1,000 Dogs Put Their Best Paws Forward at Ventura Show

Freshly brushed and powdered, Busy looked like a champion as she gently hopped into a performance ring Sunday at the Ventura County Dog Fanciers’ competition in Ventura.

It was only 9:30 a.m. and the black-and-white Shetland sheep dog, commonly known as a sheltie, had already spent 20 minutes being groomed and fed by a team of handlers.

Unfortunately, the primping wasn’t enough to make Busy a winner.

Nearly 1,000 dogs competed in the show, held in two exhibition halls at Seaside Park, but only seven qualified for the finals and a shot at the Best in Show ribbon.

“I think Busy was just too much girl [too large] for the judge,” said Gayle Eads, a member of the Santiago Shetland Sheepdogs Club, which brought Busy and 10 other shelties to the show.

After a day of judging, a Welsh terrier named Bruhils Sea-Aire Carsey was awarded Best in Show.

Sunday’s show was the first of two scheduled this year at the park.

The next show will take place during the Fourth of July holiday and feature more than 3,000 dogs.

For many of 2,000 people who attended the free show, the day was an opportunity to view dogs of all shapes and sizes, and browse vending booths that offered everything from silver-plated water bowls to dog sweaters and chew toys. “I’m with friends and my dogs. They give me something to live for,” said Pamela Encell of Ventura, a member of the sheep dog club.

Cendy McVoy, Encell’s friend and training partner, said there is personal sacrifice involved in dog breeding--long hours and lost weekends--but the hobby can be satisfying. “It’s become the main part of my life. It gives me a sense of fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment,” said McVoy, a fast-food worker from San Bernardino who has competed at dog shows for 30 years.

The county Dog Fanciers group has hosted the show for 36 years. The events are sanctioned by the American Kennel Club and have grown in popularity over the years, said Dog Fanciers Chairman Al Weinraub. “It can start as a hobby to keep your family involved in doing something together, but you become dedicated to creating better animals,” said Weinraub, who has trained Afghan hounds for nearly 40 years.

The show is designed to appeal to casual hobbyists and serious competitors--many of whom spend thousands of dollars buying and breeding each dog.

Regardless of how much money and time are invested in a dog, the judging is serious business.

With a careful eye, Sandra Wheat, the sheltie judge at Sunday’s show, watched Busy and 30 other shelties being led around a 45-foot show ring.

The dogs pranced proudly as their handlers strode next to them with expressions of determination.

In the sheltie division, Wheat gave top honors to a furry number named Cas from San Jacinto.

One of the more exotic and rare breeds was the komondor, which has hair resembling dreadlocks.