Dog Shows in Ahmedabad are usually held during winter between January to February. However, till now I didn’t have the opportunity to go to any of the shows. The jinx was broken this November, when I visited a show organized at St. Xavier’s College Ground, Navrangpura. The ground was abuzz with dogs and pups of different breeds such as German Shepherd, Bulldog, Pug, Beagle, Siberian Husky, Chihuahua, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Rottweiler, Akita Inu, Doberman, Lhasa Apso, Saint Bernard, Fox Terrier, English Mastiff and countless others!
Needless to say, my excitement was palpable. I mean so many dogs under one roof is a rare sight isn’t it? There were show quality dogs that were well-groom, prize winner champions and other dogs who had simply come to meet their kind. Some were extremely well-behave, while others showed their naughty side – dragging their owners with as they ran here and there. Many of them were enjoying the attention that dog lovers like me were giving them. It was clear that they were the celebrities of the day. And obliged many enthusiasts with a photograph or two and even selfies!!
While the photo-sessions were taking place on one side, there were various competitions going on simultaneously. The announcements of different breed owners kept them on their toes. They rushed to enter the competition with their beloved pooches. I could not manage to see a lot of the competitions because I was running short of time. I simply went click-happy with my camera and posed with a number of dogs and talked away with their owners about their quirks!
The other stalls were those related to dog products, which are hard to come by under one roof. Since I have a number of friends who own dogs. I collected some merchandise from these stalls and took their visiting cards for future reference. Some dogs hostel in Ahmedabad also put up stalls and were distributing their leaflets.
The ground was equally abuzz with dog breeders and Dog Trainers in Ahmedabad, who got an overwhelming number of inquiries coming in from various dog lovers and owners. All in all, it was a melting pot of everyone, who had something or the other to do with the canine species! It was a thrilling event for me and I wish to attend more such exciting shows in the coming year as well.
– By Sucheta Biswas
