Dogs great, small descend on city for show

Anne Sissons, of Christchurch, shows Mirren, a Gordon setter, at the Dogs New Zealand and...
Anne Sissons, of Christchurch, shows Mirren, a Gordon setter, at the Dogs New Zealand and Waikouaiti Kennel Association Dog Show in Dunedin yesterday. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH
They came in all shapes and sizes and many had the sweetest smile.

About 230 dogs, and their owners, from all over the South Island headed to Dunedin over the long weekend for the Dogs New Zealand and Waikouaiti Kennel Association Dog Show at Forrester Park.

The canines were small and large, short and tall and some were more elegant that others.

Entries were slightly down on last year but the standards appeared to be high.

Christchurch Samoyed breeder Julie Wells with 7-month-old Lily.
Christchurch Samoyed breeder Julie Wells with 7-month-old Lily.
Samoyed breeder Julie Wells, of Christchurch, bagged a best-in-show award for the performance of Samoyed Arthur and was grooming 7-month-old Samoyed Lily for performance yesterday.

She has been breeding the Samoyeds for 33 years and sold each one for between $3000-$3500, all linked to the first she imported all those years ago.

Competition was both indoors and outside, judges looking for how closely each dog aligned with the written breed standard of the dog.

Anne Sissons, of Christchurch, showed her Gordon setter, a setter with Scottish roots.

Mrs Sissons said she was named Mirren, after actress Helen Mirren, who was the star of the Prime Suspect television series, of which she was a big fan.

Mirren’s half-brother won in the best Gordon grade at Crufts Dog Show in London two years ago.

 

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