Recently in Events Category
Photo by Carol Beuchat
Meet CH Maplecreek Back in Black, the 3-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi who won the Best in Show titles both Saturday and Sunday at the All-Breed Dog Show in Torrance. Those in the know are saying he is a dog to watch. Best in Show is the dog that has won in his breed category, group (herding in this case) and then over all the other top group winners.(What a cutie, no?)
And this special note from dog show watcher/blogger Billy Wheeler: "The corgi beat the number one dog in the country, the Scottish Terrier, CH Roundtown Mercedes Of Maryscot (call name Sadie), to win the BIS. Saide and handler Gabriel Rangel are from Rialto CA."
Our winning corgi is owned by Les and Ginger Veik and Bill Shelton. The two-day show at North High was sponsored by the South Bay AKC and drew more than 1,500 dogs to compete in breed conformation and obedience trials.
Our special thanks for permission to use this photo goes to photographer Carol Beuchat of Mission Viejo (check out her galleries of beautiful dog photos in natural, outdoor settings on her web site) and to Billy Wheeler of the the "Dog Show Poop" blog site.
And congratulations to all the winners at the show. Keep your eye out for that corgi at upcoming dog shows.
Read related posts.
I had a chance to stop by North High in Torrance this weekend where the 66th annual All Breed Dog Show was being presented by the South Bay AKC. Something like 1,500 dogs along with their owners and handlers -- and dozens of vendors selling everything from specialty dog beds to leashes to supplements and toys -- converged on the school grounds for the two-day competitions.
Of special interest to me this year was the rally obedience course supervised by San Pedro dog trainer Barbara Millman.
We'll post the winners here when we get them. Meanwhile, here are some photos I took:
This is VanDyke, a Lhasa apso, getting ready to go on.
Below are some scenes from the obedience "rally," a contest that has owners take their dogs through various obedience stations off-leash. Dogs sit, stay, lie down, walk backwards and jump hurdles.
There are always plenty of vendors set up for the show each year:
More photos on the jump.
It's that time again.
The South Bay Kennel Club will present its All Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial Saturday and Sunday (that's Aug. 8 and 9) at North high School in Torrance. And it's free (you pay only for parking, but you might want to bring some cash or a card for the many dog-related vendor booths and lunch).
I've attended the show in the past and posted about it last year.
It's great fun to see all the breeds up close, watch them being groomed, and get a real-time view of how these shows unfold and all the work that goes into showing a champion dog. You also can chat with owners, handlers, breeders and judges if they have a few moments in between shows.
Judging begins at 8 a.m. both days and group judging (for the various breed 'groupings' such as working, herding, toy, etc.) begins at about 2:30 p.m. Best in Show is
judged following the groups.
The schedule can be found at www.jbradshaw.com where you can link to the Judging Program to find out when and which ring number your favorite breeds will be showing.
Well, kids, it's here -- the annual America's Family Pet Expo at the Orange County Fair grounds in Costa Mesa.
If you're a pet lover (and we assume you are if you're reading this) and you've never been to this event, it's worth the drive down (the fair kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday, April 17-19).
Daily shows, competitions and demos feature diving "splash" dogs (Drama, a regular at the San Pedro Dog Park, will be competing I'm told), exotic pets, pony rides, free flight bird shows, a cat show, dog grooming makeovers, and police K-9 demos.
Thousands of pet products will be available for sale and pet rescue groups will be on hand with animals available for adoption (including many of the breed rescues).
Some of the vendors also give out free samples.
Warren Eckstein of The Pet Show (KRLA 870 AM) is scheduled to broadcast live from the expo fair grounds between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday.
Expo hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (60 and older), $6 for kids 6-12 years and free for children 5 and under. There's a $2 discount if you buy tickets online via Ticketmaster.
I usually head out there each year with my childhood friend Shirley (we grew up next door to each other once upon a time) -- she's the cat person, I'm the dog person. So between us we make it to most of the exhibit areas, although we skip the reptiles and rats.
Maybe see you out there this weekend.
So here's the scoop on yesterday's "Shop and Adopt" event to benefit the San Pedro Animal Care Center:
6 dogs,
4 cats,
and 1 turtle.
All got new homes.
A big thanks to all the volunteers and shelter staffers who worked the event. If you missed this one, there will be another vendor fair on Dec. 21.
Rabbi Gary Spero of Congregation Beth Torah will lead an animal appreciation program Saturday Nov. 1 to recognize and appreciate the influence of pets on our lives. All pet owners are welcome to attend and bring their properly leashed or caged pets. Animals will be blessed and can receive Hebrew names.
The event will take place at Congregation Beth Torah, 3521 W. Lomita Blvd., west parking lot, in Torrance.
For more info, call Mona Bloom at 310-534-8002 or Congregation Beth Torah at 310-257-1818 for more details. Donations appreciated.
The songs! The tricks! The fashion!
See it all at the Hollywoof K-9 Carnival from noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 8, right here in Torrance.
It's all to benefit displaced dogs from the ongoing mortgage crisis and is sponsored by Le PAWS Agency and Hollywood K-9 agent Addison K. Witt.
It happens at 438 Amapola Ave., Suite 115, with a $20 admission fee to benefit the Westside German Shpherd Rescue of Los Angeles.
But in addition to that, you can also bring other donations, including dog food, blankets, collars and treats.
There will be a doggie fashion show, a "best singer" contest (I think Rocket should enter), agility demonstrations, and best dressed and best trick prizes. There will be dog adoptions, TV reality stars and celebrity dogs on hand as well, in addition to a guest speaker, Susan Goldberg, founder of K9 Water Company.
There also will be drawings for humans who can win $500 in cash and prizes.
If you're a vendor, you can sign up to participate or provide a sponsorship by emailing HOLLYWOOFEVENT@LEPAWSAGENCY.COM.
If you want to buy tickets in advacne call 310-782-6573, Ext. 2227.
Many of our South Bay readers probably knew Dr. Christine Omoto Beezley, a much loved local veterinarian who died last year at the age of 56.
She owned and operated PV Village Pet Clinic, 201 Palos Verdes Blvd., Redondo Beach, in Riviera Village, but also worked with police K-9 units.
I never met her, but I was impressed by the outpouring of love and respect for her when she lost her battle with cancer in 2007. One of our Daily Breeze photographers and his wife took their dogs to her and told me at the time they'd be at a loss to find a vet they liked as much.
From 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 4), Dr. Chris's many friends and admirers are hosting the 2nd annual Chris Omoto Beezley Dog/Pet Walk as a way to raise awareness for the many animal clinics that operate in the local area.
Participants meet at MIramar Park, 201 Paseo de la Playa, Torrance, and walk to the PV Village Pet Clinic. Bring your pets -- or not. All are welcome.
The fur flew earlier this month (and that's a good thing) when nearly
1,500 dogs competed at North High in Torrance during the annual dog show sponsored by the South Bay American Kennel Club.
If you've never been to one of these shows, it's a great opportunity to get a peek behind the scenes: owners and handlers doing the last minute grooming and preparations before the dogs go into the ring, the judges as they check the dogs and make their final calls. (This show will be back again next year, but in the meantime, if you missed this one, there are schedules for other local dog shows listed online.)
There were dogs of all breeds, sizes and colors, from Welsh terriers to Great Pyrenees to greyhounds to dalmatians to bull terriers to border collies. You knew you were getting near the Old English Sheepdog station by the clumps of groomed hair seen skittering along the ground like tumbleweeds.
The overall Best in Show winner, as Josh reported in his Daily Breeze coverage of the Aug. 9-10 event, was a black standard poodle named Champion Randenn Tristar Affirmation -- from New York, no less.
Saturday's program was devoted to breed conformation where judges choose the best of
breeds and then the best in a group of breeds, such as this judge at right who's ready to make a final call in the sporting group.
I missed the Sunday program due to church, but that was the day the dogs competed in obedience and "rally."
Barbara Millman, a San Pedro dog trainer (Rocket's trainer, in fact) who has raised and trained champion Shetland sheepdogs, was overseeing much of that part of the show.
She told me later that a border collie, Highland the Next Generation UD (OK, so the name was really a lot longer but, as border collie people like to say, "That'll do") owned by Louise Meredith of Los Angeles earned a perfect score -- 200 out of 200 points -- in the rally competition. The dog earned 199 out of 200 in the utility obedience portion of the show.
To put it mildly, that's really quite remarkable, Barbarba said. And she should know, she's been the obedience trial chairwoman for the Lomita Obedience Training Club for more than a decade now.
"It's one amazing dog," she said of "Highland." But it doesn't come without top breeding qualities in a dog and lots and lots of work, both by the dog and owner.
As for Rally, that's fairly new to dog competitions in which owners work as a team with their dog to navigate a course with signs posted at various obedience stations.
If your dog knows basic obedience skills -- sit, stay, down and come -- you can sign up for the rally class offered at 7 p.m. Fridays by the Lomita Obedience Training Club. They have lots of other great classes as well.
But back to the show.
While I was there on Saturday, I snapped some pretty random pictures you can see here and on the jump to get a feel for the event if you missed it.
Here's a handler giving a blue merle shetland sheepdog a final once-over before heading into the judge's ring.
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.