A Delightful Day with the Dogs

It's mid-November! You know what that means, don't you?

 The air is brisk; the leaves have nearly all fallen; and it's once again time for the dogs!  Lots of them,  congregated in one location, within easy driving distance, for the purpose of competing in the Purina National Dog Show.

Marty and I experienced the excitement of this competition several years ago when it was actually held nearby, and ever since then, we've put it on the calendar to enjoy if we happen to be in town. 

We've been driving the turnpike quite frequently as of late, but as luck would have it, this weekend we had a reprieve, and so we headed out early to the Oaks Expo Center to see just what kind of fun was in store for us today.

And we certainly were NOT disappointed.  (Before you read any further, rest assured that there are NO spoilers in this blog.) 

We were entertained by a dog jumping for a frisbee

and another jumping through hoops.

But the best part of the day was spent walking through the expo center, meeting the dogs and their handlers.  You just can't beat it for entertainment.  The dogs are generally friendly, and most are eager for a pet or two.

This Cairn Terrier was itching for a pet.

And this dachshund had the softest coat that I've ever felt. 

This basset hound was eager for some attention.

So much so that he took the opportunity to jump on Marty and give him a kiss.

all while his friend looked on, smiling.

It was hard to miss this new breed, the Bergamasco, as there were at least a dozen in attendance.   

There were so many different personalities to check out:

The pug on the pedestal

and the bejeweled silky terrier.

The content Golden Retriever

The worried afghan 

as well as the Borzoi who wasn't so eager to get powdered.

Marty made it his mission to capture many of the close up faces. 

Here you see an Airedale.

with a side view.

a beagle

corgi

and another Borzoi (formerly called a Russian Wolfhound)

a long haired dachshund, giving him the eye.

Then, there were the dogs whose eyes were a mystery.

A Hungarian Puli who looked more like a rug than a dog. 

 The Lagotto Romagnolo, another new breed recognized this year.

as well as the Spanish Water dog, very similar to the Portuguese Water dog.

And then, there was the poodle, who looked like she was having a bad hair day.

Was this guy looking at me?  We may never know.

 Although, I think this little fellow was, and when the breeder saw me take this photo

she insisted on an "after" picture so that we could see his cute little face.

By now, it was time to head to the viewing area so that we could watch some of the official competition.  The announcer was all set up and ready to go.

While John Hurley settled in for his live commentary to be heard during the television broadcast on Thanksgiving Day.

The judging of the groups is actually quite long as there are many more dogs that one actually sees on tv.  Here are just a few entertaining highlights from what we saw today. 

A Westie sits tall for the final judging

A Stafforshire Terrier has a grand time showing off 

This little Russel Terrier may be small but he had great personality.

And the basset hound needed his own little table since he is so short to the ground but too heavy to pick up.

And that's it for the sneak preview.  I'm not divulging who won the independent groups that we watched today, and I'm perfectly content to wait until Thanksgiving Day to see who wins the overall competition.  It's another tradition that we all look forward to while the turkey is cooking in the oven.

I hope you've enjoyed our adventure today. But there's one more thing I'd like to share with you, just in case you were wondering:

All I have to say is:  Thank goodness for that!  

I'm sure you agree!