Every March, the red carpet’s come out, and the stage is set for Canada’s most prestigious dog show, the Purina National. A Canadian Kennel Club charity event hosted by Purina, the show attracts dogs from all over Canada, and the United States.

The main event is conformation, but there is much to see, and do!

In conformation events, dogs are judged on;

* Type
* Structure
* Movement
* Temperament

My blog post entitled; Evaluating show potential discusses those criteria more thoroughly.

Judges carefully evaluate their classes, and choose winners. The dog, and handler, that wins“Best of Breed,” moves on to show in their “Group.”

The winner from each “Group” moves onto the premier event of the night, “Best in Show.”


CKC categorizes breeds into seven “Groups.”
Group One: Sporting
Group Two: Hounds
Group Three: Working
Group Four: Terriers
Group Five: Toys
Group Six: Non-sporting
Group Seven: Herding

Best in Show, Saturday March 12, 2011 was Am. GCH. / Can Ch. Alaman The Bees Knees; a beautiful white Standard Poodle handled by Chrystal Murray, and bred by Christine Nethery and Alan Waterman.

The CKCSCC and many other breed clubs, setup informational booths.

Those in attendance, had the chance to speak with breeders, and meet the dogs up close.

It was a wonderful opportunity to educate the public on how to find a responsible breeder, and stress the importance of finding a breed that fits your lifestyle.

Judging by the crowd around the obedience rings, I wasn’t the only one in complete awe.

The discipline, focus, and bond, that obedience dogs have with their owners, is nothing short of incredible.


I’ve caught the obedience bug, and can’t wait to get started!

The CKC and Purina, once again put on an incredible, seemingly flawless event.


Maybe next year a little b&t princess, and her owner, will be ready to compete on the red carpet!

Have you ever attended a dog show? Do you have the show bug?

A big thank you to Debbie and David Souch for the photo’s.