~A video showcasing the extraordinary dogs of the

2010 AKC Eukanuba National

Championship~

Exclusive video on our AKC Eukanuba National Championship Facebook Page

This Sunday (January 23), the ABC network will be broadcasting the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. This dog show is so much more than just a dog show! Yes, much of the event is focused on dog conformation and looking for that perfect example to represent a breed. But the AENC (as we affectionately call it here at Eukanuba) is really a celebration of everything we love about dogs!

THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION & ENTERTAINMENT CENTER

The Promenade

I have one—OK two—words to describe the venue of the show: Huge. Beautiful.

The Center has more than 400,000 square feet of flexible space (according to their website). What you’ll see on the broadcast this Sunday will be mostly the Arena. Which is huge.

But there’s also the three Halls (enormous open spaces) which accommodated the AKC Agility Invitational competition; individual breed conformation judging rings; “dressing rooms” (explained below) for the competitors; the shopping and product exhibition area (where the Eukanuba booth was located); and the preliminaries for Junior Showmanship.

The Arena Lobby was filled with all kinds of dog-focused games people could play for prizes. The Grand Ballroom accommodated the AKC National Obedience Invitational. And the Promenade and meeting rooms hosted over 160 breed clubs so that people could Meet the Breed.

The Dock Dog competition was set up just outside of the Arena Lobby. And there were hourly demonstrations just outside of the Promenade done by The California Narcotics Canine Association.

There was so much going on, in so many different places, I just could not see it all! And I was really thankful that my hotel was just across the street because by the end of each day I was exhausted from all the walking around and excitement!

SMORGASBORD

Speaking of walking around, outside of the Convention Center there always seemed to be a smorgasbord of beautiful dogs hanging out. You’d see dogs in the hotel elevators, in the hotel lobby, crossing the street at the crosswalk, walking along the sidewalk. So many different breeds that you don’t get to see too often–like Bedlington Terriers, Harriers, Redbone Coonhounds, and Borzois. Not to mention the Xoloizcuintli, from Mexico. The Xolo (pronounced SHO-lo) is a hairless breed that has existed for more than 3,000 years!

Xoloitzcuintli

There are few things more amusing or majestic than seeing a half dozen Great Danes crossing the street in a dignified and orderly fashion. The feeling in the air was magical! It was as if having all these incredible dogs walking around put anyone in the vicinity of the Convention Center into a canine contact high!

And the humans who accompanied the dogs were just as wonderful. Admiring someone’s dog is always an easy conversation started, but these folks hardly needed any encouragement to talk about their dogs and the breed they loved. Each one I spoke with was willing to patiently answer my questions about their breed. Lastly, I may have just been lucky, but I never once saw any evidence that people were not picking up after their dogs. Not one incident of poo on my shoe!

THE DOGGIE DRESSING ROOMS

My first experience at the AENC was a visit to the Hall where preliminary conformation judging was happening. Wrapped around the judging rings and hugging the wall was what appeared to be a chaotic refugee village! On closer examination, I realized it was the grooming area for the 3,233 dogs who were competing. Not a bit chaotic but actually highly organized.

Grooming is always a part of any dog show, and dog show people are very clever in making the little area assigned to them a calm oasis for their pooch. They bring their grooming table, their dog’s crate (a den to escape to!), and any other little necessities needed (a comfy lawn chair) to turn their spot into a haven of peace.

MEET THE BREEDS

My favorite was the Boston Terrier kissing booth!

We made a post about Meet the Breeds back in December, which included some wonderful dog photos. Each breed represented is accompanied by their human groupies—the folks who love them! It is an excellent place to find out about a dog breed you might be interested in. What we didn’t mention is that each year there is a fierce—but amiable—competition for the best booth, and some breed clubs go all out with scenery and costumes that invoke the history and tradition of their particular breed. This year’s winner was the Keeshond Club of America.

Oh, and here’s a snippet of information that you may never need but that I learned at Meet the Breeds: How do you tell the difference between a Norwich Terrier and a Norfolk Terrier? The Norwich has a witches hat (pointy) for ears. The Norfolk has folded over ears (the “f” in Norfolk).

SUPER RETRIEVERS SUPER DOCK

If you ever get a chance to see the Super Retrievers in action, do it! This is dock dog jumping at its finest. What’s dock dog jumping? You have a pool full of water around 5-foot deep. You have a dock-like runway at one end. The dog runs off the end of the dock and leaps—flies—into the water as it chases the toy (sometimes called a bumper) that the dog’s human has tossed. Amazing! Awe-inspiring! These dogs can FLY!! An added bonus is watching people get out of the way when the dog comes out of the pool and starts shaking off the water.

That dog fur can hold a lot of liquid!

THE CALIFORNIA NARCOTICS CANINE ASSOCIATION

“It’s all about the toy.”

That’s how Carl Nielsen of the CNCA (California Narcotics Canine Association) started his presentation on the benefits of employing dogs to search out drugs, explosives, cadavers, and for search and rescue. The reward that motivates these incredible canines to perform their tasks is the toy they get when the work is done.

But it’s not all work. These dogs are cops by day and family pets by night. After the job is done, they go home with their handlers and switch off their role as police office—they need down time just like their human partners do.

The CNCA has around 600 members in federal, state, local, and international agencies. Teams range from one dog to 60 dogs. Carl told us that statistics show that crime seems to drop when criminals know there’s a canine unit on the force. And criminals seem to give up quicker when a canine unit is on the scene.

Dogs who are successful have a strong hunt/play drive. The officers receive regular training with their dogs. Dogs are taught a passive alert, where they sit and stare at the suspicious object. Or an aggressive alert, where they will scratch, bite, and tear at the object trying to get to where the odor is. Each dog has a specific expertise and Carl told us, “We don’t want to cross-train, because if you have a dog trained for both narcotics and explosives, and the dog alerted, you need to know how to approach removing the item. If you don’t know what it is, it could be dangerous.”

IN 2011, ORLANDO

Start planning now. The 2011 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will take place in Orlando, Florida on December 17 and 18, 2011. Here is your opportunity for a great family vacation! Remember, the AENC is more than a bunch of pretty dogs trotting around a ring. It’s a celebration of everything we love about dogs!

We invited bloggers to attend the AKC Eukanuba National Championship.  In exchange for free tickets, they have access to the entire show and are welcome to blog about their experience this weekend!

Who are they?

Follow Susi on her blog as she shares her experiences at the AKC Eukanuba National Championship.  Read more about her here.  She is also on Twitter Check out her handy KnobNots:  a friendly alternative to ‘Beware of Dog’ signs while you are at it!

Dr. V, winner of the Best Pet Blog in 2010 is joining us to blog about her weekend at the show!  Follow Dr. V on Twitter too

We are pleased to have Long Beach local blogger Donna Littlejohn join us.  Follow Donna on Twitter too!

Jeni is coming from Cincinnati as co-owner of ‘Hank’ who will be showing this weekend!  OK all you dog people, I know you are wondering….’What the heck is a Cob?’  Well, Jeni also owns horses, and a Cob is a type of horse that is small boned and stout.  See, now you have learned something today.

Bev will be blogging from the show this weekend, and you may see some appearances of Flat Tyler!

Are you blogging at the #EukDogShow this weekend?  Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

We are getting very excited here at Eukanuba~  planning for this show is a year-round effort and it is almost here!  Can’t make the show?  That’s OK- we have that covered.  Here are a few things that will help you stay up to date on what is going on in Long Beach this weekend:

Follow us on Facebook!  www.Facebook.com/AENC

Follow the #EukDogShow on Twitter!  www.Twitter.com/Eukanuba

We have also given free tickets to several bloggers who are attending and they will blog about their experience at the show!

Who will win this year?  2009 winner:

X

The American Kennel Club and Eukanuba announced today that the tenth annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will be broadcast for the first time ever on network television. The show will premiere in an invigorated new format on the ABC Television Network on Sunday afternoon, January 23, 2011. Check your local listings to confirm air times.

“We are delighted to join ABC for the airing of the tenth edition of the prestigious AKC/Eukanuba National Championship,” said Show Chairman Ron Menaker. “We know viewers around the country will not only learn about the exciting world of dog shows but also about the 167 different dog breeds and how to find the right one to fit a family’s lifestyle.”

Thousands of top dogs from around the globe will compete on December 4th and 5th 2010 for $225,000 in prize money and the chance to be named National Champion, one of the biggest honors in the dog world. The event will once again be held in Long Beach, CA in conjunction with the AKC Agility Invitational and the AKC National Obedience Invitational, showcasing a multitude of canine talents under one roof.

“ABC provides a terrific opportunity to showcase some of the world’s most extraordinary dogs,” said Eukanuba’s Jason Taylor, Manager of External Relations. “Dog lovers and their furry friends won’t want to miss this year’s show. It will truly be special.”

Visit our web site http://www.akc.org/events/tvschedule.cfm for a complete list of air dates or www.akc.org/aenc for more information about the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.