Best paw forward in this dog show - Page 1

Mumbai: About 150 beautiful German Shepherds are putting their paws forward at the Andheri Sports Complex for the Mumbai Canine Club’s annual dog show. On the first day of the two-day event, top quality German Shepherds from across the country gathered to be judged on a variety of aspects, from their gait to their postures, to their hair quality, and even facial expression. “We like to show our dogs. We like to win,” says brand consultant Vishwas Raj. Twenty-eight-year old Raj from, Bangalore has been entering his dogs in competitions similar to these, for years. “Lot of people play cricket or football. I'm into the dog sport,” says Raj. Vishwas has even called in a German handler for his one-year-old Mirkos, who is also of German origin. Mirkos stood third. The best dog in the show will be given the title of Indian Sieger and in addition a rating that will shoot up its value. “The rates for the imported dogs are high but to what extent the price is what we cannot say,” says Sunil Mohite of Mumbai Canine Club. “A puppy starts at Rs 2,000 to sky is the limit. It's like going into a shop, and when something catches your fancy, buying what you like,” adds Raj. Not flinching in the gunshot round is just one of the criteria to get a high rating, which was not easy. But with all the attention that they will get afterwards, that is not certainly a dog's life either. Showing the dogs is not easy for the owners as German Shepherds are big and strong. They weigh close to 50 kilos sometimes. However the beautiful breed is considered the first among equals, and that's why they have so many running after them. http://www.ibnlive.com/news/german-shepherds-run-for-title/top/31714-3.html