We had a great day in the city! The show was at Madison Square Garden, which is very convenient to the LIRR trains. We were there for the first of the two days. We saw so many different groups of dogs, but didn’t get there in time to see the Pugs go :( That was the only disappointment. The dogs are amazing — in all the hubbub, pressure & crowds they maintain their cool. (my babies go beserk when they see someone walk down our street!)

One of the most surprising things about the show was how accessible the dogs were. The floor of the Garden was divided into seven rings, where individual groups were competing. We were able to walk all around the rings and be right there with all the action. It was crowded, so I enjoyed the view from our seats. Every dog there is magnificent and I have no idea how the judges do their job.

We were also allowed to go ‘backstage’ to the benches. This is where the dogs/owners/handlers are all getting ready for the show. Considering how prestigious this show is and the time, effort and $$ that go into getting to this level I was amazed that they let the public back there. Lots of grooming going on. It seemed that no matter how busy people were, they were available to answer any questions or accept compliments! We took all of the pictures in this area.

We fell in love with just about every breed we saw and now would like one of each! I had to keep reminding myself of what these dogs would look like if they were mine (getting groomed once a month as opposed to every ten minutes!). I am partial to the smushy faced breeds.

I have been playing around with my Typepad account and have posted a photo album of pictures – you can find it on the right hand side of the page!