More than a thousand canines competed in the Rubber City and Columbiana County kennel clubs’ dog shows this weekend — but only one pooch was on top every time.
Preston, a Puli, was named best in show at all three shows held this weekend at the Summit County Fairgrounds in Tallmadge. Two of the shows were hosted by the Rubber City Kennel Club, while the third was held by Columbiana County’s club.
Preston’s co-owner and handler, Linda Pitts, said she was pleased with the wins. She said Preston’s breed is not an easy one to take care of, so it’s worthwhile when he wins.
“Their coats are sort of a controlled mat,” she said, describing the breed’s most notable feature — their corded fur. “It’s not so different from dreadlocks.”
Pitts, of Tennessee, said Preston’s coat requires great care, and his appearance goes a long way in the eyes of judges. Preston’s breed is Hungarian, and the dogs once were bred to herd and guard livestock.
The shows this weekend were official American Kennel Club shows. The Rubber City club president, Paul Morehouse, said this weekend was the first series of dog shows of the year. As such, it was the first time two dog breeds were able to compete: the American hairless terrier and the Sloughi, a North African slighthound.
“This was the first place they could exhibit for AKC points,” said Morehouse, who added that no Sloughis competed despite the option.
He said this year drew almost 200 more dogs than last year, which was an unexpected spike.
“Some of the other shows around this area have been down quite a bit,” he said, “so we were kind of surprised that it was up that much.”
He said judging dog shows is an art — one that some have cultivated for decades.
“There is a standard that is created by the parent club of each individual breed,” he said. “Judges essentially are interpreting that standard and comparing the dogs they’re looking at to what the breed standard says.”
In order to meet those standards, dog handlers must work diligently to make sure their canines are at the perfect level of beauty.
Hailey Griffith of New York state prepared her cairn terrier for nearly an hour before he competed. The dog, the charcoal-colored Chuck, was named best in his breed. However, he didn’t make it to challenge Preston.
While preparing Chuck for his competition, Griffith described a grooming technique special for cairn terriers.
“It’s called hand-stripping,” she said. “It’s a very light stripping of the fur. It promotes growth of the coat and preserves the coat’s texture.”
Other participants in the show said there’s more to winning than looks alone. Terry Smith of Arkansas said a dog’s temperament is just as important.
Smith is the handler of Aji, a 4-year-old mastiff who’s been named best in breed for the U.S. and Canada.
“He’s a gentle giant,” Smith said, “which is exactly what you want with a mastiff.”
Despite Aji’s massive size — 260 pounds — he’s keen to offer affection, even to strangers. Smith said mastiffs originally were bred as gladiator dogs to fight in coliseums, but later became the guards of children in castles.
“They’re still very protective of children,” she said. “If someone moves too fast around children, that person’s got Aji’s attention.”
Aji faced off against Preston in the final competition Sunday after he was named best in class for working dogs.
While only the very top dogs made it to that final competition, each of the 1,100 dogs that competed had its own story to tell. Among them was Barney, a colored bull terrier.
Barney’s owner, Dean D’Aquila, said he competes to win — but just having Barney as a pet was important enough.
That’s because he almost lost Barney only months into the dog’s life.
“The day Barney turned six months old, we competed at a show in Columbus and Barney won best in breed,” he said.
“I was posting on Facebook about his win when I got a knock at my door.”
At the door was a police officer, who informed him Barney had gotten outside and was struck by a car. In the months that followed, Barney underwent surgeries costing upward of $6,000 — and now he’s competing at shows again. On Sunday, he was named best in breed.
“The money I spent was well worth it,” D’Aquila said. “He’s full of pins and plates now, but that doesn’t stop him from winning still.”
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ.