Dogs, Dogs, and More Dogs

Nearly 500 dogs strutted their stuff at the Durango Kennel Club Dog Show at McGee Park in Farmington. Dozens of dog breeds and their handlers from across the country competed in the four day event in categories such as obedience trials, rally trials, and confirmation shows. You’re watching the Local News Network, brought to you by Northern Edge Casino and Ace Hardware in Farmington. I’m Hayley Opsal. The key word is confirmation. At AKC dog shows, dogs are judged by a set of criteria called a standard that is unique to each recognized breed. So while a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s more of a canine register of the past and present.

Dog shows are a giant history lesson, really. Come here, Napoleon. All of these dogs were developed for a purpose in different parts of the world, bred to do specific jobs, and that’s what dog shows is about. That it is about preserving their heritage, preserving what they were bred to do.

This was the seventh year the annual show was held in Farmington since it moved from its previous home at the Montezuma County Fairground in Cortez, Colorado. According to Durango Kennel Club Show Chairwoman, Barbara Schwartz, switching venues increased entries by 75%.

We started out in Durango with our shows, but then for a number of years we were over in Cortez, Colorado. And then we came down to Farmington and that benefited us tremendously. This is a wonderful show site for us. And it’s an hour closer to Albuquerque and they have four shows the weekend prior to us. So we gained in entries from that.

A bulldog won Best In Show, but it was the puffy Pomeranians that caught our eye. It’s a breed of dog that isn’t judged for its height but it’s weight and good temperament, among other characteristics like gait, coat, and the size and shape of the head, tail and body.

You want a broader skull. You want high set ears. You want a nice medium almond eye. Good bite. Short back. Good tail set. A profused coat.

Spade or neutered dogs are not eligible to compete in confirmation classes, because the purpose of a dog show is to evaluate breeding stock. Founded in 1962, the Durango Kennel Club offers an array of activities including various training programs, learning opportunities, and therapy dog testing. Learn more about this story and other at farmingtonlocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of The Local News Network. I’m Hayley Opsal.