More Than 120 Breeds Represented at Dog Show

Despite their cute appearance--with colorful rubber bands keeping long hair out of their eyes and mouths before a competition--Lhasa apsos make good guard dogs, said owner LaVonne Brockway.

“Not that they’ll do any damage, but they’ll alert you,” she said after traveling from Riverside County to compete Saturday and Sunday in the annual All-Breed Dog Show in Van Nuys.

The small dogs are not fragile either, Brockway boasts: “You don’t worry about them jumping off a couch and breaking a leg.”

Brockway was but one of the many dog owners showing off their favorite canines, as more than 1,000 dogs--representing more than 120 breeds--took over Valley College as part of the ninth annual show sponsored by the Burbank Kennel Club.

The dogs are judged by how well they conform to American Kennel Club standards, said Burbank Kennel Club spokeswoman Valerie Anne Yale.

Judges consider a dog’s appearance, movement and other breed characteristics, she said.

“In one way it’s a beauty pageant for the dogs, but the dogs also have to perform the function they were bred for,” Yale said.

Many owners came early to prepare their dogs for competition, grooming them for hours. One handler often lightly sprayed his Doberman with water to keep her cool in the heat.

But there was more than serious competition at the show, which featured everything dog lovers could want: specialty dog food, wristwatches decorated with Rottweilers and other breeds, canine jewelry and lots of art featuring man’s best friend.

There was also face painting and balloons for kids.

Inside a tent, there was a wooden device called “Happy Legs Stand Stay Stilts,” which is supposed to teach dogs how to stand and stay in place for judges.

Elsa Tipton took her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Champion Keya, who wore a necklace of white feathers, to stand on the short stilts.

But the 6-year-old dog refused to cooperate.

“You know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks,” said Elsa’s mother, Frances Bloom of Desert Hot Springs.

Bloom said the short-haired breed is convenient to have, needing little grooming.

“They don’t have to be puffed and all that nonsense,” she said.