Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

This dog show is serious business

Staff Reporter

Four championships are being held together to increase the number of prizes Four championships are being held together to increase the number of prizes

CHENNAI: From Friday, the city will play host to one of the largest canine conventions it has seen in a while, as the first international dog show opens.

On December 7, the `delegates', pedigrees of all shapes and sizes, will start descending on the city.

A group of 42 of India's best will arrive on the Howrah Mail at Chennai Central, from where they will be transported to their hotels.

This dog business is serious business, as the organisers of The Kennel Club of India's (KCI) 1st and 2nd FCI International All Breeds Championship Dog Show and The Madras Canine Club's (MCC) 74th and 75th All Breeds Championship Dog Show will have you know.

The four championships are being held together to increase the number of prizes, as some categories have up to 90 dogs and only one prize.

"As the owners spend so much to bring their dogs down, this increases their chances of winning," explained KCI secretary C.V. Sudarsan.

Three-day event

The three-day event, sponsored by Pedigree, will have over 700 dogs competing for titles, with over 70 breeds, including some international participants from Thailand, Brazil and other countries.

Leela Ratnam, Vice-Chairman of FCI, explained their interest in these championships: after a certain number of titles, the dog will be declared international champion.

Parade of Indian breeds

As FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) representatives will be attending the show, the KCI has organised a parade of Indian breeds, including the rare Kombai.

The aim of this is to kickstart proceedings to have these breeds registered under the FCI, which recognises 380 breeds from around the world.

This would be the first step towards saving Indian breeds from extinction, a project taken up by the FCI.

"We want them (the FCI) to understand Indian breeds. Getting them recognised by the FCI could take 10 to 15 years, but this will be a start," said Mr. Sudarsan.

Ms. Ratnam said that the point of these dog shows is to encourage breeders to breed better dogs. The quality of pedigrees is kept high this way.

The event will be held on the University Union Grounds, Spurtank Road, Chetpet. The entry fee is Rs.20.

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