Multibreed dog show at Perry fairgrounds not just about looks. This matters, too

Tara Cotton doesn’t teach dog obedience, but she probably should.

She entered two dogs in the obedience portion of the Middle Georgia Kennel Club Dog Show at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter on Sunday. Both got perfect scores.

Even before they stepped into the ring, her little brown dog Flynn, a Pembroke Welsh corgi, peered up at her intently, eagerly waiting for a command.

Once they started, he followed her every word without hesitation. Cotton then got her other dog, Tasha, a Cardigan Welsh corgi, and went through the same routine.

The show, which featured about 250 dogs from around the Southeast, included the traditional portion in which judges gauge how well the dog conforms to the breed. But participants could also test how well their dogs obey.

They walk through a course stopping at signs that require a different task at each stop, including sitting, staying and following other commands. The dog also must walk without tugging on the leash.

Cotton, of Gay, said people can teach their dogs to do the same thing if they have some patience.

“It’s not hard because they are really smart and they love to work, especially for food,” she said. “The hard part is the consistency and the time that goes into it.”

She recommended that people seek out their local kennel clubs, where they can usually find obedience classes. Help is also available online.

Where ever they turn, she urged dog owners not to give up and turn their dogs into shelters when they are having problems. Getting angry with a dog is not the answer, she said.

“A lot of people give up because it’s not working out immediately,” she said. “If you are having problems with your dog find what the root cause is and work through it.”

Although her dogs performed the course perfectly, she didn’t immediately know how they placed because the event is timed. As it turned out though, Flynn won the competition.

The show included a wide variety of breeds. Susan Cipolla, who lives near Charleston, South Carolina, left hurricane worries behind to bring her dog, Abe, to the show. Abe is a Leonberger, a giant breed dog she said is little seen in the South. She was planning on heading home after the show and didn’t seem concerned about the storm.

“It’s not supposed to impact us until Wednesday or Thursday, so I’ve got a few days,” she said.

Amy Watson, of Columbus, was there to show her American pit bull terrier, a female named Ouija. Ouija is the first dog Watson has shown that she produced herself through breeding.

“She’s done a lot of winning in very few shows,” Watson said.

The show began Friday and will continue 9-11 a.m. Monday in the Georgia Grown Building. It is open to the public.

This story was originally published September 1, 2019 at 4:01 PM.