Dogs have their day at international show

The lucky dogs being led into the National Show Centre in Cloghran, Co Dublin, yesterday must have thought they had died and gone to doggie heaven.

The Pet Bakery was selling peanut butter and cheese bones that could even tempt humans. Not far away, Pow Wow was being launched - an isotonic dog drink to replace fluids lost by all that running around and bow-wowing. And then there were the grooming stands selling dog cologne, dog dental gel and the most luxurious of shampoos, conditioners and liquid silk serum.

A queue of dogs accompanied by their patient owners was forming by the "dog portraits while you wait" stand and a little velvet red chair sat waiting for its next canine client.

Meanwhile, judging at the St Patrick's International Championship dog show was under way.

A total of 2,832 dogs will have strutted their stuff when the two-day show ends this evening. "It's our sort of Crufts," explained Wendy Jackson, Irish Kennel Club spokeswoman.

She said the dog show had a certain cachet in the early years when it was the only place in the country where you could get a drink on St Patrick's Day. "So it got a following of people that were not necessarily the greatest dog fans in the world."

This weekend's show marks the last time that the event will be held close to St Patrick's Day. It will be held in June from now on.

The show attracted several winners from the recent Crufts show, including Larry Ferrer who handled Chance - the "Best in Show" winner at the biggest dog show in the world.

"That was like winning the Super Bowl but not expecting it. Words will never describe it," Mr Ferrer said.