Which breed will be top dog at this year's show?

[bigdoglover]

Houston Chronicle

By Mary Voung

In Houston, it really is the dog days of summer.

Today through Sunday, 12,000 dogs from more than 150 breeds, plus 40,000 humans, will gather for the Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows. The show attracts animals from around the country and even Mexico.

The Houston Combined Specialty Association will sponsor Best of Breed competitions today. The kennel clubs of Houston, Beaumont and Galveston will host Best in Show contests on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

"Historically, the top dogs of the country have been here," says Carol Williamson, the show's public education chair.

Exactly which dogs are competing is kept secret until the day of the show, but Tom Pincus, president of the Houston Kennel Club, says you can expect to see some elite dogs.

Any idea which dogs will score a Best in Show? We asked him.

That's like predicting the lottery, Pincus replied. "It's how the dog looks that day ... all of the contenders in Best in Show (are) going to be magnificent dogs."

Easier to predict are the breeds that will be the crowd pleasers.

"Golden retriever is always a favorite," Pincus says. "They're popular because people know what they are, (but) they're also flashy." Other dogs that captivate the audience include boxers, Irish and English setters, dachshunds, Afghan hounds, wire fox and Airedale terriers, Pekingese, German shepherds, Chinese Shar-Pei and beagles, because "people just identify with them as everyday pets," Pincus says.

Norwich and Norfolk terriers, too, "because they're just so cute" and spunky, Pincus adds. "Fifteen-pound dogs that act like they're 200."

And poodles, he says, because "they're groomed so magnificently and presented so elegantly."

More unusual dogs to watch for are Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens, Nova Scotia duck-tolling retrievers, Black Russian and Glen of Imaal terriers and Bouvier des Flandres.

The conformation competitions, in which dogs are judged on how well they adhere to the official breed standards, are open to all American Kennel Club-registered dogs.

Owners of unregistered purebreds can visit the club's booth 3-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday to apply for an ILP, or Indefinitely Listing Privilege, number, which allows them to compete in agility, obedience and other events.

The journey to Best in Show is a series of elimination rounds.

Dog owners, breeders or professional handlers present their animals. Judges use their hands to check teeth, muscles, bones and coat texture. They also watch the dogs move and examine their profiles.

According to the American Kennel Club, the number of points a dog can earn, one to five, depends on how many other competitors there are. A win of three or more points is considered a "major." When the dog accumulates 15 points, including two majors from at least three different judges, it achieves the title of American Kennel Club Champion of Record.

Dogs within a breed compete by sex and are divided into six classes: puppy, 12- to 18-month, novice, bred by exhibitor, American-bred and open. Then first-place winners in the class competition face off against one another, again divided by sex. Only the two winning male and female dogs get points and move onto a contest with champions for Best of Breed.

That dog gets to go the next round, in which it competes the Best of Breed winners from its group.

The American Kennel Club recognizes seven groups: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, nonsporting and herding. The first-place winner from each group gets a shot at Best in Show.

Breeds that have won Best in Show in recent years include a boxer, bichon frisé, German shepherd and miniature poodle, Williamson says.

[KennelMom]

I'll be rooting for the greyhound and scottish deerhound!