Dogs

There is no business like dog show business

(Click on each photograph to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)

The 2018 Rose City Classic Dog Show in Portland, Oregon, has come and gone. I attended on the last day of the event, which ran from Jan. 17-21, 2018. It is one of the West Coast’s largest and most popular dog shows, where owners and their breeds do their dog-show thing. Non-dog owners like me come to enjoy the fun, entertaining, and at times really odd world of competitive dog showing. I have several friends who compete and have been attending shows for years.

I had not been in a couple of years and had forgotten how much fun a show can be. I love the dog agility/slalom/obstacle course contests the most. I also love the variety of breeds, all gussied up to extreme, and at times absurdly weird levels. You cannot go wrong with even the worst camera at one of these events. I used a new Lumix, consumer-grade point and shoot, and I am pleased with my candids.

Most every dog I met was adorable, particularly the cattle dog bitch I met at a meet the breed session. She was absolutely adorable, and we hit it off (I love cattle dogs and other herding dogs).

The photos are in no particular order and have no particular theme, other than being fun moments for everyone. Woof!!

Me, I like herding dogs most of all

I am a huge fan of the herding breeds, including the Texas heeler.

Ever since I traveled to Omak, Washington, in 2012 and met a couple of amazing Texas heelers adored by their owner, I have been smitten by this breed. Herding dogs just have that certain special something. Hey good boy, you are looking might fine. Click on the picture to see a larger photo on a separate picture page.

The look that is love

An Alaska malamute puppy just made my day. What a good girl.

Every now and then some research pops into the news cycle that tells us something we know: puppies make us feel good. One of the latest studies, whose rigor I cannot verity, found that gazing into a a dog’s or puppy’s eyes releases the hormone oxytocin, which makes us humans feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I think I already knew that. Hi there, cute girl. Thanks for making me feel that magic only puppies can create.

The doggie cam harness before there was a doggie cam harness

I made this video in 2013, a year before GoPro came out with its own line of harnesses designed especially for dogs. Other companies were already out of the gate, but all I had at the time was a human head harness. I enlisted the help of my neighbor and her best buddy and my good friend, Balloo. Balloo was a trooper and tolerated the indignity of a loose fitting harness. We got a few good shots playing catch. I saw both owner and Balloo again at Thanksgiving, and Balloo cried when he saw me. He is such a goooooood boy!

A few more canine candids from the Vancouver Kennel Club Show

I took this at the Vancouver Kennel Club Show on Oct. 25, 2014.

I used my GoPro camera fo the first time at a dog show. Dogs are fascinated by the GoPro. I think they cannot decide if it is a toy or food. Some dog owners thought the dogs would try to snack on it. But they behaved, and they demonstrated perfect camera form. (Click on each photograph to see a larger picture in a separate picture page.)

Dog shows are one of my favorite subjects to photograph

I had a lot of fun at the Seattle Kennel Club Show yesterday (March 8, 2014) at the Century Link Exhibition Center.

Aussie before show time

Basset hound in the breed display area

An adorable Chesapeake gets all the love in the meet the breed ring

Goldens always have the most Buddha-like looks when being groomed

What Beautiful Light

Photos, Commentary, and Videos by Rudy Owens