Today I took a field day to research dog shows. I attended the 111th and 112th Annual Blue Ribbon Dog Shows & Obedience Trials at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA put on by the Golden Gate Kennel Club. I found myself surrounded by "my people". This show seemed like a perfect time to examine social status' of humans and dogs in this particular realm of "elite" dogs. I found that the people were friendly, eager to talk about their dogs, and nurtured a healthy competitiveness centered around a pure love for a breed and dogs as a whole. Interesting to me, the stereotype of people often looking their dog seemed to hold true. Exhibitors shared information and conversed with curious members of the public who liked to share their tales of their own "regular dogs". The dogs all seemed seasoned in their demeanor: like being paraded around proudly is a daily occurrence.
While talking to some exhibitors I came across Jeffery and Wayne of Loma Chihuahuas who were kind enough to let me test a new piece (Elizabethan Collar I, 2013) on one of their tiny dogs.
