Three participants of the All Breed Championship Dog Show in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Six-year-old Prince, a white Pomeranian, showed his aggression to owner Mukesh Kumar on encountering dogs like Neapolitan Mastiff and Golden Retriever at Bihar Veterinary College grounds on Sunday.

Mukesh, who owns a construction company, found it difficult to handle Prince as he barked at dogs larger than him. According to Mukesh, Prince is friendly and easily gets along with people and dogs alike. But on Sunday, he showed that he could be aggressive as well.

“Prince never reacts aggressively when he sees other dogs. But after encountering so many dogs of various breeds today (Sunday), he tried to show that he was superior to them. That could be a reason why he was aggressive. It was a pleasant surprise to see my Pomeranian barking at a huge Neapolitan Mastiff or a big Golden Retriever,” said Mukesh.

Prince was among 250 dogs, which took part in the All Breed Championship Dog Show held by the Canine Club of Bihar at Bihar Veterinary College grounds. Dogs belonging to 15 breeds, including Golden Retriever, Saint Bernard, German Mastiff, Pug and Neapolitan Mastiff, took part in the show.

For some dogs, it was the first entry at a canine show. Others were experienced. There were many who made their owners proud by winning prizes in various categories.

“Prince stands a very good chance of winning in his category. He had won his first prize when he was only seven months old. I am expecting him to win today (Sunday) too,” said Mukesh, brimming with confidence. Mukesh’s sister, Pankhuri Srivastava, was accompanying him to the occasion. According to her, the best part of such shows is getting to know one’s dog closely.

“In such competitions one gets to know many new things about his or her pet. We came to know so many new things about Prince from such shows. For example, we realised today that Prince can be furious too,” she said.

Unlike Mukesh and Pankhuri, there were many who brought their dogs to the show for some fun on a sunny Sunday. Ravi Shankar, a fashion designer, who had enlisted his three-and-a-half-year-old Golden Retriever, Scooby, in the competition, said: “I have come here with Scooby just to have some fun. Winning or losing doesn’t matter at all. ”

Ajeet Kumar, the secretary of the Canine Club of Bihar, said: “Every year dog owners wait for this competition. Last year 220 dogs had participated. This year, the participation is 250, which is enough to say how popular the show is becoming over the years.”