By Bishwabijoy Mitra
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 7: Around 250 breeds of dogs participated in the Orissa Kennel Club Dog Show organised at Unit I Government Boys’ High School ground here, Sunday.
Breeds such as American Cocker Spaniel, Tibetan Mastiff, Alaskan Malamute, Husky, Boxer, German Shepherd, Dalmatian, Pug, Dogo Argentino and Rough Collie were among some others that caught the fancy of visitors at the dog show.
While most dogs were from within the state, some came from as far away as Czech Republic.
Sarat Pradhan, handler of a dog called Spartan, a Tibetan Mastiff from Rourkela, was seen proudly showing off his pet. “He belongs to one of the most expensive breeds in the world. He is also extremely intelligent. I’ve been taking him to dog shows ever since he was a few weeks old,” said Pradhan.
Sandip Ray from Bhubaneswar, who owns three dogs including one Alaskan Malamute and two Siberian Huskies, was very proud of his canines. One of his Huskies, five-year-old Akino, received the best of the breed prize.
“Huskies are extremely sensitive in hot climates, and so they are kept in an air conditioned room where the temperature is minus 10 degrees Celsius always,” Ray said, adding it takes a lot of passion apart from time to take care of his dogs.
The dogs were judged based on physical parameters such as their coat, gait, height, posture and angle of their tails. Earlier Saturday, the dogs were judged on their mental skills in an ‘Obedience test’.
In the obedience show, the dogs were evaluated based on their capacity of obeying orders and learning tricks and tasks, said secretary of Orissa Kennel Club Subrata Ranjan Prusti.
“Next year will be the golden jubilee of OKC. We will organise a dog show but we’re planning to hold it in a grand way,” Prusti added.