Over the weekend I attended the American Spaniel Club Flushing Spaniel Show in Valley Forge, Pa.  This was the first time I’ve ever attended a Specialty Dog Show – usually I attend All Breed Shows.  It was SO cool to see SO many Spaniels in one location!  American Cocker, English Cocker, Welsh Springer, Field Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels, Clumber Spaniels, and best of all – Veteran Show Dogs!  I have a fondness in my heart for the American Cocker Spaniels as that’s the breed I had when I was little.  The blog image shows a line up of English Cockers….such beautiful dogs!  It was awesome to see the entire ring filled, and I mean filled, with spaniels.  At one point I counted over 20 Welsh Springer Spaniels in the ring together …. each one unique!  More photos to come….!

The nose of a Dachshund is very important as they are scent hounds – bred to hunt badgers by digging into their burrows!  In this image, 2 Dachshunds get nose-to-nose at the dog show….both literally and in a competitive way! 

If you have a kitty, you’ll recognize this pose as that of a contented cat who is getting it’s back scratched!  Cats often raise their tail & back end when you scratch their back – they just love it!  Doesn’t this kitty have beautiful eyes?  They really seem to glow!  This image is from the Christmas City Cat Show in Easton, Pa. last month!  So much fun!

The #2 show dog in the country in 2010 is a Pekingese named Malachy.  I photographed Malachy in early November in Bloomsburg, Pa. – what a beautiful dog and so deserving of all of the Best in Show wins in 2010!  At the end of the year, it was neck and neck between the Smooth Fox Terrier named Dodger and Malachy to see who would be the #1 dog as the year ended.  Dodger came out ahead by a nose!   I was hoping to photograph Malachy again before the end of the year, but I kept missing him.  I’d be at a show Saturday and he would be there Sunday or vice versa.  So, the Peke in the blog image is not Malachy, but is indeed a very beautiful Pekingese.  I’m becoming quite smitten with these adorable toy dogs that wobble as they walk!  Watch for Dodger and Malachy at Westminster next month!