As many as 700 dogs are expected to compete at the AKC All Breed Dog Show at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center Aug. 22-24. “The Mt. Bachelor Kennel Club held its first AKC all breed show at the old fairgrounds at the Fred Meyer site in 1982,” Karen Gray with the Kennel Club told the Source. “Since that time, we’ve had a show every year but two.”
There will be three back-to-back shows and trials each day for conformation, rally and obedience.
“A conformation show is where pure bred dogs are judged based on how well they conform to each individual breed standard. In other words, which dogs best represent their breed in terms of breed type, conditioning, structure and movement and attitude,” Gray explains. “Conformation is what most people think of when they think ‘dog show’. It’s a group of dogs and handlers moving around a ring together. Think Westminster.” Judges are looking at form and function. They assess a dog’s physical build, condition, coat and teeth. The top honor for this category is ‘Best in Show’. Gray says judges are qualified to assess all breeds and have a strong understanding of each breed’s standard. Dogs are not competing against each other in conformation, but against the standards of its own breed. Only purebred dogs can compete in conformation. Mixed breed dogs can compete in performance events.
Obedience competitions require dogs to execute specific skills in a controlled environment both on and off leash. The top honor in this category is ‘Highest Scoring Dog in Trial’. The AKC All Breed Dog Show happening in Redmond is a Region 8 qualifying event for the National Obedience Championship. Gray says it attracts some of the top obedience competitors in the region. The teams compete for a spot at the annual AKC national championship.
“Agility is for the super athletes of the dog world and is probably the most fun to watch. This is where dogs show off their amazing ability to tackle obstacle courses at a high rate of speed,” says Gray. While there are cash awards, ribbons and trophies, Gray says the motivation runs much deeper. “The dog show world is a really passionate community of breeders, owners, trainers, handlers and enthusiasts who really love what they do.”
There are a wide variety of competitions including one for senior dogs over the age of seven and another one for puppies ages four to six months. “It can be fun to watch as some of the puppies are just learning the ropes and can put on quite a show,” Gray says.
An AKC dog show is one of the few sports where amateurs can compete against professionals. One of the competitions scheduled all three days is the National Handlers Series, which was developed to recognize breeders and owners who handle their own dogs. The American Kennel Club says more than 80% of show dogs are handled by their owners.
When asked about her favorite part of the three-day event, Gray says, “The sense of community I feel being surrounded by people and dogs who share a common passion.”
The competitions are free for the public to watch. All of the events will be held indoors. Vendors will be on site selling dog supplies. Only competition dogs will be allowed to enter the fairgrounds.
AKC All Breed Dog Show
Fri.-Sun., Aug. 22-24 Starts at 8am
Deschutes Co. Fair & Expo Center
3800 SW Airport Way, Redmond
facebook.com/MtBachelorKennelClub/
Free
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