What's even better than watching a dog show on TV is to see one in person. Especially a large show, which includes all the AKC breeds. San Diego's annual dog spectacle, the Silver Bay Kennel Club Dog Show, sets up at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21-22, 2009. And what better way to spend the weekend than to check out all the amazing breeds: small, large, huge, cute, ugly, prim, sloppy...but they're all lovable. And the best thing is that admission is free.
For me, the Silver Bay Dog Show is cool because it gives me a chance to see the same breeds of dog that my family used to have, a Tibetan Terrier and a Lhasa Apso. We found that those two breeds are a perfect fit for our lifestyle and it's neat to see those breeds in one place. But in 2005, my family lost two beloved dogs, Kerry, our Tibetan Terrier, and Mazie, our rescued Lhasa Apso.
We lost Kerry just before summer and it devasted us. A couple of months later, we had a void to fill and adopted the gentle Mazie from a wonderful rescue group, Lhasa Happy Homes. But unbeknownst to us, Mazie had an advanced state of cancer and we lost her in November. Needless to say, my wife and I were beyond grief. Losing two family members in four months was almost too much to bear.
But we needed the unconditional love of a dog in our home, so just before Thanksgiving, we adopted another pup, Sparky, from Lhasa Happy Homes. Sparky is a joy - sweet yet incredibly playful, and he was the medicine our broken hearts needed. But Sparky's breed is still a mystery to us: we had a doggie DNA test done on him, but the results weren't conclusive - he's part Shih Tzu, but his primary breed is unknown.
Recently, we adopted another rescue, Louie, a spunky, lovable toy poodle. And he and Sparky have quickly become playful brothers who complement each other beautifully. Just like dogs do.
And that's what the Silver Bay Kennel Club Dog Show is all about - dog-lovers heaven. Just to see all the breeds of dogs in one place is great. And to watch all the dog handlers show one, two even three dogs at a time makes you appreciate the patience these devoted people have to training dogs. Just take the family and stroll through the exhibit areas with show rings lined up so you can check out different breeds showing at the same time. Better yet, stroll by the staging areas and watch the dogs get primped and pampered more than Jennifer Lopez! It makes me feel like a neglectful parent when it comes to brushing.
Anyway, we'll be able to see more Tibetan Terriers and Lhasa Apsos in one place than anywhere else. And we'll make a point to check out the Shih Tzus and Poodles now as well.
