I'm Way Behind! I'll start with the Dog Show, then move on...

Last Saturday, Tanya, her friend Taylor, Taylor's daughters, and two of Tanya's cousins and I went to the National Dog Show, in Reading, PA. The Philadelphia Kennel Club usually has these in downtown Philly, but this year they opted for Reading.

In any case, it was a blast! We didn't even go into the big ring for the judging because, well, who cares. The fun part was walking around outside the big ring and looking at all of the varieties of dogs. It was very interesting. We saw dogs that you would normally only read about or....see at a dog show!

One of the things Tanya noticed was that the dogs were so well behaved inside the ring when they're being judged, but when you get them outside the ring, they turn into lovable, fun pets like any other dog you've ever met. The vast majority of the owners and handlers were very nice and more than happy to talk about the dogs and let us pet them.

I also think I've decided on my future dog. I didn't get a picture at the show, but I found this one online:

It's a Rhodesian Ridgeback! They're supposed to be a handful, but they're great for runners. These dogs were originally bred for lion hunts in Africa! Very cool dogs. I met one at the dog show and they're very beautiful. That ridge on their back is actually just hair that grows in the opposite direction. Strange, but kind of cool!

So, on to the show. Here are some pics and a little bit of commentary!

Here is a pug (funny little dogs), and some kind of terrier.



I thought this was hysterical! The poodles (even the mini ones) are trained to sit like this when they rest so that they don't mess up their groomers' efforts. This guy looked like he'd had quite enough. If he was a Craig dog.....he'd be thinking it's high time for a drink!

These are two of Tanya's cousins. Diana is on the left and Ava is on the right. They are with a Black Russian Terrier. They are getting one of these in about a week, so we snapped a picture of them with their future dog (well, the same breed anyway). They're great dogs, very nice, but very big!

This was another funny one. The picture on the top is a close up of what you see on the bottom. It's a giant poodle, and if you're having trouble understanding what you're looking at (I know I did...and I was standing two feet from this thing) - imagine that the dog is sitting like the Sphinx and facing the groomer. The little puffs you see on the top are on its hips. The gray is the dog's skin. After talking to some of the poodle owners, apparently these puffs are functional. They keep the dogs' joints warm while it's hunting, but clip the rest of the fur to keep it from catching on stuff. Whatever.

This little Bijon was funny. Then, there's the dog below. Ava nicknamed him "George Washington." This is a male dog by the way. I'm guessing they don't let this dog play with the Rottweilers and Pinschers, lest it's ego be irretrievably shaken...

A big Schnauzer! And Ava with her favorite of the show - some kind of Sheep Dog. I forgot the name, but this particular dog's name was Toby. Somehow...that just fits.

The Irish Wolfhound. Very cool dog, and HUGE. And of course, a Bulldog. Love these guys. He didn't look too happy to be in this cage though!

Finally, this guy on the top didn't look too happy to be there. Beautiful dog though. And on the bottom - Tanya's favorite. Basically, these dogs are one walking wrinkle...



That was the show! If you ever have a chance to go to a dog show, I highly recommend going. It's cheap entertainment and if you're an animal lover, you can't go wrong!