The Calcutta Kennel Club started off the 2018 Championship Dog show season in Kolkata with its shows at Science City on 17th and 18th November. The competition had 297 dogs belonging to the 11 Groups or breed types that had entered the fray. At stake were Challenge Certificates, Best of Breed, Best in Group and Best in Show titles.
However, there clearly were many dogs and their guardians who were just participating because they enjoyed the camaraderie which is an essential ingredient of such compeitions. While most of the dogs were Indian bred foreign breeds, some were of Indian breeds like the Mudhol, Pashmi and Rampur hound. Many of the participants had really fancy names like American Champion Cambria's Native Son and You Can Call Me Casanova which reflected the love and care of their human parents.
The three judges from the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China each examined the participants’ confirmation, looks and movement and rendered their individual opinions. This step by step elevation of the best representatives of their breeds and their groups culminated in each judge selecting 8 Best in Show winners as well as Best Puppy and Best Junior. This grand finale on Sunday evening was attended not only by hard core show enthusiasts but also by many of Kolkata’s general dog-loving population. The six-year-old Rottweiler champion Jarna's Remo loved and cared for by Dipanita Dhar created a record by winning Best in Show placements in all three rings under the three international judges.
Kolkata boasts the most number of kennel clubs in any Indian metro. Therefore, those who have missed this show can always attend The North Calcutta Kennel Club show at the Belgachia Veterinary College on 2nd and 3rd December or the one organized by the Calcutta Canine Club at Science City on 15th and 16th December.