A participant gets ready for the show
Bhubaneswar, Dec. 7: Blow-dried and primped, the three-year-old floppy-faced Rottweiler won hearts at the two-day dog show that concluded on Saturday at the Unit-1 Boy's High School Ground in the city.
Thor, the dog, along with 250 other canine participants of more than 40 breeds, strutted their stuff at the show. Thor's caretaker, Rajat Mallick from Calcutta, has been showing the dog since it was a few weeks old. 'He is a quick learner. I maintain him a lot and am proud that he received praises from many. He is my darling,' said Mallick.
Alsatians were among the major attractions
Manish Arora from Hyderabad was showing a large, white, muscular Dogo argentino and Anirban Ganguly was proudly presenting his long-coated Tibetan mastiff. Dogs, belonging to breeds such as Siberian husky, German shepherd, rough collie and poodle also flaunted their coats.
Roberto Tereso, who came from the Phillipines to judge the show, said: 'I am amazed to see so much enthusiasm among the participants. They take such good care of their dogs! It's really impressive.'
Organised by Odisha Kennel Club, the second day of the dog show was all about the physical beauty of the dogs. They were judged on the basis of their height, teeth structure, walk and posture and the angle of their tails.
People enjoying canine show at the Unit-1 Boy’s High School Ground and (right) caretakers bring out their pets in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee
In the obedience show, held on the first day, the dogs were evaluated on their ability of obeying orders at various levels. Secretary of the club Subrata Ranjan Prusty said that the state lacks professional dog trainers. Hence, the club has come up with a three-month training programme for the youths of the city. 'The three-month course will teach the youngsters on how to train dogs. This will give them livelihood opportunities, as there is a growing need of trainers now,' said Prusty.
The programme starts at the basic level and ends with advanced obedience and guarding training to the dogs. 'The course will be functional within a month,' Prusty said.
The club has also come up with a number of interactive sessions on making the dog owners responsible and on imparting knowledge about the right ways of treating dogs. 'Most of the times, the owners do not know how to acclimatise a dog properly with its new environment. As a result, the dog becomes aggressive to other animals and strangers. In some cases, it affects the psychology of the dog as well. Hence, interactions with experts in the field will be helpful towards creating a comfortable environment for the dog,' said Prusty.
