in

Photo by Krista Husa

6 4)
;Aik

Ws Its puppy

love for
metro
Detroiters this
weekend.

the show if we spread it out over two
days."
Organizers are capitalizing on the
major draw of the show: The dogs
remain in crates on benches while not
competing and are available for public
viewing. Most shows in the United
States are "unbenched," meaning the
dogs are shown and taken home
immediately afterward.
Carol Silverman, a West Bloomfield
resident who shows Doberman pin-
schers and German short-haired
pointers, has collared 12 champi-
onships in the 37 years that she has
been involved in dog shows. She
prefers the benched to unbenched
shows.
"In an unbenched show, you come,
show the dog and leave," she said.
"With the benched shows, you have
more of a chance to talk to other own-
ers and other breeders about a shared
hobby."
Exhibitors also see the benched
shows as a way to educate the public
about the attributes of particular
breeds. Douglas Hyman, a
Birmingham attorney who sits
on the trial board of the
American Kennel Club, said
many families will use the
shows as an opportunity to
find a family-friendly breed.
"It is a fantastic opportunity

Left• When not in the judging
ring, dogs are benched to allow
visitors to ask questions of
breeders, handlers and owners.

Left: Carol
Silverman with her
champion
Doberman pinscher,
Lexis.

Right: Bichons frises
stand at attention
during judging

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR

Special to The Jewish News

hen he talks about the
Detroit Kennel `Club
Dog Show, Frank J.
Kovalic literally pants.
It may seem as if he is imitating his
award-winning basset hounds, but the
heavy breathing comes from all of the

3/6
1998

98

hard work he is doing in making
North America's largest dog show even
bigger.
"This is a lot of work," he said,
"but it's worth it."
Featuring 3,500 dogs from nearly
all 50 states and Canada•and repre-
senting all 140 American Kennel Club
recognized breeds, this year's show will
be held March 7-8 at Cobo Center in

Detroit and will span two full days of
competition and show instead of the
traditional one day.
"We have had 55,000 to 60,000
visitors each year for the past several
years. There were so many people here
it felt like going to a Lions game," said
Kovalic, treasurer and business manag-
er of the DKC. "We decided it would
give everyone a better chance of seeing

for families to find the animal with
the right temperament and character-
istics to fit their lifestyles," he said,
adding that a number of reputable
dog breeders also can be found at the
shows to facilitate finding the top
dog.
The competition will begin 8
a.m. Saturday, March 7, when the var-
ious breeds hold separate competi-

