The Dog Show 2012

A few weeks ago, on an unusually chilly Saturday morning, Raleigh and Madeline volunteered with their friend Priscilla at a dog show right here in Alpharetta.  This area is known for being horse country (not dog country), but nearly everyone we know owns a dog.  And this dog show was serious business.

People who come to dog shows come for two reasons, I think: to show off their dogs (who are more like family), and to connect with other dog-lovers.  I would say about 1/4 of the dogs really weren't that great at jumping or doing technical maneuvers, but their owners sure were proud, and everyone cheered everyone (everydog) on.  It was an uplifting experience for all of us, and we all went to watch the dogs and our girls help out.

This is about how close Raleigh would let us come to her:

She really did not want anyone to think she was incapable of her job, and the nearer we came, the less capable she appeared, of course.  Ah, the tween years.  She was doing the "leash runner" job.  The owner would take off the dog's leash when it began the course, and Raleigh ran it over to the end of the course where the owner could put it back on.

Go Fido!

The owners had to run with the dogs through the course.  They were almost just as entertaining to watch.  There's Priscilla in the picture above wearing the gray shirt seated right next to the dog's owner.

Leash Running

There's my dawg.

Look how cute this guy is!  Can you believe the dogs can go in and out of these bars??

Right here Madeline is a "score runner."  She took the scores from the judges on the field back to the judges in the tower.  Very important, I would say, Madeline!  The judge on the left is wearing a shirt that says "She's not my pet.  I'm her human."

We learned all about dog show etiquette.  Never park your stroller near the entrance of the course.  Kids make some dogs jumpy, and thus the owners feel jumpy and need to tell you to move.  Oops.  This lady was so cute, though.  She wanted her dog to come meet our kids, and she asked us if they could walk her dog.  She handed Emery the leash, and they loved it!

Behind us were rows and rows of dogs in kennels, gearing up for their moment of glory.

Madeline got to help put bars back up that fell during the course.  I think she liked that job the best.

Choobie's favorite part was the ice cold water they provided for us and the yummy, super-unhealthy lunch.  Emery cried most of the way home, and when we parked in the driveway, this is what we discovered:

Uhhh??