Great American Dog Show putting best paws forward in Wheaton this weekend
Under big white tents Friday morning, dogs tried to stay cool while waiting their turn to be judged on their looks, bodies and behavior at the Great American Dog Show at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.
Some paced a little, seeking attention and sniffing other dogs. Others stayed still on the ground, enjoying breezes from personal, portable battery-operated fans.
As for their humans?
“I’m sweating more than I have most of the summer,” said Pat Allin of downstate Paxton, who was standing at a grooming table with Neeva, a big Bernese mountain dog. A short while later, she would jog around a show ring with Neeva.
And Neeva’s groomer, Tori Pinkas of Pontoon Beach, shook her head wryly. In the humid, 85-degree heat, it takes longer for dogs’ coats to dry, she said. Other groomers, dealing with long-haired dogs, were fighting the hair’s tendency to curl.
“Everything you don’t want it (the coat) to do, it will do,” Pinkas said.
Pinkas and Allin were showing three Bernese dogs. She combed the dogs’ coats and used a bit of Barbasol shaving cream to help lift and set hairs — akin to men using styling product to make their hair stand up.
Motive, an 8-month-old Cane Corso from Ohio, had a cooling coat draped over him as he waited his turn. Owner Addy Buck said the coat features a chamois lining soaked in water to cool the dog without making Motive wet.
“We very much prepared the van for this,” she said of her trip to the show, including blasting the air conditioning and bringing lots of fans.
Brandon Buzzelle of Sugar Grove misted himself and his three English mastiffs after they were judged. He then found a shady spot in a tent beside his wife, Erika Wepner.
They decided to own the mastiffs “because they are so sweet,” Wepner said.
It also helps that the short-coated dogs don’t need a lot of grooming, she said.
More than contests
The Great American Dog Show, put on by the International Kennel Club of Chicago, is about more than judging dogs.
For one thing, you can bring your dog.
Attendees can test their own dog’s speed on Saturday and Sunday during Fast CAT races on a 100-yard course throughout the day. (CAT stands for Coursing Ability Test).
Dachshund races are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on both days. You can also watch trick dog, obedience, agility and performance demonstrations, or watch puppies being trained for show.
Vendors will have dog-related items for sale. In addition, there will be opportunities to ask questions of a veterinarian and a groomer.
And if you are thinking about getting a dog, the “Greet the Breeds” area will let you visit with dogs and talk to their breeders and owners.
If you go
The show is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road in Wheaton.
Admission is $22 for adults, $18 for senior citizens and veterans and $15 for children. Parking costs $16.
ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com