JAPAN: Thousand dogs catwalk at competition in Chiba

Record ID: 465592

  • Title: JAPAN: Thousand dogs catwalk at competition in Chiba
  • Date: 25th January 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) JUDGE AND BOARD MEMBER OF FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE KARI JARVINEN SAYING: "When I look this dog, it's everything what the breed standard is asking and plus he is a real showman and he is in so excellent condition." (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) OWNER OF THE BEST DOG IN SHOW AND BUSINESSMAN MASAMI URYU SAYING: "He has been out for many shows, so he's handling the tension quite well now." PAPILLON STANDING BESIDE WINNER'S DECORATION JARVINEN, URYU AND WINNER DOG POSING FOR CAMERA
  • Embargoed: 9th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Nature / Environment,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA2WVYOUW3U15AIDD4JG3F3GLPZ
  • Story Text: Nearly a thousand dogs turned up to International Dog Show in Chiba, near Tokyo, where they manifested stylish walks and runs to become one of the top dog in Japan.
    Nearly 1,000 dogs and their owners turned up on Sunday (January 24, 2010) for International Dog Show in Chiba, near Tokyo, where they showed doggy runs and catwalks to win the title of one of the most charming dog in Japan.
    This canine carnival, organized by Japan Kennel Club (JKC), is one of the 14 dog shows JKC offeres across Japan each year including the Asian International Dog Show in Tokyo, the biggest in Asia in its kind.
    Some of the 926 dogs participating in this year's competition even had their tongues stuffed back in their mouths as judges looked them over from teeth to tail, to pick the Best of Breed, Best in Group, King and Queen in each ascending round. The the final round is the face-off between the King and Queen to determine the Best in Show.
    The dogs are judged for their character, health condition, pedigree and bone and muscle structure soundness -- among a whole lot of other different qualities.
    This year, organizer saw a new trend in dog breeding in Japan - mid or big size dogs were getting populare among Japanese pet lovers, majority of who still own lap dogs that fit in their small apartments.
    "The fact that the number of mid or large sized dogs is increasing may tell that affluent families are breeding more and more big dogs in spite of the recession," JKC President Takemi Nagamura said.
    The title of Best in Show went to a three-and-a-half-year-old papillon, Gachaman (pronounce Gah-Chah-Maan), named after a Japanese animation character with big sharp ears.
    Judge Kari Jarvinen from Finland, a board member of Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) - an international federation of kennel clubs based in Belgium - said a papillon like the winner is rare to meet.
    "When I look this dog, it's everything what the breed standard is asking and plus he is a real showman and he is in so excellent condition," said Jarvinen.
    But Masami Uryu, the owner of the winner dog, attributed the day's victory to Gachaman's repeated show experience.
    "He has been out for many shows, so he's handling the tension quite well now," said Uryu.
    In Japan, where dog hotels, cafes and even dog-friendly cars are the norm, the number of dogs are stalled at about 13 million, one in every three households by calculation, JKC estimates.
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