Parade of pooches
Hundreds sit and stay to watch pooches parade at Kensington dog show
Pampered pooches from around the world put their best paw forward on the weekend at the Lady Slipper Kennel Club Dog Show.
The annual event, held in the Kensington Community Gardens, features four conformation shows, two obedience trials and two rally obedience trials.
In front of a panel of judges, 180 dogs – from sporting, hounds, working, terriers, toys, non-sporting, and herding – compete within their breed over the two days.
Amid the echoes of barks in the complex, a four-year-old pug sits quietly on a prepping table watching the world go by. Todd Foley, the proud owner of the pug named Adam, is not afraid to take a break from grooming and leave his dog, if only for a moment, to its own accord.
“He’s kind of lazy, a little bit of a lump, until you get him in the ring and then he becomes full of
life,” smiled Foley.
Born in Thailand, Adam comes from a long line of award winning Canadian pugs. “He does have Canadian family. His grandfather was the top winning pug in Canada with 30 Best in Shows, and Adam has won 26 Best in Shows,” explained Foley. “Adam came from Thailand three years ago
to be shown in Canada, and ended up living with my wife and me. Now he’s our boy and I’m very proud of him.”
A dog wins Best in Show based on appearance and ideal stride for the type of breed.
Sue Beattie, from Fredericton N.B., entered her 16-month-old Shiba Inu named “Kohei” into the conformation show.
“The Shiba Inu is originally from Japan and they were bred to hunt in the mountains for deer and wild boar, so they have a nice harsh coat,” explained Beattie, a Shiba Inu breeder since 1997.
“They almost became extinct during the Second World War, but then they were brought back.”
Kohei, named after a great Japanese artistic gymnast, was judged on his appearance and movement according to the written breed standard. “They are an extremely clean dog, independent, sometimes stubborn, but in my opinion he’s the best. He’s my baby,” grinned Beattie.
Lady Slipper Kennel Club was founded in 1979 with the purpose of supporting ethical breeding and responsible dog ownership.
The event is held under the Canadian Kennel Club rules.
More information is available at the Lady Slipper Kennel Club Facebook page.