“Meet the Breeds”

Probably the most popular feature of all at the AKC/Eukanuba show was “Meet the Breeds.” This consisted of a separate area (actually, several separate areas) where each parent club set up a booth with knowledgeable representatives, accompanied by adult dogs and puppies (over six months), allowing the public a remarkable opportunity to ask questions, see the breeds they are interested in close up, and possibly make the right choice when they go to buy their first puppy.

In case you’ve forgotten, this is why most people go to dog shows: not to watch the judging but to get a chance to learn which breed might be best for them. When dog shows were benched they filled the need in allowing a paying public to get close to “their” breed of choice and a chance to find someone they could talk to, but with the prevalence of unbenched shows that’s no longer true. How often have you met people who came to a show specifically to watch e.g. Boxers because they are thinking of buying a puppy, only to find breed judging over and not a single Boxer or Boxer person in sight?

In fact, “Meet the Breeds” — which was imported and based directly on what’s been done at Crufts for many years — works even better than a benched dog show, in that the people and dogs manning the booths here were there especially to interact with the public, not to compete, so they didn’t have to worry about warning children from touching their top special’s coat before they go in the ring.

Is there any way every major all-breed show could have a “Meet the Breeds”? At the very least, AKC should request that every member or licensed dog show must have a booth marked “Information for Future Dog Owners,” where the public can find out how to get in touch with people who have the breed they are interested in, and other basic data.

Eighty-one parent clubs were represented in Long Beach; that’s only a little more than half the clubs that exist. I don’t know where the other parent clubs were, and I realize it can’t be easy to set up and man a booth for two days, but trust me — you really missed out! The ingenuity and talent demonstrated in decorating each booth with breed-specific material was most impressive. The competition for the best decorated booth was won by the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, Inc.

Real Show or a Media Event?

This year, due to the show’s location, I had the unusual pleasure of experiencing the AKC National show two different ways — first-hand, on site, one day and sitting at home, watching TV on the other. It felt like two different shows — on screen it all looked bigger, busier, much more high-profile. In real life things were a little less exciting, which I suppose doesn’t matter much if you feel that this should be primarily a media event. There were a lot of empty seats in the audience (carefully not shown on TV), the spectators were encouraged to shout their heads off for the cameras (I think there was even a prize for the loudest cheering section), and all-over, on screen, the AKC National Show resembled nothing so much as a copy of Westminster... while, of course, in real life it’s no such thing, any more than Long Beach is Manhattan.

I know this will probably get me in trouble, but may I suggest that it would be smart of AKC to avoid comparisons with what is unquestionably one of America’s greatest and oldest sporting events? Instead of a second Westminster, couldn’t AKC work toward organizing a top class, truly national show with its own identity? Moving away from the East Coast and from a January date is a step in the right direction. Focusing less on the top-rated dogs would be another. This is only possible if AKC decides to stop limiting participation to the extent it now does. There’s tons of space in the Long Beach Convention center, so why not open up the entry for ALL dogs (if necessary, offer discounts to the top dogs; maybe half the entry fee?), including puppies and class entries. A Best Puppy in Show competition would be tremendously popular with both media, ringside and exhibitors!

If AKC is really serious about encouraging breeders, then what’s called the AKC National Championship show ought to be open to everybody. Perhaps we could finally get the great national showcase for ALL purebred dogs we’ve been waiting for so long.

The winners and judges are recorded elsewhere, but I cannot end this report without expressing appreciation that the AKC honored two of America’s greatest and most successful dog people ever at its most recent two shows. At the previous event in Florida, Best in Show was judged by Jane Forsyth; at this show the same award was determined by her husband, Robert Forsyth. The Forsyths at one time constituted America’s most successful professional handling couple, both won Best in Show at Westminster, both have had brilliant careers as judges, and it was wonderful to see them given the credit they so richly deserve.

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