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More About

• Buck Laughlin
• Pets
• Dogs

Dog shows often teeter between nobility and farce. The Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show swings wildly between the two. On the noble side, we have two separate days filled with austere events like Best Bred by Exhibitor in Show, Best Junior Showmanship Competition, and, the biggie, Best in Show. Here’s where you can ponder things like breeding and temperament, nobly. The farcical side has much more to offer: First, there’s the prize money, which is laughable even during a recession — $100, a $50 Best Buy gift certificate, and $500 for winners of the above events, respectively. Second, there’s this thing: the Benching Decoration Competition. As far as we can tell, this is where owners decorate the benches their dogs sit on, with ribbons and pillows and such. Fine. Third: the All-Breed Fashion Show. Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is, and the less said about it the better. But there is something adorable nestled among the varied events, something so innocent and pure, unsullied by the hazards of competition and hysterical dog companions, that you’ll melt just reading the title: Best Puppy in Show. In the immortal words of Best in Show’s Buck Laughlin, “And to think that in some countries these dogs are eaten.”
Jan. 30-31, 8:30 a.m., 2010