ARENA BUILDING GOING TO DOGS FOR WEEKEND

The floor of the AC Brase Arena building will turn into a six-ring dog show this weekend as 800 akitas, whippets, dachshunds, danes, beagles and black-and-tan coonhounds show their breeding.

Southeast Missouri Kennel Club's 76th and 77th dog shows will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. They will feature as many as 135 breeds of dog in a fairly new back-to-back competition arrangement.

Cecile Busch, kennel club vice president, said the American Kennel Club has allowed clubs to hold two contests over the same weekend instead of spacing them out over months.

Busch said it makes for a busy weekend but it is probably more convenient for the contestants who will travel from 35 different states and a few foreign countries.

"I think we get a good deal of satisfaction out of being able to do it one weekend and do it well," Busch said.

The dogs are judged based on breed and evaluated on bone structure, condition, expression and movement. "It's very similar to a beauty contest," she said. "You're judged on how you look, how you walk and how you behave."

The dogs are allowed slightly more than two minutes to impress the judges. Trophies are awarded to the winners and, more importantly, points are added toward a championship title for that dog.

Busch said a championship title can make a breeding dog more valuable to its owner. "Most people just enjoy the competitive aspect and they have a great deal of pride in their animals," she said.

Busch said this year's competitions have drawn about 100 more entries than last year. Thousands of shows are put on across the country every year, she said.

The Southeast Missouri Kennel Club has been holding shows in the Arena building since the late 1950s. This year's competitions will also feature a puppy fun match that allows exhibitors to show younger, less trained animals.

Busch said that show is from 5 to 6:30 tonight, with judging at 7, and is open to anyone with a 6- to 18-month-old American Kennel Club-registered puppy.

Stacy Busch, kennel club publicity chairman, said between 250 and 400 people attend the free shows every year. The event usually competes with the Riverfest celebration, which reduces the crowd.

One aspect of the show that isn't in the brochures will be the participation of local Boy Scouts.