DOGS HAVE THEIR ANNUAL DAY It’s all about puppy love
This story has a cuteness factor of "10." Sooo cute.
From the Tacoma Washington News Tribune.
DOGS HAVE THEIR ANNUAL DAY It’s all about puppy love
SCOTT FONTAINE; scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com
Published: March 30th, 2008 01:00 AM
Three-year-old Gabe Prater entered Maggie, a 9-inch-high pug-terrier mix sporting her Harley-Davidson cap, in the shortest ears category Saturday at the Most Magnificent Mutt Show in Graham. PHOTOS BY RUSS CARMACK/THE NEWS TRIBUNE
You know the story. It’s the fodder of dozens of G-rated movies: Farm boy leaves for the city for the first time. He’s nervous. He’s scared. It’s noisy. It’s crowded – more people than he’s ever seen before. He avoids the crowds but slowly lets his guard down. Soon, he realizes he’s no different than anyone else.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Stoli. He’s 4. He’s orange-and-white. He’s a border collie-Australian shepherd mix. And he made his first trip off his home on a 8-acre farm in Eatonville for Saturday’s Most Magnificent Mutt Show at Frontier Park in Graham.
Humans had a good time, too.
“This is a great mother-son experience,” said Stoli’s owner, 33-year-old Kerri Miller. She attended the Daffodil Festival event with her son, 7-year-old Wyatt Field. “He loves this dog – it’s his best friend. I thought this would be good for both my son and Stoli.”
Stoli – yes, like the vodka – was one of about 70 dogs entered in 16 events, said Pierce County Fair manager Betty Backstrom said. The annual competition was open to children 14 and younger, and the Daffodil princesses judged.
Miller’s dog was entered in three events: softest coat, softest ears and the coat of many colors.
“He doesn’t exactly have many colors,” she said, “but we think he’s pretty.”
Many dogs used the occasion to sniff out new friends.
Heather Stamper of Tacoma said the atmosphere was a good opportunity for her 3-month-old English bulldog, Cookie Monster, to see other dogs and lots of people.
Stamper’s 10-year-old daughter, Katie, held the puppy’s leash during the competitions shortest tail, coat of any colors and cutest.
“It’s his first time around this many people and other dogs,” Heather Stamper said. “And it’s been really a lot of fun.”
The judges relished their chances to play with the dogs. Shrieks of enjoyment erupted from the Daffodil princesses, who woreblue vests and tiaras. They clapped during the tricks competition and gushed when the canines trotted out in costume for the celebrity look-alike event.
Most dogs were excited throughout the event, but others didn’t appear fazed by all the commotion. Count Samson was in the latter category. The brown mastiff-Rottweiler mix weighs in at more than 120 pounds. And at 16 years old, he wasn’t about to get riled up.
Samson was entered in the shortest tail category. Olive Staley of Parkland, whose granddaughter Fiona showed off the dog, admits that his tail is probably the only small feature of the dog.
“He accidentally stepped on my foot one time,” Olive Staley said, “and he broke three of my toes. But other than that, he’s harmless.”
Steve Bartlett from Covington said he attended the show with his family and their 4-year-old English pointer, Dixie, because it was something they all could enjoy.
“This is what family stuff is about,” he said. “It’s an excuse to get out and go do something with our dog. It’s a blast.”
Ahead of an upcoming story, we’re inviting readers to submit a photo of their pet along with the story behind his or her name to our new pet-names photo gallery.
To submit your photo, go to www.thenewstribune.com and click “submit” under the “reader photos” icon at the bottom of the page.
Select the “pet names” gallery and put your pet’s name in the title box. Besides telling us the story behind your pet’s name, make sure you include your pet’s age and breed, plus your name and what town you’re from.
