Dog Show a Winner

And the winners were ... dog show fans -- newbies and veterans.

The Wilmington Kennel Club had great weather Friday and Saturday for its show at Lums Pond State Park. Martha Doerner, kennel club secretary, said Best in Show honors went to a beagle on Friday and to a Saluki on Saturday.

Doerner is also working to compile attendance numbers, but she said she couldn't get near the rings Saturday for the Best of Show competition. Lums Pond is a great location -- easy access, easy parking, easy to watch the dogs and plenty of fresh air. Admission was only $5 per person and you get to see more than 1,000 dogs of any breed you can think of compete to become champions. (At right, is Louie, a West Highland white terrier being held by Lisa Curry of Randolph, N.J. The show marked Louie's first competition.)

The dog show people that I talked with Saturday were great. I met a woman who owns a 20-month-old mastiff named Luna who was competing. Luna was so friendly hanging out near the ring before her category. Kids and adults came up to pet her, and she loved all of the attention in her pink party collar.

Among the dogs I watched being judged were Bouvier Des Flandres (absolutely beautiful dogs), Dorbermans, beagles, whippets, shih tzus, German shepherds, Boston terriers, old English sheepdogs (even flufflier and more striking in person) and one Komondorok (a big dog with what looked like off-white dreadlocks).

Mark your calendar next April for the Wilmington Kennel Club dog show at Lums Pond. Dorner says the club will be back with the only AKC dog show in Delaware.