owned six other breeds of dogs, but has found that "this is the one for me."

Hot Rod and the two female dogs on the grooming tables are the product of 28 generations of collies that Kavanagh has bred since he was 14.

Their coats are described with luxurious sounding adjectives — mahogany, sable.

Kavanagh is using a line of conditioners and dog care products he created so that he could find exactly what he wanted.

A tent or two away, Ailo, a great Pyrenees, looks soft, white, gentle and big — very, very big.

He was at the event with owner Nancy Wood Taber of Tijeras. Like so many of the other dogs at the show, this breed was a working dog, herding sheep.

"When they're on duty, they're on duty, but when they're with their family they're as gentle as can be," Taber said.

Judges of Pyrenees "look for an expression that's described as that dreamy far-off look," she said. Ailo definitely seemed to have it.

On the other side of the field, Patti Welch of Albuquerque had the rapt attention of Diva, a border terrier, who clearly had New Mexico roots. She wanted the burrito that Welch was muching on in the morning sun.

"She's the coolest dog," Welch said. "She's up for anything. She's the cleanest dog I've ever lived with too. She's very playful."

Welch is a bit of a novice at showing her dog. She says she's still learning.

"It's a good activity. It builds a lot of teamwork for you and your dog," she said.

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