The Hot Springs National Park Kennel Club's annual dog show has a little over 700 entries this year, and the public can expect to see some of the "top dogs" in the country, Brian Leonard, club president, said Friday.
"We're up a little bit from last year, so we're very happy. We have a new show competing with us down in the Houston, Texas, area so we were a little nervous when that came onto the schedule, but we made do, and we're happy," Leonard said.
The show, which runs through Sunday at the Hot Springs Convention Center, is free and open to the public by design, according to Leonard.
"First and foremost, this is a great place, if you're thinking about a dog as a pet, to come and learn about them and talk to the handlers about if this breed is compatible with you and what you do.
"As breeders, we're very concerned about our dogs and making sure they go to the right home; that it's going to be a perfect fit.
"And we don't have a problem saying, 'You know what? This breed of dog won't work for what you want, so let me direct you to this breed, which would probably be better,'" he said.
"So come and learn. Most people here are real good about letting you pet their dogs. Get up and learn about them. Most all are usually very friendly, and educate you on dogs. It's fun just to come and watch."
Aside from the conformation ring, where owners of purebred dogs compete with other owners in a variety of categories, Leonard said there are a lot of aspects to showing going on.
"We have obedience and rally, which are the smart dogs who will do the 'downs' and 'stays,' and not necessarily tricks ... but they'll follow the basic commands," Leonard said.
"That's one of the reasons I strive to make sure our show stays as a free event to the public. I really want to continue making it free so the public can come and learn and enjoy and see what it's all about," he said.
"And if we can get a kid interested in showing, that's perfect. A dog show is a sport that's kind of in a tenuous spot right now, with all of the animal rights activists out there. They would love to see dog shows be taken away from us. But if we can get more people interested in seeing that it's a fun family thing to do, more power to them. We get one kid interested in showing by coming, we'll do it."
For the exhibitors, the appeal of the show is the city itself, Leonard says.
"A lot of our exhibitors come back year after year ... they love coming to Hot Springs. Some come a day early so they can enjoy the baths and spas and hang out. We have some that stay a couple of days after. It turns into a vacation for them here," Leonard said.
The public can also expect to see some of the "top dogs" in the country at the show, including some of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show competitors.
"We will probably have some of the top dogs in the country here, we just don't know yet who they are," Leonard said.
"You don't know who the dogs are going to be until they show up that day, but there's probably 10 or 15 shows going on around the country, and the higher dogs are flying all over the place, looking for the judges they know will like their dog."
The show started Friday night with toy dogs, and continues today at 9 a.m. with an all-breed show, followed at 8 a.m. Sunday with another all-new, all-breed show.
Leonard said the public will also find vendors selling dog-related merchandise at the show, including unique items not sold in pet stores, such as jewelry and "cool dog toys."
Local on 09/29/2018