dog show offs and koodaraivalli

Love for dogs is a recent passion with me. James herriot has done what nothing else could. It was mumbai monsoons and the author who is as fascile with his pen as he is with his stethoscope, which did the conversion.

Hence it is natural that the minute I read the news report about the dog show in chennai that I planned to make a beeline for it. I was lucky that the event was spread over two days and I could still make it to the second day. Never mind that there was not much enthusiasm for the same at home.The only casualty was koodaraivalli chakkarapongal preparation.

It is a different world out there in university union grounds, chepauk. Spur tank road was spotted with a single line of cars on both sides of the road and while we traced the line we could land right outside the venue.There are enough patrons for any single activity in chennai is my new theory. Ok that is what a metro is all about, even a slightly slow on the uptake place like chennai!

The whole place had a festive air about it and children formed a significant portion of the visitors/owners. I heard a father putting his six year old through the paces by pointing out to a 'great dane' and taking him closer for better appreciation. Since they passed me by I could not eavesdrop on further detailed description of the species that the father was so eager to pass on to the son. It was charming. I was waiting for the golden retriever show and overheard a deal being made. A rajapalayam a 6 week old, 30 inches was going for 15. An immediate deal was put through. More than the words the elan with which the trainer put through the transaction was fascinating for me. My attention was immediately diverted by some quick scrambling and jumping by a man who was being asked to quickly give a 'small towel' to wipe the sweat off a participant (golden retriever!) .Soon after a trot around the small enclosure, the dogs will be quickly taken to a corner where they could relax under a shade, just like heroines of hindi cinema would rest after a two minute shot and would be proffed apple juice and umbrella service would also unfold!Performers are the same across species!

I was surprised that there was absence of cacophony of dog barks. How did it happen i was left wondering; There were atleast a few hundreds of them, all under leash of course, but they were quite docile and well behaved. Is it part of the training for a dog show, I wonder.I spotted only one lady handler who was running alongwith her labrador. The dogs were inspected for their healthy teeth and gums first and then the judge would test their physique and also feel the texture of their coat. The handlers would repeatedly make the dogs stand erect with their hind legs splayed slightly. Like models on a ramp they had a particular demeanour to show off!

No, i did not see poodles with fancy costumes and scarfs; nor were the dogs made to do circus stuff. Even dobermen dogs were judged by their quick sprint around the ring rather than running through flaming rings or such daredevil stuff.

We made a tour of all the stalls around the grounds and what stuff there was! What I believed was portable air coolers for the pets actually turned out to to be their kennels. The colourful 'accessories' to a dog's life were on display and I spotted enough dog feeds to feed a million dogs. we spotted number of families who had come with their pets and were resting with the dogs after their show was over.They were quite eager to talk about their pet and children crowded around some of them who were more than willing to share their love for dogs with anybody who cared to listen.

When we were coming out we spotted the queues at the ticket counter serpentine and longwinded.

I would be there next year for the first day and sit through the day to see more of dog show offs!