Dogs of various breeds participated in the obedience trials of 56th Championship Show organised by Orissa Kennel Club with immense gusto
BHUBANESWAR: Obedience trials of the 56th Championship shows of Orissa Kennel Club kicked off for the first time in the sylvan surroundings of KIIT- KISS sports complex at Patia here Saturday.
TATA Steel Dog Squad handler Anant Kumar was adjudged champion in the obedience trials. S R Parija, President, GSD Club Kalinga Chapter, gave away the prizes. Er Chittaranjan, one of the pioneers in the field of training and dog sports, has earned the coveted entry into the panel of judges of the Kennel Club of India through sheer hard and dedicated work over the decades.
The Obedience and Agility Club of Bhubaneswar is the only obedience club in the country affiliated to Kennel Club of India. The club announced around 26 entries for obedience with more than 10 entries in C6 Open Test, the most difficult test in the trials. The dog winning the C6 Trials is designated as the ‘Best Show’ in obedience. The participants were from several states like Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Odisha.
While the show is one of the most important ones to be organised by OKC and KCI, the clubs are also working towards popularising the Canine Good Citizen Programme, which is basically a programme to make our dogs well adjusted members of the society.
On the sidelines of the dog show, 4th German Shepherd Dog Confederation, Kalinga Chapter was also conducted at the same venue. Two experienced and knowledgeable judges Bernd Weber from SV Germany and Giuseppe Paffoni from SAS Italy graced the confideration.
The exhibitors of this confederation were from more than eight states. As many as 86 dogs travelled with their owners from faraway places like Luknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Ooty, and Hyderabad apart from Kolkata and Jamshedpur. The local entries from all over the state have also seen a marked improvement as a result of year long activities to promote the game.
The judges examine the exhibits as per the breed standards set by the world governing bodies World Union of German Shepherd Dog Clubs (WUSV) and German Shepherd Dog Club (SV). The dogs are divided into males and females and as per their age.
German Shepherd, being one of the most popular dog breed across the world, has a huge following in the city which was evident from the number of dog lovers present at the show. After judging each exhibit, judges give their critique which helps the breeder in further breeding of their dogs. This enables a particular breed to develop standards which is in harmony across the world.
These Dog Shows organised by Orissa Kennel Club have seen a remarkable interest among the general public. From school-going kids to house wives, people of all ages have shown keen interest in understanding a dog’s psyche and educating them in a stress free environment.
Kiritika, a working professional, said, “I love dogs. I come here every year to enjoy dog shows. Today, I got to learn many things about dogs. I earnestly appeal to concerned authorities to organise these shows more often as it would only help dogs to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.”